We love hearing from readers with follow-ups to their Good Questions that have been asked on the site. Emily sent us an email on the weekend letting us know the happy end result that she arrived at thanks in part to the Apartment Therapy readers who responded to her question last July.
Back then she asked, "Is it Crazy to Devote a Room in a Small Condo to Dining?" and explained the situation as follows:
My boyfriend recently bought a two bedroom, 633 sq. ft. condo. As you can imagine, the bedrooms are a bit small. While we originally had planned on making the extra room into an office/guestroom, it seems a bit tight to fit a futon and a desk built for two. The other night, I posed the crazy idea of ditching the futon, buying an air mattress for guests, and turning our office into a dining room.Everyone we talk to can't believe we don't have a table to eat it, so doing this would silence the critics, and also give us a space to play nerd games and host dinner parties. We figured we could get a tiny desk in the corner for my computer, and my boyfriend can just use his laptop wherever. Our current desk would look great as a dining table, as weird as that sounds.
Is devoting one room in a two bedroom condo to a dining room crazy? And is it weird to travel done the hall (albeit, small hall) to access it?
Here we are in May 2011, and Emily has this to report about what she decided:
Last July I asked whether it was crazy to devote one of our bedrooms in our 633 sq. ft. Seattle condo to a dining room. After months of debate and great support from the comments, we took the plunge and tried it. I am happy to report that it worked, and I'm especially happy that it's done! Redecorating while studying for law school finals probably wasn't the best decision...
Since we do have guests from time to time, we ditched the large futon that had been in the room for a queen sized air-mattress. When we don't have guests, we just set up the round table in its place. It's especially convenient since the legs can screw on or off in under two minutes. To deal with our office needs, my boyfriend graciously moved his desktop into a hidden area in the living room and it became the media center. He subsequently got a netbook for casual use. My desktop is now hidden in the black armoire in the corner, along with the router and printer. And the squirrels on the walls, well, I just love squirrels. Having recently moved to Seattle, I still shout "Squirrel!" whenever I see one. So, they had to be in the room as well. Who doesn't want to eat dinner next to those charming creatures?Thanks again for everyone's help! I'm so excited that we finally have a dining room (and a guest room, and an office)!
If you want to see more pictures, they're on my blog.
Thanks for the update, Emily!
Images: Emily/Emilyadi
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Haha love the squirrel on the wall! Great solution :)
630 sq ft!
And I thought my 800/sf 2br apartment was small!
I agree with crayfish. I have a 696 ONE bedroom condo. The living/dining/kitchen is 400 square feet, and my bedroom is 200 sq ft. I still have room for five closets and a small bath.
My problem was the 'dining room' was the alcove between the front door and the kitchen. It wasn't large enough, and it didn't have the view of the living room. I finally bit the bullet, and moved the dining room into the living room, and turned the dining area into a nice large foyer with enough room for round table in the center. I am much happier. I really like the living room with living at one end and dining at the other. It's a good fit. And my foyer is to die for.
Good for you. Use your rooms however suits you best. When I had big iguanas decades ago, a bedroom became "the lizard room."
My first thought was.."Is that a squirrel on the wall?", so thank you for explaining that you love squirrels. So now I don't think it's strange, it's charming! Glad you were able to fix your problem about a dining room versus guest bedroom. Great solution!
I know it's a bit unusual to have a two bedroom this small, but I have to say that after living here for a year, I really like it! I don't know why, but I've always liked smaller rooms.
We have tons of closets, surprisingly, and although the kitchen is a bit small, I actually like how convenient it is to just turn around and grab what you need.
Also, I feel that if the bedroom were any bigger, my laundry chair would expand to other places...
My husband and I lived in 2-bedroom, 450 sq ft (that's including closets) apartment for 15 years!
@emilyadi, I prefer small bedrooms, too, because they feel cozier, although I wouldn't mind if my home's ceilings were a couple feet higher.
It's not crazy at all, as long as there is enough room for it that you can dine comfortably. It all depends on your lifestyle and priorities. If you really really need an office and only cook/entertain occasionally, then it's a bad idea. If you love to cook/entertain, and can get by without an office, it makes perfect sense.
One big advantage of a separate, dedicated dining space is that eating isn't a mindless activity done in front of the TV - and devoting separate space and care to eating is much healthier in the long run.
I love this idea! It reminds me a bit of my childhood home. There was a long kitchen with three sections: laundry/pantry, cooking/sink, dining, all separated by top and bottom cabinets. I like the idea of a sacred space (if you will) for dining. Living in an apartment the last few years has had me yearning for a DINING ROOM, which is what Emily has done. Bravo for being a rebel and ignoring all those naysayers!
You might also add a small cabinet or bookcase for all of your DINING ROOM implements (i.e. flatware, linens, china, table decorations, etc.).
I hate dinning room critics. I am single, and don't often do dinner parties, why would I have a dedicated dinning room! I don't even have anywhere to put a table for more than 2 people.
I mean I wish I had the kind of space that a dinning room was a reasonable thing, but I don't so get of my back!
We didn't use to use our dining room because the table was small and uncomfortable (we are tall people). We got a new table and chairs and we use it all the time even when we just have people over casually for drinks. And I am going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the squirrel issue. IMO they are rats with fluffy tails.
Did they not have squirrels where you moved from? I've never even thought about the fact that some places might not have squirrels, they've always been wherever I am... maybe they just follow me around...
dja- But they're so cute! Then again, I like rats, so that may explain why we differ on this :)
Sundaydrive00- I came from Arizona. While I suppose we have ground squirrels, they're really not the same and I saw them very, very infrequently. I'm not use to seeing squirrel sized creatures just walking around. The other day there was even a raccoon!
I love your wall colors and the decision to go with the dining room! I love having a dining table to spread out and even have some small fancy dinners.
It is more sensible to have a room for the two of you to use all the time, than people who only visit sometimes.