Show me your dining room!

I can't show you my dining room. It looks like I haven't entertained in it for at least four months - which is exactly the truth, thank you (not) Corona Virus. Various projects are all over the table, and hanging off chairs.

It is "open" to the kitchen, as I didn't want nor need a separate room for it. The kitchen peninsula and sink faces it, so anyone doing dishes (yes, sometimes i have volunteers) can talk with people still relaxing at the table. I can seat 8 comfortably at it, although there are typically only six chairs here. The table itself used to be my parents' eat-in kitchen table that they gave me when I moved to my first real house. Two of the chairs are kitchen chairs and are on rollers, the other four are oak chairs I bought from Sears back when I lived in a condo (and had a circular dining table). They are very comfortable, which is why I bought them.

Starting to the east: There's a sideboard with a marble top that my parents had, I keep coasters and booze in it, and have knick knacks, my great nephew's photo, and my weather panel atop. There's a floor lamp next to it (I see MG calls it a "standard lamp"). To the east, there's a large double window with a view towards morning. Then, a narrow bookcase, with 4 shelves, where I store books about or on food -as opposed to true cookbooks, which are in the kitchen - and then a wine rack for red wines. To the south is the double door leading out to the deck. To the west, the peninsula - which also includes the coffee station as well as that sink. So no one needs come in the kitchen proper for coffee... (I bring the milk out for those who need it, when I have guests.)

To the north... it is open to the living room, and to the front door.
 
Morning Glory said:
I like this. I've got a small separate kitchen. I do prefer a separate kitchen as I don't like to be interrupted when cooking - but this is a lovely space. I love all all the windows.
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I'm the same way with a separate kitchen. I hate open floor plans. My Number 1 Prime Directive Above Everything Else Commandment is, "If you're not cooking, get out of the kitchen...and I'm the only one cooking!"

I always like touring those old manor houses, where the kitchen will be downstairs in the basement, or sometimes even in another building nearby. My kind of kitchen!
 
TastyReuben said:
I'm the same way with a separate kitchen. I hate open floor plans. My Number 1 Prime Directive Above Everything Else Commandment is, "If you're not cooking, get out of the kitchen...and I'm the only one cooking!"

I always like touring those old manor houses, where the kitchen will be downstairs in the basement, or sometimes even in another building nearby. My kind of kitchen!
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I am constantly surprised and somewhat amazed at how you and I are the same in some ways, but way different in others.

I love being able to interact with guests while I cook. I also like when other people who know how to cook join me in the kitchen. Obviously, the other people in the kitchen have to be of similar personality -- they have to like cooking with other people, too.

In my last year in college, I had a group of friends that got together about once a week for a group cook. We would go the "the pig" (Piggly Wiggly), and each buy some element of dinner, and go back to my friend's rental house and cook it. Then, eat it.

CD
 
caseydog said:
I love being able to interact with guests while I cook. I also like when other people who know how to cook join me in the kitchen.
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My first issue is, since I nearly always cook from recipes, I have to stay focused, or I'll miss an ingredient or a step. I have a hard enough time doing that when I'm alone in the kitchen.

My second issue is that I'm a bit of a...frantic?...cook. I don't know why it is, but as soon as I start measuring out the first ingredient, I feel like there's some clock going, and I have to get done as quickly as possible. That means I'm, by the end of things, literally running from the stove to the sink to the trash to the prep area to the microwave and back, and the last thing I need is someone in my way.

That holds true in general with me; I'm definitely a one-thing-at-time person, not a multitasker at all. I cannot carry on a conversation and cook a meal at the same time. Absolutely impossible.
 
TastyReuben said:
My first issue is, since I nearly always cook from recipes, I have to stay focused, or I'll miss an ingredient or a step. I have a hard enough time doing that when I'm alone in the kitchen.
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Different but the same - I very rarely cook from recipes but I do need to concentrate. To me its creative - so I'm not only inventing, but developing something as I go, making notes so I can write it up, tasting, adjusting, then plating it to look good and then sometimes photographing it. Having anyone in the kitchen would not only distract me, I'd feel like an artist in a studio creating a painting and having people chatting to them and watching as they did it. I don't think there are many artists who would want to work like that.

Sorry if that sounds pretentious....
 
My cooking is nearly always inventive. Recipes are used for baking most of the time and that's about it. I generally just make it up as I go along, otherwise.
 
Morning Glory said:
Different but the same - I very rarely cook from recipes but I do need to concentrate. To me its creative - so I'm not only inventing, but developing something as I go, making notes so I can write it up, tasting, adjusting, then plating it to look good and then sometimes photographing it. Having anyone in the kitchen would not only distract me, I'd feel like an artist in a studio creating a painting and having people chatting to them and watching as they did it. I don't think there are many artists who would want to work like that.

Sorry if that sounds pretentious....
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No, not pretentious.

I have music on, I can't hear them. And they are on the other side of the granite countertop. My guests were always old friends or close family, and they knew to stay out of my way, LOL. The only one who doesn't know better (or maybe doesn't care) is hubby! :cry:
 
Anyone who knows me knows two things. Don't speak to me before I have coffee and don't bug me in the kitchen. I will (just barely) tolerate my wife coming in to get fresh drinks. She seems completely oblivious to the danger she is in.
 
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I've just noticed that the table is offset from the window. That will bug me now, but probably not enough to go the trouble of moving it.
 
JASOH1 said:
I tell ya, my habits and routines changed drastically in my late 30s/early 40s after I moved from Florida to Ohio. Moving across the country will do that to ya'.

I don't have a formal dining room, either. My kitchen and dining room are separated by a large granite counter bar seating area.View attachment 43306
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That is beautiful.

My kitchen/dining room is tiny. My fridge/freezer is in the dining room with my desk squeezed up against it (handy for snacking!). Dining table has a halogen oven on it as my oven is broken.

If all goes well, we are moving soon and I'll have a full kitchen and separate dining room. And I'll have an office for my work desk (not so handy for snacking)
 
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Herbie said:
That is beautiful.

My kitchen/dining room is tiny. My fridge/freezer is in the dining room with my desk squeezed up against it (handy for snacking!). Dining table has a halogen oven on it as my oven is broken.

If all goes well, we are moving soon and I'll have a full kitchen and separate dining room. And I'll have an office for my work desk (not so handy for snacking)
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Thank you. I too had a tiny kitchen for a long time before we added the extra space to our home. In my old kitchen, I had a small stove (electric), small refrigerator, a non-working dishwasher, no icemaker in the freezer (I had cube trays that I would constantly find empty in the freezer so I had to refill them and wait for the ice) and 4 growing kids that drove me crazy because they were always in my way when I was trying to do anything! Now that the kids are grown, ironically I have the large kitchen with a gas stove and working dishwasher that I wish I had when they were living at home. And it's great for entertaining, but that's not happening until there is a vaccine 😞
 
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