Formal Dining Room or not?

[Panina]

So I gathered everything from within my home to create the “dining room” except the chandelier which I had to buy and I was lucky to get a closeout at Lowe’s for $49.

I actually like the look of a dining room but am not a formal person. In my new home I will have a great open area with living area, dining area and kitchen plus a formal dining room. Gym will go in basement, office in an extra bedroom so now deciding whether to create a sitting room or have a pretty looking dining room that I can use as a craft table in the formal dining room. Really need neither.

 

[mdurette]

If you were purchasing a home would a formal dining room be important?

Nope, as long as there is still room in the house to set up some folding tables for the 1 or 2 dinners a year I need the extra seating.

 

[WinniWoman]

We had a "formal" dining room - but rustic with a farm table and shaker chairs- in our last home and used it maybe twice per year for informal gatherings- our annual Friends reunion (where I still needed to pull out some folding chairs) and Thanksgiving. The only reason I sat in there daily to eat (but not my husband who liked sitting on the island stool and watching TV from there-ugh) is because in our kitchen we had stools around our island and I have short legs that makes stools somewhat uncomfortable.

Fine for just sitting very briefly, but not for a relaxing meal.

Our new house will just have a dinette area right off the kitchen where we should be able to fit the farm table and my small dry sink.

Then again, we do not anticipate entertaining in the home- at least not a lot of people and not formally.

 

[WinniWoman]

This our dining room in our now former home. I also did have a breakfront on the wall opposite the table that you cannot see ion the picture. I sold it and all it's contents before we moved.

The buyers for our house- 40 year olds- actually wanted to buy the table and chairs. The table also has to separate wings to add to each end to expand it, which we have used for the Friends reunion since there are so many of us.

But we are taking the table and chairs with us to the new home. Hopefully it fits.

 

[WinniWoman]

I always laugh when on these shows all the buyers are thinking about entertaining. I say to my husband: "How much entertaining are they doing?"

They have a couple of kids and both work full time. So they are buying this house for everyone else they know? They are going to spend all their free time entertaining. More than likely they are going to spend a lot of their free time working on the house!

LOL!

 

[bnoble]

And that may be what Panina is running into: people who think they want a formal dining room, not people that will actually use one!

 

[geekette]

No formal dining room but large eat in kitchen adjacent to galley style kitchen. I guess I don't generally consider other people/entertaining when I find a place to live. We bought this house mainly for the land, but more rooms, bigger rooms was the sway. The galley kitchen was a big compromise for me that I have long ago regretted. however, it is now Just Me so not an issue. Always an issue when people are over because they do congregate in the kitchen and that is a passageway.

Funky 40s house, added onto and remodelled a few times. My guess is they had a small table at the end of the galley before the dining area was added on.

I am not formal, not going to be hosting massive Thanksgiving, I'm in the woods. Formal dining room would be very out of place here. When/if I leave here, there is no chance I'll stage a formal dining room. I'll get my stuff out and let people imagine the living spaces they would create.

I would be interested in knowing if anyone under 30 envisions a formal dining room. Honestly curious, as it might well depend on what family traditions they had growing up, and if it included big gatherings in the formal dining room. the house I grew up in had a formal dining room and a formal living room. They were used for those purposes early on but later the dining room was an office while living room remained like it always was because of the piano and organ and perfect fit of the original furniture.

 

[klpca]

Btw, we added on to our house back in 2007 - to expand our kitchen nook. So now we can seat 10 in the kitchen - a bit squishy with 10 and generous for 6. We use that area every day and frequently have 10 at the table. It's awesome and we always say that we should have added this room years ago when our kids were little (but of course we had no money for room additions then). In my opinion a large eating area off of the kitchen is the perfect configuration for entertaining. Everyone winds up in the kitchen anyway.

And @clifffaith , I have a friend who also converted her family room into a dining room and she loves it that way. Same thing - she gets a generous area for eating, and they just use their living room like a family room (her kids are grown though). The former tiny dining room is now a sitting area that is, sadly, rarely used. Those combo rooms in a lot of California homes are hard to work with. They are open to the living area and are frequently seen as you enter the house so you can't comfortably use them for anything messy like a hobby room.

