Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We've looked at some small capes and they didn't have a formal dining room. Does it really make an impact?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

I have a Levitt house which is a ranch bottom with a cape top. We have a large kitchen so we have a table in there and the "dining spac4e" is just to the left ofthat. It5 would be stupid to have another table. I guess we could put our kitchen table there but we just have it set up with two armchairs and small tables and a lamp. I think you could make it into a "dining room" By using drapes and molding, an open bookshelf or a screen to separate the rooms.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We are currently in the process of buying a cape. It has 4 bedrooms and we will be taking one of the bedrooms away to make a DR. It does have an EIK but it's not big enough to accomodate a lot of people so we will definately be using the DR when having guests over.

If you wanted the DR is that something that would be possible for you to do?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We have the same situation. We just bought a cape in Wantagh with 2 bedrooms down, 2 up and no formal DR so we are converting the "big" bedroom downstairs into a FDR. We plan to dormer out the front of the house to make a colonial down the line.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We have a levitt cape - Originally it was a 4 bedroom house. We took the sellers master bedroom down stairs, took the wall down and made a formal dining room.

Here are before - during and after pics.

Scott

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Message edited 1/29/2007 12:25:51 PM.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

For all of us cape owners, doesn't it S*CK that it has to be the MBR that has to be converted instead of the smaller BR

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

I have a cape...3BR down and unfinished upstairs. When we dormer the upstairs we plan on making the current MBR, the DR...opening up the study wall to enlarge the LR and the current guest BR will either remain as such or become the study.

Cape's have a lot of growth potential (a huge selling point for us).

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

I am in a levitt cape. We do not have an eat in kitchen so we always eat in our dining room. Former owners changed one of the downstairs bedrooms into the living room so we have a separate living room and dining room.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

I've been looking at a ton of small capes and if it doesn't have a formal DR, or doesn't have the ability to have one blown out for little cost, I don't even bother seeing the rest of the house.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Awsome pictures. Your house looks beautiful. the cape that we really like - I think the stairs are directly when you walk in so I don't think the layout would let us do that. The DR would be so separate which would be strange...NO?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Our front door is right in front of the stairs.

Kitchen is to the right. We were lucky it was extended into the breezeway, so it is long. We can fit a table in there.

Living room is on the left and dining room(old Master) is behind the living room.

On the right side of dining room is two closets, small bedroom and bathroom.

Boiler is under the stairs

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Scott - I love your pics! I need to show those to DH, I was trying to convince him that might be an option but, he wasn't hearing it. I think the visuals will help!

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Thanks - My Father in law and I did all of the work. He did most of it lol. I just did demo, spackling, taping, sanding and painting.

It was so worth it. The formal dining room is our favorite room in the house.

Now I wish we had more living space.

Scott

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We don't have a formal dining room and it's a pain when we entertain. I'm always shooing (SP?) people out of the kitchen so that I have the space I need to cook and it's not like we have a small kitchen.

I would say if you have the opportunity to purchase a house with a DR go for it, I think they're worth it.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

I also live in a cape, and the previous owners already made their 4 bedroom into a 3 bedroom by doing the same thing as Scott.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

we just moved into our cape this summer. We will eventually change either the garage into a DR or the MB. I would rather do the garage into a DR because if we do the MB you have to walk from the kitchen to the DR through the LR. I think it makes more sense to have the DR nearest the kitchen. DH doesn't want to lose the garage though

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

we have a cape. we have an added room on the back of the house, which the other owner's used as a dining room. We flip flopped it.

When you walk in, is our dining room and our living room is in the back of the house.

When we have $$, our goal is to expand our tiny kitchen and the first floor is going to be a dining room, kitchen and a little sitting area.

We will use our basement as our living room. I don't see the need for 2 living rooms.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We have an extension.





Don't mind the mess... We were painting and just finished the floor

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We have a small cape - originally I had plans to knock out the wall by the master bedroom, convert that to the LR, make the LR a dining room, but we needed to have the bdrms on the first floor for a few reasons.

I've seen others in my neighborhood do this, although I don't personally care for DRs that aren't right next to the kitchen or that were transformed from a bedroom. It's not so important for me to have a formal dining room, just a larger dining area convenient to the kitchen.

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

We are thinking of converting the garage into a family room, and half bath or a master suite. Not sure if it is worth it, because we arent sure if we are going to stay in this house forever.

We just want more living space....1100 sq ft isnt cutting it

Scott

Re: Those with capes......and no formal dining room?

It sounds like there is a lot of potential with capes. I'm trying to picture what you guys are telling me.