Kitchen Diner area - sofa or table or both??

8 years ago

We knocked through to make a kitchen diner and although we only ever sit at our peninsular table to eat, I'm not sure what to do when we come to sell the property (in a few months).
Parents think the dining table should stay to show its a dining room (but just having 2 chairs rather than 4 as it looks cramped) and I recently moved the sofa from that back wall (where the table now is) into the centre of the room.

Please ignore the mess - the dogs use this sofa during winter so everything is dirty, lol!

If anyone has any ideas on how to improve the area for selling purposes then I'm all ears!

In summer the idea is that you can sit with the bi folds open to look out onto the garden and decking. I will get a small coffee table as well for the sofa.

Ultimately, is the room better with both table & sofa to show it can take both, or does it look too cramped?

Featured Answer

User

8 years ago

For viewings you could have the sofa under the pictures, the table in the middle with a rectangular piece of mdf and a table cloth on it. Could store the mdf under/behind a sofa in the lounge.

Wouldn't have to be a big piece, a little wider than than the table and a little longer than 2 chairs either side. Again, just showing potential buyers that it is a dining area.

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Comments (31)

Victoria
8 years ago
What do the white doors lead to? A cupboard? At the moment you block access.
I think, for sale purposes you do need both, sofa may be better against the wall, table in the middle.
Victoria
8 years ago
Love the deer prints.
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Would swapping the blue sofa for two arm chairs, give you a bit more flexibility with positioning furniture? I also think the shelving beside the black sofa makes the space look a lot smaller, particularly when you already have some beautiful, built in shelving on the other side.. I agree with Patrina regarding a larger rug and coffee table.
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Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
The White doors open into the lounge and the sofa is usually pulled a bit more forward.

There is enough space to walk around to access the living room if required (we would have these open during viewings anyway)

I tried the table in the middle but it looked awful.
Victoria
8 years ago
What will you put behind sofa to give an interesting view through open doors? Do you have a console?

I don't think the table sits with your other items, style seems not quite in keeping. Do you have a different one you can borrow from elsewhere?
Victoria
8 years ago
Could sofa go along back of peninsula? Just with two stools on end? Does it fit?
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
No because the 3 stools only fit under that side as that is where the 'lip' of the worktop is. I wanted them the other way originally but I was told no, lol.

I don't want to put anything right in front of the doors as they open inwards into the dining room. There is a corner sofa in that room as you open the doors.

Re the dining table - the chairs I hate and they were supposed to be white when I bought them online (not cream!) but we don't use it so I'm loath to go and buy new ones tbh.

When u say it's not my style of table, what did you have in my mind?

I did want to put a couple of smaller bucket chairs in place of the sofa but it's costly to find nice ones I like and not sure they would take up any less space anyway.

It's difficult because we aren't staying so don't want to spend a lot more on it as we still have more work to do on the house.
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Ps I also moved the sofa because the dogs kept lying on top if it and have made all the wall dirty so I'm going to have to repaint it again now
Victoria
8 years ago
It's the chairs rather than the table, as you say the cream. So annoying when that happens! We've all been there!
Bella Tanner
8 years ago
Do you have a separate lounge and can you store the sofa elsewhere?
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
I can only get rid of the sofa if we don't keep it in there. It does get used though - the table we never use.
There is only 2 of us but it's a large 3 bed family house so want what will appeal more to families
User
8 years ago
I'd be inclined to get rid of the furniture in there and pop an oblong dining table with 4 chairs in the space. Make it a proper dining area. I know it's not how you use the space but I think for selling purposes it would look better.

It's how show homes tend to be dressed isn't it? Doors between the rooms kept wide open, as you said, then sell the lifestyle many of us think we can have every mealtime - family round the table.

You don't like the chairs anyway so ebay them?

I love the prints too!
Jonathan
8 years ago
I think if you are selling you need to present it as a dining room. This room will look larger without the sofa.

