Curious as to the combos we have and how many people have all 3. And how much seating folks have between it all.

Do you have an eat in kitchen? YES Seats 4-6
Seating at island? NO
Formal Dining? YES (seats up to 10 with table extended)

It's mostly about this very same subject.

My conclusion: A lot of builders try to cram in all three in a space too small for them. Also, in many kitchens either the island or the table is convenient where the other isn't. Third, a well designed dining room should have a door into the kitchen, or at least be only a few steps more to be convenient, and should be able to squeeze at least a dozen people when necessary.

I have a dining room and a foldaway eating bar at table height on the back of the island.

Kitchen island-table 2 (squeeze 4)
Dining room: 8 big chairs. Seats 14 in card chairs, 20 with extra table length and card chairs. 30+ if extra tables are extended all the way to the LR fireplace. More and I have to move furniture.

Formal Dining Room = 12.

We did not have a DR set for many years and the bigger kitchen table was it. Having both was not necessary for us.

Do you have an eat in kitchen? Yes -- eating nook for 2-3 people, and seating at a bar between the kitchen and dining room for 2 people.

Formal Dining? Sort of. The living/dining area is one large room with separate sections. Not a real "formal" dining room, but where the dining table will be.

Kitchen Table: 4

Dining room: 9 - 12 at table, up to 16 with little table that fits up to end of main table...Can add tables and seats to stretch through the next 2 rooms to seat more diners in the future for special occasions.

Proposed for remodeled house
island 4
kitchen/DR table 4-6
table on deck 4-6
table overlooking pool 4-6

Jamming family and friends into every nook and cranny regardless of where they have to sit... PRICELESS :-)

This is what fits our needs. There are 4 of us. Add my dad, my brother and his family and we total 9. We only host meals for my side of the family, never for my hubby's side for various reasons.

And that's okay because there are a lot of them, 5 generations (!) of family. Even though my in-laws live in a 1400 sq. ft house with a dining room half the size of mine (which isn't that big to begin with), and the only kitchen seating is 3 seats at the bar, they regularly host family gatherings for 30-35 people (and possibly more this past Christmas). I remember one Thanksgiving when they set up 3 rented banquet tables in their (heated and cleaned up) garage. Most of the time, though, my MIL sets up a potluck, we fill our plates and sit on chairs, couches, fireplace hearth and, if we're not quick enough, on the floor. It's cozy but it works. If my in-laws were to plan for a house to seat that many people regularly, their house would be mostly tables and chairs. LOL!

It's interesting to see what others do but it ultimately comes down to what your needs are on a day to day basis with some room to spare. As plllog has shown, you can always expand as needed.

Our island is 46" away with NO seating.

Sam Johnson
___________
EverydayFaucets.com

We sat 22 at Thanksgiving - used both tables, and changed seats partway through. Fun.

The dining is a hybrid between formal and eat-in. It's an open floor plan. We didn't want 3 eating zones-felt it was over kill.

And I can't wait!

We had 25 over Thanksgiving weekend with plywood countertops. It was a sneak peek for my family.

Kitchen table - no leaves, seats 8
Island - 2 stools
DR - table extends to 12 ft., seats 14 comfortably-- we use it several times a year. For really big parties I set up one or two folding 8' tables in the LR, each seating 10

Kitchen island (seats 3 but we used it as a buffet)
Kitchen table-6
Card table in "sunroom" open to kitchen-4
Dining room-10
Pub table in family room-6
Card table in family room-4

eat-in kitchen - yes, table seats 6
island seating - yes, 2 stools
dining room - yes, table w/extensions seats 6-10

kitchen zero - there is a four-top table but I use it as a work surface, sometimes we feed a kid or two there, amidst the cutting boards and sharp knives, but the dining room is way more convenient.

Kitchen island 3 counter stools

Dining room 8 (I wish my dining room were larger. I think builders really skimp on the space in here if you like to entertain!)

Remodel will include covered living area/porch eating area that will seat 8 at a table.