 

[clifffaith]

Btw, we added on to our house back in 2007 - to expand our kitchen nook. So now we can seat 10 in the kitchen - a bit squishy with 10 and generous for 6. We use that area every day and frequently have 10 at the table. It's awesome and we always say that we should have added this room years ago when our kids were little (but of course we had no money for room additions then). In my opinion a large eating area off of the kitchen is the perfect configuration for entertaining. Everyone winds up in the kitchen anyway.

And @clifffaith , I have a friend who also converted her family room into a dining room and she loves it that way. Same thing - she gets a generous area for eating, and they just use their living room like a family room (her kids are grown though). The former tiny dining room is now a sitting area that is, sadly, rarely used. Those combo rooms in a lot of California homes are hard to work with. They are open to the living area and are frequently seen as you enter the house so you can't comfortably use them for anything messy like a hobby room.

Every now and then I force myself to sit in the living room, just because it's there. Cats decided the sitting room side is their own, which is fine. My TV watching is done from my favorite chair in our bedroom. Our living room gets used only for company, but even then more often than not we greet people at the door and all move to the kitchen table for cards. I imagine our apartment at the retirement community will be set up more like most timeshare condos -- TV is in the living room which is actually used for living.

 

[klpca]

Every now and then I force myself to sit in the living room, just because it's there. Cats decided the sitting room side is their own, which is fine. My TV watching is done from my favorite chair in our bedroom. Our living room gets used only for company, but even then more often than not we greet people at the door and all move to the kitchen table for cards. I imagine our apartment at the retirement community will be set up more like most timeshare condos -- TV is in the living room which is actually used for living.

We used to call our living room "the giant hallway" because we just walked through it, all day, every day. But two years ago we completely redecorated the room with the help of a decorator. I would have never, ever thought to put a 12' sofa in there - almost wall to wall in that room, but it works beautifully. We had our sofa custom made and upgraded to down wrapped cushions. It is like melting into butter when you sit on it. We now use that room for our morning coffee, and in fact we now refer to it as the "morning room", and love that it is used every day. Since the furniture is comfortable, we find that we use it more often when we have "friends and family over" (lolol - I should work for HGTV). We still don't use the dining room as a game room as much as I had planned - the large drum pendant that I chose has a diffuser and the lighting just isn't bright enough for cards in the evening. So of course we play at the kitchen table. No matter how hard you try, some things never change!

 

[geekette]

We used to call our living room "the giant hallway" because we just walked through it, all day, every day. But two years ago we completely redecorated the room with the help of a decorator. I would have never, ever thought to put a 12' sofa in there - almost wall to wall in that room, but it works beautifully. We had our sofa custom made and upgraded to down wrapped cushions. It is like melting into butter when you sit on it. We now use that room for our morning coffee, and in fact we now refer to it as the "morning room", and love that it is used every day. Since the furniture is comfortable, we find that we use it more often when we have "friends and family over" (lolol - I should work for HGTV). We still don't use the dining room as a game room as much as I had planned - the large drum pendant that I chose has a diffuser and the lighting just isn't bright enough for cards in the evening. So of course we play at the kitchen table. No matter how hard you try, some things never change!

Ohhhh boy, I had not known such a thing existed. I'm not going to be able to get it out of my mind. I woke up this morning with no particular wish list but now a luxe entry at top of Want list. thank you. without tug, I would not ever have imagined such a thing.

 

[Patri]

I would have loved to leave the tub out of the MBA when we remodeled before moving in here. We have never been bath people. Our first four homes the tubs were used for dog baths, the next home (a Victorian) I took one bath in the claw foot tub then had to have Cliff help me out so never again, have never been in our current tub. I felt that the house had to have a tub for resale, but I still resent having to have it.

People with small children want bathtubs. Probably better if it is not in the MBA.

 

[klpca]

Ohhhh boy, I had not known such a thing existed. I'm not going to be able to get it out of my mind. I woke up this morning with no particular wish list but now a luxe entry at top of Want list. thank you. without tug, I would not ever have imagined such a thing.

Worth every penny. Now my tush expects it every time I sit down.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I recently sold my big (inherited) house with a BIG dining room ... my only home growing up and took as my ONLY inheritance from my parents. I had owned and lived in it for 15 plus years.

