We also have a small dining room, and originally we also just had a table/chairs, and rug, but I needed some storage -- but knew I didn't have space for a china cabinet. So we went to a place that custom-makes wood furniture, and they made us bookcases (2' wide, 15' deep, 72' high) with doors -- glass on top, solid doors on the bottom. They worked perfectly without taking up a lot of floor space. I have a hard time taking pics in my room because it's small with a lot of windows (glare) but I can try to take a pic of the cabinet if you want me to.

I have a teeny tiny dining room - 10.5 by 10ish, depending on which wall you are measuring. Our table is a 5-foot square, maybe a little too big for the space, but we had aleady fallen in love with it on an earlier trip and then we walked into the store "just to look" half an hour before they were closing two years ago on New Year's eve and it was $1000 off. We bought it on the spot.

We've had bookcases in here for storage, but I took them out recently. The space around the table is adequate, I've never noticed anyone having problems getting into or out of seats and we can seat 8 people very comfortably in here.

I don't have one really great shot of the room (and most of these are about a year old - before there was much up on the walls) but here are a few pictures. The last one is from the previous owner, who also had a square table (but maybe a little bit smaller?):

Another thought is to use a console table. If you want storage I've noticed some antique style buffets that are around 18" deep. I have a message center in my kitchen that is 18" deep that has both drawers and shelves below. I really like it as nothing gets lots. It's built in though imagine you can find something similar freestanding. I've also seem pictures of the Pottery Barn style deep shelves which also look nice. I do like having some other furniture besides just table and chairs as it grounds the space. You may want to consider eliminating the arm chairs or putting in the living room since they tend to be more bulky. Also if you can open up one of the walls (or add french doors) it will make it feel less cramped.

Thanks for your comments and photos!

sueb20: I'd love to see photos if you can get them. Are your bookcases on the side walls? the corner? How much room is there between the bookcase and the closest chair?

gwendolynne: Just to clarify, in the top photo, are those the bookcases you no longer have in there? When they were there, was there adequate room to get up and move around? (I noticed at Thanksgiving that we tend to sit far from the table, and the chairs are so heavy that it's not easy to move them in and out that easily.) I can't believe what a difference the wall color makes. It's a beautiful room. Happy Hanukkah btw!

valinsv: I've thought of a console table, but an open one so that it wouldn't feel too heavy, although that wouldn't provide any storage. I was also thinking of shelves and wondered whether there was such a thing as a hutch that kind of floats without a base. (But that would probably be something we'd constantly bump our heads against.)

No way to open a wall or add french doors but it's a good idea.

I was envisioning something in each of the two back corners, that way traffic wouldn't be impeded. One of those pyramid-shaped tall baker's rack? A corner curio? (I saw an amazing Victorian bird house but now can't find it online.)

I really do have to post a photo.

similiar size here -

downsized the DR set to what is pictured - put up WP, paint, new rug -and opened up to breakfast knook - now it has 3 openings - feels less cramped

jejvtr,

That looks great! Is that a built-in cabinet? Do you have another one in your diningroom? That's exactly what I'm thinking of and I'm trying to figure out if we need two matching cabinets or if one corner cabinet and something else would look good.

Meg
Thanks
Yes, the corner china cab is built in - I had the electrician put a light in there recently. If you did 2 cabs you would loose 2 corners obviously - I think finding the furniture you will use first will help dictate what type of built in may be needed

you can see all 3 openings in this photo

meg711 - I have seen several 1930-1940ish colonials with just one corner cabinet like jejvtr's. (Very nice room, jejvtr!) I don't think it looks odd at all to have just one.

We have a relatively small room as well, and we have a small round table (I'm not sure what size -- 42? 46?) with a leaf if we need it. We are not cramped for space, except for where to put the extra chairs!

Meg - yes, those are the bookcases that we have since moved. There was enough room to move around when they were there, and if it was a room that was used less frequently, I probably would have left them there, but since it is our only dining area, I got a bit tired of having to always be careful when sliding chairs back, etc. I agree that a corner cabinet is a good idea though.

Thank you for the Hanukkah wishes! (should I be wishing the same to you?)

Thanks for the info everyone.

jejvtr, you've got me inspired to think about adding a chair rail and WP. (Now that will throw the designer for a loop.) Mind if I ask you whether any of your other rooms are wallpapered?

bungalow house, I had recently seen a beautiful pair of mahogany matched corner curios, but they were 1" too deep for the area between the corner and the doorway to the kitchen. I could get the other one for the other corner although it's a shame to break up a pair.

gwendolynne, yes, we're Jewish too. (Or as my mother would say, an MOT.) Yesterday a non-Jewish friend coined a new name "Hanukkah people." It was very funny but maybe you had to be there.

I could understand about being tired of being careful. I keep telling DS to think about things because he tends to be a bull in a china shop. Today I moved a box away from the wall and found a few drip marks, as if someone had spilled a soda against the wall. It's a mystery mark like that carpet cleaning commercial. Oh well!

Jejvtr, what a wonderful DR! I love all the woodwork, French doors, staircase too -- looks like your house has great bones -- and you've done a great job decorating it.

I have three inspiration pics of DRs that look small (can't be sure about the second one), but dunno if this is what you want to see or not...

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Thanks Oceanna. I love the photos! (I don't have anything bookmarked online--just piles and piles of dog-earred shelter magazines.)

Those photos are exactly what I'm looking for because I'm trying to figure out whether the room will look blah with just the table and chairs, or if I should start looking for more furniture that will work in there without making it feel cramped.

