Arbisi,

You aren't alone, I think a lot of us here run into the same thing. My kitchen has a lot of room, but not wisely used....design wise. I had chairs similar to yours on casters which were chosen by my husband at the time and very comfortable. Finally gave them to my daughter. Replaced these with others, but after moving to my small house the round table and arm chairs are now on the patio. Arm chairs take up a lot of room, though they are much nicer in a dining setting.

Am working on finishing a 42" long, double drop leaf to slide under a cupboard...have yet to buy some simple designed chairs.

You didn't say how many people eat at your table on a daily basis or how much it is used. Also, the door....is it a major traffic requirement? Since I am single, my options personally are wide open....and the fact that the grown kids opt for buffet rather than formal sit down means my requirements are less than more. Still, having the right table remains one of my dilemas too.

Have also found in our smaller settings that furniture "looks" like it may work, but get fooled when it gets here. We should have an option of sharing furniture to test before buying.

Am sure there are a lot of people who will give you some great ideas. I'll post a pic when mine is done..hopefully this week.

For some ideas, do a google search using images. Search for "kitchen eating area". A lot of photos available to get you started. Most of the photos are from B&Bs, but they give good ideas for a wide range of settings.

emagineer-Thanks for the response-yes the door area is high traffic for letting dogs in and out and it leads to patio/pool area. we have 4 people-myself,husband and two teens--the only time table is full is dinner a few nights a week and if we have guests-the rest of the time it isn't used by more than one or two at a time. I found a double drop leaf table at sears.com that I really like but I am worried that it might be too "country" although I did order a 5x7 area rug yesterday that has a farm house print so the table would look good with the rug. Are "country kitchens" still okay? Here is a pic of a table I am interested in (but in oak not green)

Arbisi,

I never noticed this before, but at the bottom of the thread are ads for "drop leaf tables". Jeesh! The website is keeping track of words within our posts.

I like the one in your pic. As for country....do what works for you. I can't keep up with all the different trends as it is....pumpkin colors showing up all over and they aren't for holloween.

I think I found a table I like better that will work it is 30x48--as long as the chairs can be pushed in all the way I should have plenty of room. I've also added apic of the rug I ordered---what do you think?

I think the set looks good with the rug you picked out! I like the chairs a lot- esp, the detail on the back. The set and the rug will look nice in your kitchen.

Hi Arbisi,

I do not have any input on your table situation; am building now so will know how things fit in 2 -3 months. My question is about your counter tops - are they laminate or solid surface, what is the brand? That is a great look w/ your wood cabinets.

Thanks,

C.

I have found that for smaller spaces..in my opinion, that round tables work the best. You can always fit another chair if you really needed to. My kitchen is 9 1/2 ft wide by 25 feet long..so that's what i use.

This may be too contemporary for you, but I love it. The stools tuck right under the table! This is for sale at Pier 1. It really looks a lot better in person...

{{!gwi}}

In my eat in kitchen I use an armless sofa instead of a table. Since I live in Arizona we take advantage of our nice weather and eat outside most of the time. If the weather doesn't permit we use the kitchen island/bar.

I like the couch because I do more casual entertaining (snacks and hor'deurves) so the couch is a great touch since everyone seems to congergate in the kitchen.

I also like the idea of using a high top table with stools.

This may be too contemporary for you, but I love it. The stools tuck right under the table! This is for sale at Pier 1. It really looks a lot better in person...

{{!gwi}}

In my eat in kitchen I use an armless sofa instead of a table. Since I live in Arizona we take advantage of our nice weather and eat outside most of the time. If the weather doesn't permit we use the kitchen island/bar.

I like the couch because I do more casual entertaining (snacks and hor'deurves) so the couch is a great touch since everyone seems to congergate in the kitchen.

I also like the idea of using a high top table with stools.

Chadwick--thanks--the counters and cabinets are about 5 years old. Cabinets are HD Mills Pride and the counters are laminate from HD. Would have loved to do solid surface or granite but couldn't afford it at the time.
The Adams--I found a similar idea with a counter height table and stools that tucked under the table but Husband didn't like it and another awesome round counter height table and chairs at rooms-to go that I loved but it was just too big :( I ordered the table and rug above-will post pics as soon as they are delivered.

Goodmorning Arbisi,

Thanks for replying back. Your counter color and edge design gives me a good idea for my eat in kitchen. The gray goes well with those color of cabinets. The pictures are great. thanks for sharing them.

C.

We have a round table with a leaf (which makes it oval in shape). I agree with Julie about round tables working best in
small(er) spaces. Since we have no dining room (only eat-in), we have to eke out as much extra room as possible. We can fit 6-8 people comfortably...as long as noone wants to get up during dinner! When we have more than 4, we swap out the wood chairs for folding chairs to accommodate the extra 'crowd'.
And country is definitely still 'in'. I don't think it ever went out ;o) What country means to me is a sense of comfort, warmth, and familiarity. It says "Come on in, sit down, relax, and stay a while. Glad to see you".

{{gwi:1536760}}

I don't have pics, but in my small kitchen in MA, I used a 60" drop leave round table. It was great, because, though it was usually half up half down, I buy some floor space if DS wanted to play cars, or put it all up if we had company over to eat.

Mrsmarv,
Can you tell me what color/brand paint you have on your walls in that pic? I collect the pink/red transferware that you have over the window and I love that color with the china. That would be great in my living room or dining room or both since they adjoin.

Thanks!
Teresa

Teresa ~ It's a BM custom mix called "Nora's Kitchen Green"...how original LOL. I had a friend who worked for BM mix it for me based on a color chip I had from another brand. We tweaked it a bit to deepen it, and this is what we came up with. I've received so many compliments on it and decided that I will use the same color when it's time to re-paint. It's slightly deeper in person, and has a slight olive-y tone. We have alot of natural light in our kitchen from two 8' windows. I think it looks best in the evening when the richness and depth of the color comes out. If you'd like, you can email me and I will send you the mixing ratio and info.
Nora

rug picture w/the pumpkins? I love it!

Ann

Thanks Ann.
Well here it is-table fits nicely and kitchen doesn't feel as cramped anymore. Put the old table and chairs in the garage/teens music room.

arbisi ~ the new table, chairs, and rug look great! It really has opened up the space and gives an updated feel to the room. The wood works really well with your cabinets and the rug gives it such a comfortable and homey feel. Nice choices and nicely done.
Nora

arbisi: I love that rug ~ where did you find it?

Thanks Nora & builderswife---I found the rug on kmart.com but it is also available from a few other online retailers. It was supposed to come with two free scatter rugs but they weren't with the order (kmart is trying to figure out where they are) If you do an internet search for farm house rug you will find it.

The new table, chairs, and rug look very nice in your kitchen! Enjoy!

I sent you and email yesterday from here...do you get it? I was asking about the paint formula.

Teresa