There's a plethora of advice from designers out there these days about decorating a home. But what about a condo, townhouse or apartment that not only has space limitations, but limitations on what you can do with that space.
The dining room can be particularly problematic, whether your abode has a traditional dining space or simply a small area off the kitchen or one between the kitchen and the living room in an open floor plan.
Still, there are a lot of things you can do to accommodate a dining room table and chairs, even in a small space. And these little tricks can let you offer maximum seating in very little square footage.
The first trick of the trade is to realize that a small space can look larger than it really is by painting the walls a darker color and leaving the ceiling white, wallpapering with stripes or adding a large mirror to the wall. If you can't paint or poke holes in the wall, then think about how you can make the dining room table and chairs different.
Start with the chairs. In smaller spaces you want the chairs to be armless. If you are still shopping for a dining room table and chairs, consider picking chairs that have openings or a lighter profile. This can even include transparent chairs of acrylics or perhaps a chair with an open back as opposed to a solid one. This extra air can help make the space look much larger since there are no unnecessary visual barriers in the room. A chair with a more slender profile may also help.
Another strategy with chairs is to create extra seating by using a thin bench that goes along one wall. Most of the time the bench can remain where it is but when you have guests over you can pull the bench out and add it to one end of the table for extra seating.
If space is at a premium, you may want to choose a dining room table and chairs that can be multipurpose. If you and your family like to play games, for example, consider adding a game table instead of a traditional dining room table and let it serve both purposes.
The dining room table can offer lots of space saving options. For example, a round table is much better in a small spot than a square one. It offers your guests easier access to the table. The same is true with a pedestal round table, which does away with standard legs while opening up the space visually.
Speaking of opening up the room visually, consider a table that has a glass top. This will open up a small space even more.
Another option for your dining room table and chairs is to get a table that is long yet not very wide. When placed lengthwise in a room, it can make the room longer. It offers the added benefit of leaving more space around the table and chairs itself, allowing guests more convenience and a little more elbow room. If you use chairs on one side and a bench on the other side of a skinnier table, you can gain even more room in a small dining area.
Finally, you may want to consider going with a bistro table for your dining room table and chairs. Going with a taller table can give your eating area the appearance of having more floor space than it really does. It also sets the dining area off from the rest of the living area since it is at a different height visually. Just be sure you go with barstools or taller chairs that have an open design to further enhance the illusion of space and openness.
As you can see, it's quite easy to add a nice dining area in any home, even one with a small space, as long as you use a few of the tricks savvy designers have at their disposal.Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space.