The buyers demanded the dining room table and chairs plus my 3 china cabinets ... none of which matched the table & 6 chairs. And all my oriental wool rugs which I had collected over 30 years. They also wanted ALL my furniture included in the sale price .... and EVERYONE in my corner told me to give buyers WHATEVER they wanted. The buyers also demanded (and got) my 2 rolltop desks ... a full size and a child size ... both real desirable and OLD.

I got to keep most of my area rugs and my kitchen table plus its matching buffet, 6 chairs plus the matching china cabinet and my really OLD bowfront china cabinet (a true gem ... with 3 curved glass panels, 4 shelves and a keyed lock). And I seem to have kept an old oriental styled set of bedroom furniture (have the dresser and headboard where I live now but the matching dresser chest is in my warehouse somewheres?).

I am NOT totally sure if my siblings did NOT leave them MORE things in the house as they figured I might 'killed the deal' ... I had lived in my own homes for decades before I moved into my parents house. I liked the 3.5 arces of privacy verses the townhouses and development houses I had been living in for years.

I moved to a townhouse from that big house. This townhome has attached neighbors on both sides. Nice layout and very good neighbors .... one neighbor has known me for YEARS as we are both original owners (since 1984). And I will be moving again next month ... to another townhome about a mile away. That townhouse is an end unit ... with a family room and fireplace. And unfriendly neighbors and I have owned that place for decades also. And there is a Tractor Supply store being built in my backyard (almost .. just separated by the road to the elementary school with its school buses coming & going).

Well, I know the best place I own is my warehouse ... built in 1929, it is a all brick. It was a bakery with the bakery store in the front building on the corner (yes, I own that, too).

If you move a lot, you should have a (90 year old brick) warehouse.

 

[VacationForever]

I recently sold my big (inherited) house with a BIG dining room ... my only home growing up and took as my ONLY inheritance from my parents. I had owned and lived in it for 15 plus years.

The buyers demanded the dining room table and chairs plus my 3 china cabinets ... none of which matched the table & 6 chairs. And all my oriental wool rugs which I had collected over 30 years. They also wanted ALL my furniture included in the sale price .... and EVERYONE in my corner told me to give buyers WHATEVER they wanted. The buyers also demanded (and got) my 2 rolltop desks ... a full size and a child size ... both real desirable and OLD.

I got to keep most of my area rugs and my kitchen table plus its matching buffet, 6 chairs plus the matching china cabinet and my really OLD bowfront china cabinet (a true gem ... with 3 curved glass panels, 4 shelves and a keyed lock). And I seem to have kept an old oriental styled set of bedroom furniture (have the dresser and headboard where I live now but the matching dresser chest is in my warehouse somewheres?).

I am NOT totally sure if my siblings did NOT leave them MORE things in the house as they figured I might 'killed the deal' ... I had lived in my own homes for decades before I moved into my parents house. I liked the 3.5 arces of privacy verses the townhouses and development houses I had been living in for years.

I moved to a townhouse from that big house. This townhome has attached neighbors on both sides. Nice layout and very good neighbors .... one neighbor has known me for YEARS as we are both original owners (since 1984). And I will be moving again next month ... to another townhome about a mile away. That townhouse is an end unit ... with a family room and fireplace. And unfriendly neighbors and I have owned that place for decades also. And there is a Tractor Supply store being built in my backyard (almost .. just separated by the road to the elementary school with its school buses coming & going).

Well, I know the best place I own is my warehouse ... built in 1929, it is a all brick. It was a bakery with the bakery store in the front building on the corner (yes, I own that, too).

If you move a lot, you should have a (90 year old brick) warehouse.

So... which is the home that you want to be at when you grow old.. or have you not found it yet?

We decided on a single level condo with great views and great neighbors, and no yard work.

 

[clifffaith]

People with small children want bathtubs. Probably better if it is not in the MBA.

When we moved into this house it had three kitchens (down to two now) and exactly one place to bathe or shower. We added showers in the two powder rooms, and added a bathroom with shower to the guest house (they used that structure as a summer kitchen and is where we removed a kitchen (with a little help from the city and a scamming tenant)). We closed off the master bathroom from the hall, but basically put the tub back where it was. I much prefer my Mexican tiles to the pink Corian that was there!