Do you have a larger rug to help buyers visualise a larger table?
Sarah McNally
8 years ago
Where are the prints from? Love them
minnie101
8 years ago
Hey Tani. This is more than big enough for a dining table so I would hope any viewer would see that. Or I know it might not be the typical style table for doing this but have you tried the sofa on the back ŵall with the table in front ( appreciate the sofa may be a bit low for that but viewers won't notice!) ? Alternatively I'd move the plant to the lamp corner with the table in that corner with arc lamp either there or behind sofa. Just add a vase of flowers for the table for viewings
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi Minnie,

Yes, I had the dining table in the middle of the room over Xmas which is why I got it out - but it looked really odd and more cluttered, strangely.

In the last para of your comment, do u mean to keep the sofa where it is now and put the dining table in the corner of the room instead of in the centre?

Ideally I suppose a smaller oblong table with just two chairs would go against the wall but that's more bistro style and the pens insular bar area is used for that.

Prints are from Orwell and Goode - I got the tea towels and framed them as they were cheaper than the prints, ha ha.
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Jonathan - I dont have a larger rug except a cowhide in the living room. The dogs get it filthy though so I will probably get a clean one to put down just for viewings, lol!
Jo Arnold
8 years ago
I think the sofa would look great under the lovely prints on the wall and ditch the table you never use, since you have an eating area already and a dining room, didn't you say?
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
No that's the dining room in the photo.
We eat at the peninsular island which is part of the kitchen and separates the two areas. It used to be a separate room but we knocked the wall down.
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
This is how we had it before we got the table out
User
8 years ago
That looks lovely and obviously works for you. Some buyers seem to have a problem seeing a space for themselves. Some will come away with the idea that there's no room for a dining table. You have to hold their hand through it ;)
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
So if I could just put a larger table in there instead, in the centre of the room - would that look better than it is now with the sofa and smaller table, or would you just have the sofa?
Victoria
8 years ago
You've lost your hat! Nice new pic. For now, keep it however you love, for estate agent photos and viewings it needs a table.
Rectangular better than round. I'd be tempted to push sofa back to wall for viewings, and keep the dogs away.. :-)
Pat Auld
8 years ago
As nice as the table is I don't honk you need it as you already have the breakfast bar. Looks so much better without it. You can always talk potential buyers through the options.
Better to show space rather than a cluttered overcrowded look.
Yes love the pictures/tea towels :)
embletoni
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Present it as a dining room when you sell.

Ideally, the space would look best with an oblong dining table and no sofa. But removing the sofa and just moving the table into the room is fine. A plain white/linen tablecloth would help hide the chairs; flowers always go down well. Personally I think the space is definitely too cramped for a sofa and dining area, and since you have a lounge, you want to present the house to look as spacious as possible.

Consider a narrow console table against the wall, under the pictures, once you rearrange things.
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Ok thank you everyone. We will ditch the sofa when it's ready to go on and perhaps buy the doggies a teeny posh sofa for them to sit on in the corner instead
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Ps just out of interest, what sort/colour table do you think would work best here?
Simple Black or perhaps a grey wood top & steel for an industrial feel??
PRO
Kitchen Co-Ordination
8 years ago
I agree you could put the sofa at the back of the breakfast bar - then bring the dining table into the centre of the room - it will make the room look much larger to prospective buyers -as long as the dog is present you will sell it easily - he is super cute !!
Tani H-S
Original Author
8 years ago
Tani Harvey-Smith
Monday
Ps just out of interest, what sort/colour table do you think would work best here?
Simple Black or perhaps a grey wood top & steel for an industrial feel??
Victoria
8 years ago
For sale, I'd honestly do what someone else suggested, sheet of rectangular MDF on your table top with a tablecloth over.
pannacotta
8 years ago
I agree with all those who say dress it with a large table for viewings, the sofa is less important.

WHy not sell the sofa and table/chairs on gumtree and replace with preloved dining set from gumtree so you wont be out of pocket.

Not sure the style is wildly important but would go for a good sized rectangular table which isn't made from glass and perhaps Arne Jacobsen style chairs.

Kitchen Diner area - sofa or table or both??

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Victoria

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