Step Up To The Plate: Why Your Family Needs a Dining Space

Families that eat together stay together. Numerous research studies have shown that family mealtimes are so important and that the shared experience of parents eating each evening with their children can bring you all closer together. And it makes sense, during the day everyone is out at work or school- each family member lives very separate lives. Coming together in the evening gives you a chance to reconnect, speak and keep bonds close. Plus children who eat healthy dinners with their family tend to be healthier and make better food choices than those who don’t.

It’s the perfect place for you to set a positive example for your kids. Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a large home with a set dining room, but even if you don’t, you should make the space for a dining area. You might just need to rearrange everything and get smart with how you do it, so here’s how you can go about creating a family dining space in your home.

Choose The Right Table Based on Your Space

If you already have a dining room or a set space in the kitchen, then this is easy. You shouldn’t be too limited to your choices here, just be sure to measure the space and check dimensions. Allow enough space for all of the chairs to pull out. But if you don’t have a set space, there are ways around it. For example, could you clear space in your living room? If you have an armchair, an extra sofa or other piece of furniture that’s not used much, this could be removed, and a small table put there instead. You can find really quite compact tables and chairs, some which fit together when they’re not in use meaning you don’t lose too much space. You could even choose a folding or drop leaf table so you can make it bigger or smaller as needed.

Tip: We really like the Hutch App for seeing which tables look best in your dining space.

Think About Flooring

If you’re adding a table to a carpeted living room, you might find that food and drink spills (especially if you have young kids) start to cause an issue. An easy to clean, hardwearing option such as natural stone tiles or a good quality wood from a hardwood floor supplier would be your best bet. These choices far easier to keep clean than carpet, they look sleek and go with any decor style. So if you’re in need of new floor coverings already, changing your living room into a combined living/ dining area is a good excuse to make the change.

Add Lighting

The perfect way to finish off any dining area is to add overhead lighting. It really completes the look, and helps it look like the table is supposed to be there. If you’re worried a table in the corner will look a little odd, this is a good way to tie it into the room. It could be anything from a modern industrial light fitting to a glam chandelier depending on your style. Complete the look with matching table accessories.

Product Love: