The Battle of Optimizing Home Square Footage: Dining Room?

In the battle of optimizing a home's square footage, just where should the dining room stand? Along with a guest bedroom, a dining room can be some of the most unused real estate in a home. If you include the costs of furnishing the room with a table and chairs, perhaps a china cabinet or buffet and it's a pretty expensive package. In the 25 years of my marriage, every house we have owned has had a dining room. And in those 25 years, we have only used a dining room maybe a half dozen times. My perspective is clear. Our dining rooms have been a waste of space, another cleaning hassle and another space to buy furniture for that doesn't get used. I don't want a dining room in my next house.

That being said, I don't want our only dining space to reek "kitchen". I want it to me a cross between kitchen dining and dining room dining. I haven't seen a ton of homes to pull this off. The ones that do tend to have an open concept and have definitely upgraded the space to acknowledge that it will be used for company as well as family.

In the art of rightsizing, a lot of empty nesters are looking for the quintessential floor plan that gives them space, but not too much space. When you leave the 2 story home for a condo or patio home, you don't want to get claustrophobic. You don't want to feel like you no longer have room to move around in.

Taylor Morrison Carrara 62 floorplan

I found two floor plans on the web that featured 2 bedrooms (one being the master) and a den and have compared them primarily from the dining room element. The first plan has a breakfast area, a large island with bar seating and a dining room. When you look at how much space in this home is dedicated to eating, one would assume that the people who live here spend most of their time eating. I also have to say that my one of my pet peeves with builders is the foyer/dining room combo. It means that this space has to have a large investment in furniture and always has to be clean. You can't use it for other activities as it leaves you with the feeling that it has to stay clean. I strongly feel in the art of rightsizing, the first plan does not allow you to optimize the functionality of your home.

Toll Brothers Montana floor plan

The second floor plan also provides an island for bar/counter seating, but does not have both a breakfast area and a dining room. It's dining room is set off of the kitchen and is not included in the foyer. It also has a nice view to the outdoors. The dining room in both these floor plans can be formal and provide a dining room atmosphere. And the island can always be a space for breakfast or casual dining. I find the square footage of the second floor plan to be optimized better. For me this is rightsizing your living space. When you right size your space, you do not want repetitive spaces or spaces that aren't used regularly.

Everyone has different needs, different tastes and different activities. There are people who may disagree with me and say that they need two separate dining spaces. I just know that we don't and most of the couples, friends and families we know don't want the traditional dining room. For the past 20 years, I have read on and off how the traditional dining room is no longer wanted or needed and yet it is still very much a part of new construction. I am voting that it is not the most functional option. When we "right size", we will be looking for a floor plan that excludes the traditional dining room.

Below I have included some photos of dining spaces in homes where there isn't a separate traditional dining room. These spaces show how beautiful and functional one dining space can be. (OK - I am absolutely in love with the first picture!) I am showing different styles and different "sizes" of dining spaces. The important point in right sizing is that you optimize your home's square footage. The important point in creating a home, is that you make your space a reflection of what you love so that you are happy in your home.

This is a traditionally decorated space and shows how refined the dining space can be and still be part of a more open concept.

A lot of open concept homes show the dining space between the living space and the kitchen. This shows a transitional way to decorate the space.

This home does not have a dining room but the room adjacent to the kitchen acts as both kitchen dining and dining room.

The dining space in this home is connected to the kitchen and is both elegant and functional.

From England is a home on Cave Road in Brough.
This home features a beautiful combined kitchen and dining room that is as elegant as it is comfortable.
Original source no longer available :(