We've always liked interiors that manage to be comfortable, beautiful, and down to earth. That end result often means that there was some Ikea in the recipe.
In the high-low spirit we've been rifling through the Ikea catalog, culling their best small space solutions. Last week we rounded up some good ideas for small bedrooms; today we roll into the dining room. Here are some great small-space dining options from Ikea's design-for-the-masses frontier:
Pictured at top, Fusion Table and Chairs, $299. Ikea goes emphatically mid-century with this space-saving ensemble. The chairs slide almost completely underneath, keeping the overall footprint to a minimum.
Mattila Glass Door Wall Cabinet, $129. No floorspace? Hang a console for dishes and candlesticks and other dining necessities on the wall.
Muddus Drop-Leaf Table, $39.99. At 18 7/8"L x 35 3/8"W x 29 1/8"H (folded) it just doesn't get any smaller than this. Pair it with super cheap
Jeff folding chairs, $8.99 apiece.
Langed Gateleg Table, $99.99, Seats from 2 to 4, and tucks small against a kitchen wall when not in use.
Gilbert Chair, $49.99, One among several attractive stacking chair options.
That first dining set looks cool, but when i checked it out at the store i found it way too small, especially too low to the ground. It feels like sitting at a kids table, and i'm only 5'2". Too bad.
view renata's profile
Thanks Renata,
I wanted to know what someone thought about how short the table set was. Has anyone seen pictures of this used in a real space? I would love to see how it looks around regular-sized furniture.
view Lisa from VA/lsaspacey's profile
I absolutely love Ikea and all of the products we've bought from them have been great, but I have to say that table set (Fusion Table & Chairs) isn't the best quality! My husband and I saw it online and loved it, but when we checked out the floor model in the store, it was flimsy. The chair legs were uneven and rocked a little, and the entire set looked kind of cheap and poorly made. We were really sad because the design is awesome and it would have been a great space saver! Sorry to be a downer...just wanted to send out a word of caution!
view ktelschow's profile
That table is just too small. Seeing it online and seeing it in person makes a big difference. D: I prefer the Lokka folding table. It's 59.99 and can expand or collapse easily. And it's still simple cool.
view Jamie's profile
Even next to other IKEA products in the showroom, it looks like the kids' table set.
I was soooooo taken with this set a couple months ago... but there's no way I could have sat in the chairs. You need to be both short and slim.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
This is an item that looks great in the catalog/online etc but in person it's cheapily made and poorly designed. Which is unfortunate because it's a clever idea.
view Kristi (notsocrafty.com)'s profile
My friend just got this table and chair set and it looks great in her apartment (she doesn't have all teensy stuff), and she loves it. I never thought it was too short. The quality seems fine--Ikea quality--if you know Ikea, you know what you're getting.
view Shannon in SF's profile
My friend has the table and chairs set, and though they're cute, she finds it only works for two diners.
view brittanykate's profile
That table looks great online and on the catalog. It feels flimsy and cheap upclose, the backrest isn't confortable, the legs are too thin, and even worse, the seat is the most unconfortable thing on earth, which is bad since ikea doesn't sell thicker cushions for it. At 300 dollars, you're bound to get a better deal in the same store.
view Djluckyonline's profile