Janine’s Tip of the Week#7: No Space for a Dining Room?

After having recently read this post on Apartment Therapy, it reminded me of a project a did a while back for one of my clients. My client wanted to create a dining space, but just didn’t have the room for a formal dining area. To modify the client’s small space into a more functional dining area, I had a contractor build-in a long bench that could accommodate more people at the table. My client’s breakfast nook was wide but narrow, so we built in a 10’x18″ bench that also doubled as a great storage unit. The contractor made it with 3 compartments that have hinged openings that she can hide any rarely used kitchen items, and it really created a win-win solution. Now her kitchen table nestles into the nook, and she has 4 other seating spots around the other sides and a large “bench” that could seat as many as 6 in that family. The finished result? A functional dining area that this family can really enjoy!