dining rooms vs. great rooms

One large room vs.
separate living and
dining rooms

A few years ago, some design pundits were predicting that dining rooms would be replaced by dining areas in the kitchen, living, or family room.

As predicted, it has become a major trend to join the dining room to the kitchen or living room, creating a great room. This is a popular choice because a great room opens up your living space. And it makes sense if you like casual dining or don't entertain formally very often. You can eat while you watch TV, keep an eye on your children, or talk to the cook in the kitchen.

But there are still those who prefer to have a separate dining room. Nothing can replace the timeless pleasure of getting out your best dinnerware, creating a centerpiece, and treating your guests to an elegant meal in a separate room devoted to their enjoyment.

Separate dining rooms have other benefits as well. Some of us like having a more formal room that's off limits to children and pets. Plus, while the décor of a dining area in a great room usually matches the living room and kitchen, you can use more formal fittings and furnishings in a separate dining room to create a theatrical mood. Murals on the walls or ceiling will offer a dramatic backdrop to meals, and a chandelier can be an unusual conversation piece.

Of course, there's no reason why you have to have a fancy "off-limits" dining room if you have young children. You can outfit the room in durable materials and use it for everyday meals as well as special occasions.

Because it is a separate room, the dedicated dining room is relatively easy to remodel. But before deciding on wall and floor treatments, you should choose a decor style (see page 103). Take a cue from your dining set. Is it Traditional? A dark, shiny hardwood floor, wainscoting, and moldings will work well. Try sleekly painted walls with no trim to go with a Modern dining set, and a faux-aged finish on walls for a homey look to complement a Country-style table and chairs.

Ask the Experts

I want to turn my unused study into a dining room, but I'm afraid it's too small. How much space do I need?

The size you need depends on how many people you want to seat. For example, if you plan to seat 10 to 12 people, you'll need at least a 13 x 13-foot room. You also need to think about clearance (the amount of space to leave around furnishings). Leave at least 32 inches from the edge of the table to the wall for people to pull out a chair and sit down, or 38 inches from edge of table to wall for someone to walk behind a seated diner. Increase that to 42 inches to accommodate someone carrying trays or platters. If you're short on space, you can place one side of the table in front of a built-in bench or banquette (see page 56).

The trouble with great rooms is they can sometimes be too open. You don’t have to resort to putting up walls, however. Use contrasting flooring and wall treatments or area rugs to differentiate spaces. Partially separate areas by installing columns, arches, or partitions. Sliding pocket doors or Japanese shoji screens, which are sliding screen doors covered with a translucent paper, can be left open or closed to either open or separate the dining room from the rest of the space. You can also raise the living room a few steps, but this isn't advisable for the dining room. No one wants to trip while they're carrying hot foods or china back and forth between kitchen and dining room!