Floorplan - No Formal Dining

9 years ago

Looking for opinions on floorplans with no formal dining area. We currently have a formal dining room but never use it. I've had an architect draw up a plan, but it just didn't seem right. Found a new 2014 Don Gardner (left picture) and a Frank Betz (right picture) that have this Kitchen/Dining/Great Room concept. The Betz has a dining area, but I'd repurpose it to an office/play area.

Anyone do this in a build? Pros/Cons?

Featured Answer

Annie Deighnaugh

9 years ago

Much of it depends on your lifestyle. Some are into more casual entertaining so a formal DR wouldn't make sense for them. But in my case, it works well. Both DH and I grew up with formal dining rooms that were used daily, so we prefer to have one.

At our old house, I had a dining room completely open to the kitchen and I didn't like it. When I entertain, I don't want my guests staring at the sink full of dirty dishes. The only way I could block it off was by dimming the lights in the kitchen area and keeping them up in the dining area. My guests were treated to such things like the time I opened the cabinet to get something, the box of crackers fell out, hit me in the head and crackers flew all over the kitchen. It wasn't the entertainment I had planned! Further all the kitchen noises were right on top of the guests...pots rattling, mixers going, etc.

So in our new house, I have a formal DR right around the corner from the kitchen (they share a wall) so I can entertain more gracefully. There is a breakfast nook in the kitchen which is open to the FR too for more casual situations. So I feel now that I have the best of both.

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Comments (9)

TamaraTomNC
9 years ago
Burbmom, I think it's a great idea to have a room that can flex for your needs (or for resale.) The dining room in the floorplan on the right could easily be used by you as an office or play room, but if you sell in the future it can be branded as either.
pps7
9 years ago
Our great room/dining/kitchen is a lot like the Don Gardner Plan. It's not so much that we don't have a formal dining- we've combined the formal dining and eat in kitchen concept. We use the space to eat all of our meals. It's nice enough for thanksgiving and can seat quite a few people but comfortable enough for cereal in the morning.
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Christina03
9 years ago
We are currently building a home with no formal dining room. In our kitchen we are having a large island for casual seating and off the kitchen a large dining area that also leads into the family room. So from anywhere on the first floor you can see everyone and be part of the fun! I plan on keeping the dining area casual but if needed can easily be jazzed up! I lived with a formal dining room for 12 years and as much as I loved looking at it.....I really just dusted it! Good luck with your decision. For my family it just felt right. Go with your gut
Fori
9 years ago
I really like the idea of the dining room that can easily be something else (my dining room is usually some sort of craft/homework room with a big table that is magically cleared out for guests and holidays).

However, the one on the right isn't convenient enough to the kitchen to pass off as a dining room is it? That doesn't mean it wouldn't work just fine for your office though.
HerrDoktorProfessor
9 years ago
We are building a house that technically will have a formal dining room in addition to a large eat in space in the kitchen. However, since we have two young kids formal dining is not really in our lifestyle right now. In addition we really wanted a first floor office space. So we added a set of french doors between the dining area and the formal living room which allows us to close the space off and use it as an office.

Later on if we want to use it as a dining space or for resale it can easily be repurposed as a formal dining room.
burbmomoftwo_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
pps7 - do you mind sharing what type of dimensions your Dining and Kitchen areas? I'm thinking the 16' in the Gardner plan isn't quite 'roomy' enough

Christina03 - same question, do you mind sharing what type of room dimension you have for these areas?

I really like the idea of the keeping room which is a catch all room too - Hearth Room or a Dining Room if desired
pps7
9 years ago
I agree 16' is going to be tight for the great room and dining room. Personally I would bump all 3 rooms- great room, dining and kitchen up to 18'. Especially since you need a walkway through the great too. And dining room. Our kitchen is 11X 20 and dining room is 13x20. For the dining room we have a built in buffet on one end and french doors on the other. 20' is a luxury. I think 18' would be pretty functional. The 16' wouldn't have worked for us bc we wanted an 8' table.
jimandanne_mi
9 years ago
Article from the Boston Globe with suggestions for alternate uses of dining rooms.

Here is a link that might be useful: Does Anyone Use Their Dining Room Anymore?