How many places do you set up to eat, inside your house (or outdoors)?

Mountain Cat

Mountain Cat

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Hilltowns of Massachusetts
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I see so many house plans where there is:
1) a kitchen island WITH chairs and geared for eating in,
2) a breakfast nook (separate from the kitchen island)
3) a separate dining room/area, whether formal or informal.

I'm not counting when you bring snacks into the den or living room to munch around a TV or something, or eating in bed on lazy days. What DO you have indoors?

And outdoors?

My answer - only one indoor spot specifically for eating - an informal dining area on a dining table. The kitchen sink is on a peninsula overlooking it so guests and anyone doing dishes can still converse, should that happen. The table holds six. (When I've had 12=15 people over, I've borrowed folding tables and folding chairs, and extended this into the living room... about once a year, every Beltane which I suspect won't happen this year.)

Outdoors: I have a table for two on the front porch, which I like eating on by myself in good weather, when it is too sunny to eat on the south-facing back deck.

A table that can seat four on the back deck. ATM there are only three chairs, but I can and have adapted.

In the back yard last year I hired someone to make a patio space, and brought my parents' wrought iron patio furniture down there. I spent November sanding off the rust and re-spraying. It is only now getting sort of warm enough to use the space, but I don't think it will be used until the COVID thing is over. No idea when that will be.

I'll post photos shortly.
 
Inside, just one area, where the dining room table is, sort of a big room that transitions to the bar.

Well, now that I think of it, we have two stools at the bar, and a pub table with two chairs in the bar, and we've used those before.

Outside, a table for two on the front porch, and in the back, two bistro tables and chairs (so that's four chairs), and two rocking lounge chairs with a small occasional table in between that's just big enough for a couple of beers and a couple of small plates.
 
The outdoor photos:

Front porch, note the chair is simply a camping chair and as I find two chairs that will work with this, the camping chair will retire to the camping supplies. The table is a 3 inch cross section of a log, which I found appropriate as I live in a log home. It sits atop that metal base.

porch table.jpg



Out on the back deck, which is accessible from the dining room, is the next table - I have three chairs for it (Lowe's special) although only one is visible here as I'd taken the photo originally for the snowfall aspect. There's an umbrella that only is inserted in the summer.
I should have bought the fourth chair as they were inexpensive enough, but now the model is discontinued. Oh well. Back to the left you can see our Maypole.

snow 11-12 at 8-30.jpg


And the as-yet-unused patio setup. Wrought iron, four chairs one circular table. The set used to be my parents but I managed to refurbish last year and they really look great.

patio oct 28 done1-.jpg


Right now the indoor area is a clutter bomb, but I'll fix that up with this photo-motivation in a day or two!
 
This is our dining room table, which we got from our in-laws. It goes with the hutch in the background, but the chairs aren't a part of the set. My great uncle made the chairs.
Dining Table

Dining Table


This is the bar. The stools were a gift from my brother Lee, who hung the bar back and helped with the floor. I bought the bar and the bar back unfinished and did the final sanding and finishing of those.
Bar

Bar


This is the pub table, a $100US special from Target. It was weird, because I was looking specifically for a black set and didn't want to order it online, and Target had them, but only for a short time.

If you look behind the left chair, you'll see a dig in the wall from the corner of the chair. Same again on the other side. Those are also "gifts from my brother Lee.

I put a lot of thought and work into how to paint the walls and was really pleased with it, and since he'd helped so much putting the pub together, he was the first guest.

Three minutes after walking in the door, he heavily sat down in the chair and slammed it into the wall. 15 minutes later, he did the same thing in the other chair. I wanted to kill him!
Pub Table

Pub Table


This is the front porch. MrsTasty does use the side table next to the rocker to eat, so I'm counting that as well. We sit out here summer afternoons because it's not as hot as the back, but I'd always rather be sitting inside. That tarp isn't usually there.
Front Porch

Front Porch


This is the back deck. We'll usually sit there while grilling something and having an appetizer and drinks. We have an umbrella for that that's not up yet, and the deck hasn't been scrubbed, either.
Back Deck

Back Deck


This is the bistro set. I have a second set that I'm not going to bother putting out this year. I also need to get a new umbrella for this one. We'll occasionally have breakfast out here.
Bistro Set

Bistro Set

 
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TastyReuben said:
It goes with the hutch in the background,
Click to expand...

What is a hutch? To me its something you keep rabbits in.

I love the bar. I want a bar. Please can I have a bar? I'm not sure anyone is listening.

