Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

Our new house has an EIK and the DR is right next to the kitchen separated by only a half wall. We currently only have one dining set and it is in the DR leaving a big open space in the kitchen that I have no idea what I do with right now. We plan to redo the kitchen but probably not for about 5 years.
So here is my question
If you have a situation similar do you have 2 sets for eating? If I did that they would be 5 feet away from each other. If I don't put a dining set there what affordable options are there for this huge amount of wasted space?

Re: Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

I would maybe get a cheaper kitchen set to fill the space or what about a kitchen cart type of thing for more cabinet and counter top space?

Re: Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

We have a very similar setup....we probably have around 7-8 feet between our kitchen table and dining room table. We have a smaller, casual table in the kitchen and a formal table in the dining room.

I actually find that it works well...if we have big gatherings, we can leave some of the side dishes, appetizers, etc. on the smaller table. We don't have to stuff the formal table full of bowls and plates, but everything is still right there.

I don't know when I'll get around to replacing the kitchen table, but I'd eventually like to have something like this:



Maybe that could work for you?

Re: Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

I have an eat-in kitchen and a formal dining room (that is sort of open to my living room... it's an l-shape).

I love having both. I have a round wooden table with 4 chairs in my eat-in kitchen. That's where we eat everyday. It's really convenient, especially with a preschooler. My dining room has formal furniture, hardwood floors, and an area rug, so it's just easier to clean up in the kitchen. And my ds does crafts and play dough and stuff at the kitchen table. The table in the eat in kitchen opens up to a longer oval table that I usually use to set out food on a buffet when I am having a party.

My formal dining room is where we sit/eat when we have people over - whether it's just my parents or another couple for dinner or a huge party. I use my dining room fairly often, because we entertain a lot, but because we don't use it every day, it's easy to keep it a formal area with less mess, more high end furniture, etc. -- which wouldn't be the case if there was just one eating area.

I have a split and have a wall separating my dining room and eat in kitchen, even though they are steps away from each other. So it is kind of a separate space. I like it that way, but I've seen a lot of people open it up, and then still keep an eating area in the kitchen as well as the dining room (although some opt for a breakfast bar or island instead of a full table in the kitchen).

For what it's worth, most of my buyer customers really want a formal dining room AND an eat-in kitchen. So having both is great for re-sale value. A lot of people won't look at a house without an eat-in kitchen.

ETA - I recently needed a new table for my eik and I went to All Wood Discount Furniture on Rte 110 in Farmingdale. They had very good prices and a good selection... I didn't want anything too pricey because my ds is hard on the table. I was really happy with the quality.

Message edited 2/24/2013 9:31:26 AM.

Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

Thanks for all the ideas.
One of the things about our layout is that we have the kitchen dr and den in the back of the house. You actually have to walk through the dr to get to the den. So it is a space that we are in all the time. I have it has a formal space - navy blue and white decor, big buffet, etc. On a daily basis my son does have toys in the dr because of the layout. But he also has a playroom so it cleans up really easy. My house is a ranch so everything is 1 floor.

Re: Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

Re: Eat In Kitchen & Dining Room

if you decide to only use the dining room for eating, you could always add cabinets and counter tops to the wall that backs up to your dining room

our house is a split, with the dining room in the back of the house on the left and the eat in kitchen on the right. we put an extension on the back for a den and decided to push the wall of the dining room into the kitchen, making the kitchen narrower and making the dining room wider- to accomodate china cabinets, etc. and, since we werent going to eat in that part of the kitchen, we decided that the cabinet and counter space were more important

we do, however, have a kitchen table in the other half of that extension- but ive always said that one day if i decide to nix the kitchen table and only use the dining room, id be happy with the space created by moving the wall.