Interiors
1
By Katherine Sorrell
Dining in the Kitchen A quick breakfast, a family supper or an informal dinner party: design a comfortable, practical and stylish place to sit down and eat in your kitchen. A separate dining room is a luxury for formal occasions, but for daily life the idea of preparing dinner while watching your children do their homework at the table, or chatting to friends who are sipping a drink while you whip up a tasty meal, is hugely appealing. A dining area in the kitchen can even serve as a makeshift home office. As with any room design, consider the floor plan, taking into account the doorway, windows, any radiators, cupboards and so on, ensuring that you plan your eating space in the kitchen at the early stages, with wiring in the right places to allow suitable lighting over the table. Consider the size and shape of the available space as well as the number of regular diners and what different functions the table will serve. Ensure that any seating area is not on a through-route to, for example, the fridge or sink, and allow plenty of circulation space behind chairs (600-750mm is recommended). In larger kitchens, the obvious choice is a standalone dining table, rectangular, square, oval or circular, depending on what will best suit the
12
space. It could go parallel to the island, or in the space provided by an L-shaped run of units. If you place the table near a recessed window, in a corner or adjacent to an island unit, it might be possible to build in benches (perhaps with hinged seats for extra storage) to save some floor space; an extending table is another great option, giving you flexibility when needed. Look for a table that is easy to wipe down and that complements your kitchen in terms of style, whether it is modern and minimal or classic and more decorative. You may even wish to harmonise your table top with your kitchen worktops. Another great option is to continue the island unit with an adjacent but lower dining table, either in one line (ideal for a long, thin kitchen) or at right angles, which takes up less space than a separate table but still gives the illusion of one. When space in the kitchen is more limited, or the proportions of the room will not allow the inclusion of a separate dining table, adding barstool seating around one or two sides of an island unit works extremely well – though as the cook
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