So here's our diningroom during construction:

And here it is after we moved in but before we put the table together. The chairs will be reupholstered:

Sorry but those are the only photos on this computer.

Please keep 'em coming!

Looks like you're off to a good start, Meg. What color is on your walls? Yumm on that rug.

Have you snooped around on Rate My Space? This one is from over there.

{{!gwi}}

I love corner cabinets. Have you snooped CL for either that or a hutch (if you don't have one)?

Thanks Oceanna. The paint color is Kelley Moore Wise Owl. It's almost everywhere in our house. I hadn't thought about Rate My Space. Good idea.

We have a china cabinet (lower part with hutch) and it, too, is in the garage because we're worried it will make the room feel tight. Our garage is full, but not with cars.

I was thinking of a corner cabinet and then another tall thing for the other corner. As I said, I had seen a gorgeous bird house but can't find it now. I thought that, on a low table, would be perfect in that room. Or a plant if I could keep it alive.

I was also thinking about an iron console like the one linked below, for the side of the room, centered on the wall that has the door to the kitchen. If that console were bronze, it would be perfect.

Here is a link that might be useful: marble-topped iron console

Good luck with finding the table you want, Meg. Of course, we can always paint anything bronze.

thanks oceanna - the house does have "great bones" it has been a work in progress - now that inside is looking much better - I have to gear up for outside!

meg - thanks wp is Thiabut - I also have it in an upstairs bath - that I just couldn't find the right paint for

I really was not a wp person - or thought i wasn't - I'm quite pleased w/results in both rooms

I could not find finished pic of bath - here's a demo pic

good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: thibaut wp

gwendolynne: Your wall color in your foyer is so pretty, would you mind sharing the color? Thanks!

Thanks for the link jejvtr. I found some beautiful papers but don't really understand how to pick a paper when there's a rug already in place. Your rug and paper look so perfect together. Which did you have first?

I have a small DR that is only 10 x 11. How about a wine tower? I have one similar to this. I couldn't fit a hutch in but wanted something besides a table and chair.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wine tower

Hi, Meg, I think you've seen my DR at least 100 times, but it's about the size you are looking at...10x12 or so. It's small & my DR table (which is a knockoff of yours!) is 52" round. I already had the china cabinet & sideboard, so just had to buy a new table & chairs. I was in love with the idea of a round table & even though it's a little cramped in there, it works OK for us. We don't eat in there all that often & I can get all 6 chairs around the table fine, but it does block people in when everyone is sitting down. It's cozy though, so that's OK with me. I wasn't about to get rid of my china cab. & sideboard. I'll deal with the small space.

kitchenkelly,

A wine tower is a great idea. I hadn't thought about that at all, but it has the height and some substance. It could work.

georgiagal,

I'm so glad you posted. I've always loved your diningroom! I think I need to study it to see how you've accomplished that look. (Our room looks so sparse in comparison but with nothing on the walls or window, what do I expect?) Which wall is longer in your room?

I'm sorry about not posting photos of our table finally set up as I had promised ages ago. We've had a recurring problem on our other computer and it seems the kids have ignored the messages that we have limited room on our hard drive. Didn't even know that was possible but it's so bad we can't even properly defragment. So I have to be careful with what I download onto that computer. I may be able to download something and quickly transfer it to photobucket but I got an error message the last time I tried that. It's always something.

Moonshadow - thanks! The foyer colour is Farrow & Ball's Light Blue. It ranges hugely in the light from blue to green to gray and back again. It's a great colour.

meg
I had the wp done first - quite sometime later decided on the rug - not sure that is the "right" order as we were involved in an entire home renovation 2ndary to flooding - I was all over the map - thank goodness for this site and wonderful, helpful people here - I had nearly daily postings - they helped w/all my decisions!

Tear out photos - go to rate my space - getting measurements of everything and having drawing or a computer generated would help -

My room took quite sometime to all come together,DR set was purchased during reno from craigslist, rug was probably about 6 mos after reno, drapes went up 1.5yrs after renovation, I fairly recently finally finished recovering all the chairs

Don't be in a hurry - find something you LOVE - and are firm on, you have a lovely room, lovely furnishings and rug (I assume you are keeping it) if you think you may want wp - get a book & bring it home -

good luck

Finally, Meg, here's a picture of one of my cabinets.

{{!gwi}}

jejvtr - Can you tell me what paint color you used on the bottom half of the wall and your hallway?

Laurie

That's beautiful Sue. We were talking initially about having something made, and maybe we should revisit that. (We have an electrical switch right where a tall corner cabinet would go so we were thinking of a lower cabinet and then a hutch above, but the hutch wouldn't be connected. We could also move the switch, I suppose, but cringe at the idea of opening walls. Guess I better get the wallpaper and chair rail decisions made, too.

Anyway, your piece looks terrific!

Hi, Meg, I really would love to see your table all set up!

The longest wall is the sideboard wall...it's about 12' long. It really is a small, cozy DR & I'd love to have about a foot more all the way around, but I don't fret over it at all.

Laurie
You had me scratching my head there.... It's a Donald Kaufman color ala Ben Moore - just ran to the archives in the basement
DK-43 **if your paint store won't duplicate kaufman colors - let me know I have that formula on my can
btw on the cox website (link below) #43 is showing more taupey than irl

I do love that paint color - changes throughout the day

Here is a link that might be useful: kaufman colors @ cox paint

Meg, I posted more pics of my dining room where you can see both cabinets, under my post "another small square-ish dining room."