My parents have been in their home since 1973. The hall bathroom has the tub, and tub only -- no shower fixture. Over the 45 years they've lived there they did a kitchen update, updated the master bathroom and shower, and most recently four years ago they had to update/upgrade the addition at the back of the house because of water intrusion. Every time they did anything I encouraged them to add a shower to the hall bath. Dad's comment four years ago was "we are vehemently opposed to adding a shower to that bathroom". I find it incomprehensible in this day and age that any bathroom should be tub only. Cliff is all "when they're gone, before we sell the house, we'll put a shower in". Um, no we won't. The lack of a second shower, the popcorn ceilings, the other stuff still left from the 70's is someone else's problem. It's going to sell for over $900K, and I'll take my half and move on! Besides, the more time we spend fixing up, the more time my sister has to think about why she should be allowed to stay in the house!

 

[vacationhopeful]

See my avatar picture. This is a single floor home. It is a real option. Built that is 1977 era. But my neighbor buddies have all been 'moved' on. I was the youngest owner back then.

But right now, I am into 'downsizing' my rental properties. I have sold my primary house and 2 separate rental duplexes. I have established residency at another home for over 2 years now ... and am preparing my NEXT residence. Should be moving there around the 15th of this month.

It is fully painted, new rugs & applicance. Neighbors not very friendly. But the neighborhood cats like me ... my worker has been feeding them. When they hear his truck, they come running. He feels I need a cat ... as I had a particularly interesting cat for 10 years from 2nd grade on. Seems all my siblings totally remember my cat ... and NOT in a good way. She liked ONLY me. When I left and went to college, she reappeared my first morning each time I came during my Freshman year. I went to college a 1000 miles from home.

One last story about my cat. The house next door was rented to a Navy officier and his family of 3 girls. He was a submariner and they ONLY rented the place because the wife could house her show horse on the property. When they moved back to New London, CT, ... she came over and asked my mother if she could buy my cat. She offered me $100 for my cat ... which at the time, was 1/2 the money my mom had as an allowance to buy all the household food and clothing for 5 kids and both parents for a month. My cat loved hunting barn RATS. Full grown rats. She had watched my cat just sit out on the backside of the stable and kill full grown rats. She climb up the side of the building, take a rat from the roof eves by its throat ... thus killing the rat. She just left it there by the manure and waited to kill the NEXT rat.

Her husband was the Naval Technical Advisor on the feature film "Hunt for Red October".

 

[JT62]

We have a small dining room and a good sized living room and family room. As empty nesters, we made our smaller dining room a sitting room and the living room is now a large dining room. I use it frequently....we host people over for evenings out, wedding and baby showers and holidays. And when I'm working on a project, I love using all the leaves in the table and having a large work space.

 

[AnnaS]

Years ago I would have said yes.........today no, but the house would have to have a huge eat in kitchen - flowing into the family room/living room/open concept a huge plus.

 

[WinniWoman]

Every now and then I force myself to sit in the living room, just because it's there. Cats decided the sitting room side is their own, which is fine. My TV watching is done from my favorite chair in our bedroom. Our living room gets used only for company, but even then more often than not we greet people at the door and all move to the kitchen table for cards. I imagine our apartment at the retirement community will be set up more like most timeshare condos -- TV is in the living room which is actually used for living.

I loved having a separate living room. Just the fireplace and no TV and my nice furniture. I would sit on my chaise to get away from the kitchen/den area and TV noise as my husband is a TV addict. I like it quiet.
I could sit and read some of my coffee table books with a glass of wine and decompress- great in winter with the fire going.

Right now- on weekends when my husband is home in the tiny rental house we are in- I can't get away from it unless I go into my office. That is also how it will be in our retirement home, but at least then I will be setting up one of our cozy chairs and ottoman in the office so I can sit and read.

I probably should have had the movers put one in this office (actually a small second bedroom) when we moved in here, but didn't think of it. My chairs are huge, though, and they could barely fit them through the main door to the house and the office door is just as bad, so will leave well enough alone for now.