Small Space Dining

Photo by Kate Jackson Design

Sorry for the few weeks silence, over Easter I was away for a week and since returning I have thrown myself into my art, hence this overdue post. Generally, I post images of homes with large dining rooms, however not everyone has the opportunity of a luxurious dining space, so, if your looking to down size or need some space saving ideas, then read on.

Decorating a Holiday Rental - The Kitchen/Dining Space

Above: A holiday rental in Alabama with cabinets by Vance and Sons 

Want to find out how to create a desirable holiday home on a limited budget, today we focus on the kitchen/dining area. This is part of a series of posts to help get maximum bookings for your holiday rental.

Divine Dining Spaces

Image via - Clover and Thorne

I am not even going to try to pick my favourite from these dining spaces, I love a relaxed look, I am most definitely not into formality, so each one of these spaces I would be more than happy to sit down and enjoy a meal.

Spotted This Week - 10 Great Spaces

1. A fabulous array of cushions in a beach side bungalow. Contrast pattern, add texture but keep to a minimal colour palette for calmness. In this instance, my personal favourite, blue and white - Designer Lauren Christine Henno.

Small dining areas - The versatile circular table

Creating a dining area in a small space can be quite challenging and a problem I have had to resolve in my current home. My open plan living area is too small to have a dining table permanently set up, however I have overcome this issue by using a circular drop leaf table which doubles as a console when not in use. When I host a dinner or lunch, I simply bring it forward a few feet, open both sides and I have a table that will easily seat 8 people.  

Round tables are perfect for small spaces, they are an appealing shape and it's usually easier to squeeze in a few extra people. A circular table uses less space than a square or rectangular table and seats more people than a square table of the same diameter. Choose a circular table with a centre pedestal and it is even easier to squeeze in extra people with no corner legs to get in the way. If I had a large dining area, personally I would choose a rectangular table, however if your limited with space circular is the way to go and they are a far more suited to easy conversation. There are many styles of circular tables available today, I have selected a few designs below;

Tables 1 - 4 from Trade Furniture Company   Table 5. West Elm

1. Brooklyn Oak Round Dining Table 

2. Reclaimed Indian Iron Cranked Table 

3. White High Gloss Table 

4. Outdoor Rattan Round Table 

5. Parker Mid Century Round Dining Table 

A small dining area with a circular table can look fabulous as spotted on Pinterest below...

Interior design by Lauren Liess

Images via Pinterest 1|2|3|4|5|6|7
(I have added links to original sources where possible)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and continue to have fun over the holiday period. If you didn't entertain because you felt you had limited space try a circular table for dining, I think you will be surprised.

Lee oxo

Wood Furniture - Dining Inspiration

We each have our individual style when it comes to our homes, however, an interesting interior is usually one that combines different textures, patterns and an eclectic mix of furniture. One popular style, is the rustic appeal of wooden furniture, especially traditional wood grains, such as oak. Team a rustic oak table with contemporary chairs or a contemporary table with oak chairs and you have a distinct look. I would suggest when designing your dining area, table or seating, you mix and match pieces as an interior designer might, creating some wow factor. Invest in a quality item such as an oak table or oak chairs and mix with contemporary pieces for a completely different look. If you are concerned about our environment, wood veneers combined with solid wood can look just as fabulous.

Take a look at some of the lovely dining areas below, each one designed around a gorgeous wooden table, however, each with its own unique style....

Contemporary chairs teamed with a rustic table for a fresh modern look.

White painted cane back chairs paired with a heavy wood looks distinctly French.

A gorgeous traditional oak table with a mix of seating gives a country feel to this dining area.

Contemporary, rustic and a little industrial. I imagine the candles look stunning when lit.

A bench seat paired with iron chairs keeps the country look.

When designing a new space it helps to create a mood board. I've created a rustic, eclectic look with oak furniture. I love the patina of oak, the noticeable bands of ash coloured veining make it stand out from other woods. In the past oak was normally French polished which gave it a rich, dark tone, today's trends are far more  natural, achieving a lighter tone and allowing the ash coloured grain to make it's statement. Oak looks amazing teamed with natural materials such as sisal and cane, however, it can look just as stunning, paired with a set of contemporary plastic chairs as seen in image 1 above.

I hope you've found inspiration for your dining area or maybe you are inspired enough to buy a wonderful new piece of solid wood furniture to cherish for many years.

Image sources 1|2|3|4|5|6

This post will join the following link parties:
I should be mopping the floor

Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Show &Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Eclectic Country Dining

Matching your table, chairs and dresser is old hat now! You can still keep a theme of country or French style with an eclectic look. Mix and match your furniture and chairs to create an interesting look to your dining area.

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Image sources: 1|2|3|4|5|6

                          If you missed out on my Mothers Day Inspiration - recipe's/diy bath salts and gifts,  you can catch up "here".

                      Hope your having a great week  

           Lee oxo

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                Poppy

               

                       

Dining Styles

Dining tables I would love to have if I had endless space and no budget! 

Please let me know by leaving a comment on this post if you like the idea below of displaying Interior design photos as a slide show rather than posting them individually on the page?  Your comments are very much appreciated.

All images from Houzz.com

I hope you had a lovely weekend.  We had what felt like an early Summers day yesterday in Auckland and everyone was out in force. My local beach was absolutely packed with people and the queue at the icecream shop was a mile long!

Lee x