Formal dining vs formal living room

[Sarah]

Here's the room so far after my furniture placement . . .



You can see the new sideboard at the far right in the room in more detail here: http://myfurnitureforum.com/showthread.php?t=602

Anyway, I obviously need accessories, etc. I'm hoping that a good coat of paint on the walls + some accessories will somewhat hide the fact that most of the furniture in there is less than "ideal."

I would love to have a table that would accommodate 8-10 people. A table of that size should be able to fit into the 16' long room. So maybe after the accessories, I should focus on getting a tiger maple table that matches the new sideboard?? The 6 current white chairs could be used at the sides of the table & I could get some new chairs that are completely different--maybe tiger maple or even an upholstered style--to go at the ends of the table. Of course I would also love a tiger maple breakfront but I'll probably have to wait a while on that one. ;]

[drcollie]

Sarah, want to play decorating ideas for that room? Can you take a few more room shots so I can see all the features in the room?

[AmishFurnitureHome]

Living room. It sounds like the layout of your house would dictate a living room at this location. A dining room should be slightly more peaceful. A living room should be more lively and easily accessible, as it would be close to your entry door.

[nhpinnacles]

I think you have to consider your lifestyle and how your current living areas work for you. If your current dinning space is comfortable and can accommadate your family and entertaining needs then your wont need another.

I agree that formal living areas are often unused. We found as our children grew it was handy to have a TV, video game, computer area for them and their friends.

Also a dining room to work well should be adjacent to the kitchen. If need be you could always add a door if you do not want the area to be seen from the front entrance.

[elementscf]

I agree with the above posts. I feel an informal type dining room would best suit this scenario. I ran into a similar situation renovating a house with a similar set up. There was only enough room for one or the other. I feel a dining rooms usage can also cover parts of a living rooms, but not visa versa. In the renovated house we had turned it into a dining room with casual accents to make the guests feel welcome.


Best,
Evan
www.elementscf.com