One thing I will say TastyReuben - you may lack preparation surface in your kitchen but you have a lot more places to eat at a table than me.
I've got one (glass top) dining table where I sit now. Its where I normally sit if I'm on my computer or watching TV and also where I eat. I don't sit on sofas or easy chairs.
 
morning glory said:
What is a hutch? To me its something you keep rabbits in.
Click to expand...
It's a big piece of furniture used to display your fine china...you know, the dishes no one ever uses. :)

I'd also keep the occasional rabbit in there, but their little legs thump too much against the doors. :laugh:

morning glory said:
I love the bar. I want a bar. Please can I have a bar? I'm not sure anyone is listening.
Click to expand...
Only if you promise to use it every day. :)
 
We have two large decks, one upstairs off the lounge, it's about 6 metres X 2.5 it's set up with small table and three chairs, it's too much hassle carting food upstairs but we do use it for brekky two or three times a year. Downstairs decking through the French doors is about 6 metres X 2.5 also.there are two wee tables put there with chairs. We use that a lot more in good weather, I'm sitting out there now typing. Most if not all evening meals are at 6 seater table in kitchen. Miss 10 sits with us so we get 7 to the table. Three grandkids sit at a fold down table in the lounge off the kitchen. I'm getting a 1 piece extension to our table to add another two kids at the main table. We hardly do lunch so I might have a cup of tea mid morning with a biscuit, on the couch downstairs in the lounge while watching CNN or fox. We have so many choices here. We also have a bench seat at the back of the garden, we sometimes have a drink down there on a nice Summer night.

Russ
 
morning glory said:
One thing I will say @TastyReuben - you may lack preparation surface in your kitchen but you have a lot more places to eat at a table than me.
Click to expand...
The dining room table gets used on the very rare occasion we have a guest, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and afternoon tea.

The bar and the pub table similarly; just if someone is over. Mostly, MrsTasty sits in her recliner and I sit on the sofa.
 
Interesting. Especially that Mountain Cats sink faces the dining area. If I ever have a chance to design a kitchen I hope I remember that. We have family gatherings of 15-20 here quite often. I often slip into the kitchen to quickly tidy up & will wash a sinkful while Im in there. My mother in law often grabs a tea towel & helps out but I do feel rude turning my back on them all sometimes.


As for seating Or eating areas.

We have a large raised front porch that is almost enclosed with a long timber table & matching bench seats that happily seats 8 out there and the gas BBQ (grill) is out there too plus a little kitchen dresser set up for use as a bar. No pics as my partner currently has the table stacked with tools as he is building a car out there (can you hear me rolling my eyes?)

Inside our house the kitchen, dining and lounge areas are 3 rooms connected by double door ways, the doorways being slightly offset. The kitchen is very poorly designed as it is easily big enough to have an eat in space but whoever put this together never cooked or served a meal in their life.

The dining room has a 6 seater table which is happy to have another couple of chairs added. I often extend it by bringing in another small 4 seater that lives on the small back deck.

Im thinking to replace at least 2 of the tables & chair sets this year and if I do I may look for something a bit more dual purpose so that when I need it I can easily seat most of the family.
 
Frizz1974 said:
...sink faces the dining area. If I ever have a chance to design a kitchen I hope I remember that.
Click to expand...
My SIL's kitchen is like that - the kitchen is small, smaller than mine, even though their house is far bigger (probably built in the late-1990's), and I have to say, I don't like the sink like that.

Her kitchen is a square, and the sink area sits across a corner, more or less, so it looks out on both the dining room and the living room.

Even though I'm not a social person, I could understand if that were the prep area, or counter space used as an eat-in area, or coffee service, but a sink feels almost like having a bathroom with no door on it to me.

Washing dishes is a purely functional thing for me, not something I want to see anyone do or have anyone see me do. When we visit, I always do the dishes (what little there are, as they can't, won't, and don't cook), and I always feel extremely self-conscious when I do so, because everyone can see me.
 
TastyReuben said:
My SIL's kitchen is like that - the kitchen is small, smaller than mine, even though their house is far bigger (probably built in the late-1990's), and I have to say, I don't like the sink like that.

Her kitchen is a square, and the sink area sits across a corner, more or less, so it looks out on both the dining room and the living room.

Even though I'm not a social person, I could understand if that were the prep area, or counter space used as an eat-in area, or coffee service, but a sink feels almost like having a bathroom with no door on it to me.

Washing dishes is a purely functional thing for me, not something I want to see anyone do or have anyone see me do. When we visit, I always do the dishes (what little there are, as they can't, won't, and don't cook), and I always feel extremely self-conscious when I do so, because everyone can see me.
Click to expand...

It's not that bad. I have a bar opening between my kitchen and living room. The sink is in front of the inside of the bar. I like it, because I can talk to people while I cook. I don't usually rinse dishes and put them in the dishwasher until guests leave, but I do prep ingredients in the two countertops next to the sink. I can also put appetizers right on the bar from the kitchen.

CD
 
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