Do you have an eat in kitchen? No
Seating at island? 4
Formal Dining? 16

We also have a table for 6 in our schoolroom.

But you might be interested to know that for the past year we've been feeding our family of 14 in a kitchen with a table for 6 (but we cram 8), two high chairs, and a rolling island (around which we put 4 stools even though it's not an "eat at" island.) Now ask me how anxious I am for my kitchen to be done! ;o)

The dining table keeps company with a sofa and piano in the room across the hall from the kitchen. The table seats 8. The impromptu music was fantastic New Years day!

Dining room - 10 comfortably, 12 in a pinch. Oval
seemed like a good idea when we got it, but it
really eliminates adding a card table to the end.

Actually, we do have a table that we keep stored in the garage. We take it out when we need it for holidays or parties. Our "dining area" is narrow and there are only 3 of us so I prefer to keep that area open most of the time.

Dining room(when I had a table in there)8-12

Eat in kitchen-no
Seating at island-we have a peninsula with 2 big chairs but could fit 4 small counter stools
Formal dining-our DR is open to the kitchen and LR so informal also-seats 6 but can expand to fit 12 comfortably with both leaves in-14 in a pinch.

I am not sure when I renovate my kitchen and change out the laminate counters if I am going to extend the counter top on the bar area to allow seating for 2 people like many of my neighbors have since it takes up walking space.

Right now I have never entertained more than 6 people formally. If there are more than that, it can be a buffet with people sitting on the sofa and recliner to use the coffee table and end tables. I have a home office in the living room and dining room so IF I have to, I could use the conference big cherry desk for sitting if I had an informal buffet. Usually if there are more than 6 people, we go to someone else's home which is fine by me.

Breakfast room at end of kitchen - up to 6
Island - 8
Dining room - 12-14

My daughter's baby shower was here and we had probably 13 or 14 people eating around the island and only 4 or 5 at the DR table. And the kitchen is completely open to the DR. People always hang out at the island.

I had to laugh about the in-laws story. My in-laws also live in a 1400 sq ft house and had 30+ for Thanksgiving. They swapped the LR and the DR, put in tablecloth covered plywood tables and it was amazing. They do it all the time for the large family and it's a huge lesson for me, you can always fit in friends and family!

No island seating.
DR seats 10-14.

Dining Room: 10, but we squeeze in an extra chair when our oldest is home on breaks from college, and the baby isn't eating at the table yet. It isn't a formal dining room- it is next to the kitchen and will be next to the living room too when we get to that stage of the remodel.

I also have an additional table (that will live in the living room) that we keep round to seat four, but has 5 leaves to extend it if needed. With our large family + relatives, it gets used often for family gatherings. Otherwise, it gets used for homework and playing games, etc.

Do you have an eat in kitchen? Yes...Nook with banquette, seat 4 normally, more if it's kids, but 5 adults.

Seating at island? No island.

Formal Dining? Used nightly for dinner (not formal but put the right table cloth and china and silver and it's formal). Current table can seat 8 but it's not comfortable...shopping for new table (would love for it to fit 10 with leaves). I have a gateleg table that can add an extra 5 on to the existing table...but it extends into LR then.

Outdoors (in So. Cal we eat out there almost all summer): 6 at adult table, 4 and kid table, and 4 at BBQ bar.

No seating at island.

Dining room: Can seat up to 8, it is an octogan table, we could fit more, and I have thought about putting a round wooden overlay on top of the octogan glass so as to fit more if necessary--the points make it hard to seat an odd number without looking weird.

None of it built yet, hope to break ground next month

House:
No island at this time, but I may include a couple of seats at a low area on a corner if it works in the design, purely as a spot to visit while in the kitchen...there won't be a table in the kitchen.
Kitchen table = 0
Family Dining Room (off of kitchen, informal space) = 8 to 10 will be set up for 4 most often
Formal Dining Room = 20 plus and up to 30 (seated) if we extend the table into the smoking parlor.