Tiny Dining Areas Small Space Gallery

If you live in a small apartment, chances are your kitchen and dining area are close together. They might even inhabit the same space. We're always inspired and impressed by the many ways that readers and house tour participants solve common problems like this, so we searched their homes for some good solutions to the tiny dining room dilemma.

In Max and Sara Kate's old home, a mirror above the table opens up the tiny space. A white tablecloth and lamp also help to reflect light.

Praveen's home is small, but the large-scale artwork, bright colors, and high ceilings make the dining area seem larger than it is.

Erin's kitchen counter doubles as a dining area. In small homes, furniture that serves two purposes is a big help.

Bernard hangs spare chairs from the ceiling. When guests come over, the chairs can come down.

Rajiv uses a space-saving bench to create more seating at his small dining table.

Lila uses a multi-purpose work table as a desk, console table, and dining area. A couple of folding chairs can easily move out of the way when they're not needed.

Nreaves' home is fitted with a custom table on casters that extends from a hole cut into the kitchen counter.

A round pedestal table like Ekta's saves space, since it has a smaller footprint than a square table with legs.

In Stephanie's home, a high glass-topped table with an armchair looks like a comfortable sitting area, but it's also a good place to eat dinner.

In a small condo, an adjustable coffee table lifts up from cocktail to dining height.

Photos: Apartment Therapy House Tours, Small Cool 2008, Small Cool 2009

Comments (15)

I've contemplated just eliminating our dining area in favor of more storage and office space. We have a dining room table that we NEVER sit at, and all it does it collect c-r-a-p.

We have a den-ner room. Our desk and bookshelves are in the same room as our small 4 seat "dinner table". It mostly works for us because we rarely eat there. We loaf in front of TV too much and we use the laptop there. When we have guests over we have too big of a group to dine in there. So we usually sit in the living room.

I'm trying to convince my hubby it could be a baby's room so we don't have to move or pay more rent.

I so agree with the above comment. I never understand why people have a large dining room that is hardly used and then squeeze an office/living room into a room the size of a closet.

My favorite house tours are the ones with well purposed spaces and unless you're hosting a party every weekend, scale down on the dining space and use the dining room for something else.

Due to the small size of my condo, my den does double duty as work area and eating area. I usually never use the table unless I'm having guests. A small gate-leg table does wonders for keeping the space open when not in use (which is nearly all of the time).

#1 makes the space look so big!

anyone have a source for the wine rack/shelf reflected in the mirror in photo 1?

I've just re-purposed my dining space to studio/craft space, and I think I've used it more in the last three weeks than I have in the 10 years I've lived in the apartment!

I bought a couple counter height chairs for the counter-height worktable, and the old chairs have been tucked into corners and turned into night stands. On the rare occasions I have people for dinner, I can deconstruct the work table and trade out the chairs.

I think in most small apartments all the dining table you need is a big end table like #9 above.

Ummm yeah I live in a one bedroom condo and don't have a choice between the office/dining room combo (but thanks for agreeing anyway :). I have always thought these were a great idea. If my link doesn't work they are those tables that close up to the size of an end table. They usually come with a few wood folding chairs that when open look nearly like regular chairs. http://www.hammacher.com/Product/11003?promo=Home-Living-Guest-Entertaining&catid=135
Has anyone ever seen one in person? I have a few chairs like these that I picked up for $5 or so at Goodwill.

Love #1,9,10.......I plan to move my mirror and hang at eye level to the dining table. When company arrives I can move my arm chair from the living area to the dining table; very elegant.

These are all very inspirational. #1 was the deciding factor in me buying Cherner chairs. I had always liked them but when I saw the photos a few years ago of their tiny place with that bright spot of colour, I ordered two of the arm chair version. I have a tiny place, an antique round table with lots of "patina" and it serves as dining table, desk, sewing table and the cats favorite place.

I noticed that most of these are lacking the same thing our small-space dining area is: a good lighting solution. If you keep the table against the wall 80% of the time but have to move it out for guests, then there's no good place to hang a lighting fixture. And a table lamp works until the table is pulled away from the wall, when the cord becomes a tripping hazard.

I love the first and second pictures. I do feel that mirrors are always great for small spaces.

www.thefinaltouchideas.blogspot.com

I don't entertain and I live alone, so dining space has always felt like wasted space to me.

I just took out the dinette in my motorhome in favour of raising one of the benches to counter height to give me counterspace in the kitchen. I found one of those 1950's kitchen stools with a step that tips out and I'll use that to eat at the counter. I just about never have company, but if I were to have someone over one of us could sit in the recliner I'll be getting and eat from a tray.

I just purchased a kitchen table from this company: http://www.newtableconcept.com/

They are based in Milan. They can send just the hardware or I had a whole table shipped to my friend in Paris where I will pick it up and bring it back in my luggage. The videos explain it, it is amazing!