monablair - we would have to turn the table in order to open it up. On the other end we plan to have our stools under the penisula and plan to use it as you mentioned a place to mingle while I'm in the kitchen. I'm not sure if the space will be too cluttered, but were considering a small sitting area, maybe a storage bench similar to this or these sitting stools. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/tanner-stool/popup/more-views.html#hero-image http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Furniture/Furniture/tabid/519/CategoryID/157/List/0/catpagesize/0/Level/a/ProductID/3039/ProductName/Zahir-Storage-Bench/Default.aspx

Thank You for your input. I just measured the kitchen table and it is 36"x54" without table leaf. The leaf in in the original box in the closet. This table top is about 2" thick. The ends are shaped sort of like Octagon, if that makes sense. I am guessing the leaf is probably 24 in. wide if my memory serves me correctly. I want a nice comfortable chair that would have an ottoman with it yet an ottaman would take up walking space in the room. We just gave away a 6 yrs. old Lazyboy recliner to Salvation Army this week because DH bought one of those that has a remote that helps him raise up easier..(he could get up on his own legs faster than using the remote in my opinion) He has a lot of physical and medical issues. We get the morning sun until late afternoon and it does get hot in there, even in winters. We have had a ceiling fan/with light installed since living here. It helps with the cooling as well as circulation and lighting since there were no ceiling lights installed by builder in 1977. We have a floor lamp that we sometimes use in the evening if we feel we need more light. The TV is on a dark cherry tv stand in the sunroom. We live in a gated, Sr. Citizens community and most people use their sunroom instead of the living room. Most use wicker furniture in there or a small upholstery love seat and chairs. That's more or less what I'm thinking. White wicker loveseat and a chair/with ottman for me in wicker. I should take the measurements of the sunroom. This sunroom is right off the formal dining room. When we moved here, there was glass sliding doors between the two rooms but we removed them to open up the space. A lot of people have done that since they saw ours. The Original owner remodeled the kitchen about 10 yrs. ago and took down the half wall with spindles that opened the kitchen up and make it look larger but when you are having guest for dinner, they have to look right into your kitchen which is not very appealing to me if I was a guest. The way the kitchen cabinets were designed, there isn't room to even put up a wall without tearing out the cabinets. We just installed wall tile and Quart countertops with new stainless sink. DH insisted on granite but quartz was less expensive but by the time we got around to picking out tile, we had spent more than we wanted to but he wasn't giving in on his choice of countertop so I just picked out white subway tile and it is so blah looking. I hate it! We have all Traditional dark cherry furniture in this house that we bought with us from a larger home. I am sick of dark furniture but we both grew up with non-matching hodgepodge furniture and we wanted things to match but the dark furniture in the smaller house, all on one level is a bit overbearing. I never thought of a table with drop sides. Great idea! We could set it up on the wall where the sunroom door is located. There is a big window there, so wouldn't need light to read by and you wouldn't see the table as you are looking from the LR/DR area. The glaring sun is a big problem not only in your eyes when my husband is in his recliner but also on the tv..you see the reflection of all the houses and trees outside on the tv screen, that is another reason for keeping the blinds closed. I thought about blinds or shades that roll from bottom to top of window. That way we could let light in but I don't think it would show the reflection on tv. We are not allowed to put awnings on outside of the house. A table 24 in. in width with drop sides would allow DH to lift up one side if he wants to spread the newspaper out on the table to read and when the meal is finished; the leaf can be put back down, does that make sense? If we purchased white wicker furniture, one can always change cushions/pillow covers when the need or desire for a change comes on. A white table like you suggested would blend in with that white wicker, wouldn't it? The existing chairs have rollers on them, and the cushion is beige leather on them so that would blend okay with almost anything. We don't have but 4 dining room chairs, so when we have company, we pull the leather chairs from the kitchen set and use for the people setting at the ends of the table(also for overweight guest). Another option for the windows would be to install shutters on the bottom half of the window and a valance on top part of window. I have valances over top of the miniblinds now. The shutters could be opened after the sun goes down to allow more light in. A less expensive way would be to put up cafe style curtains with valances at top which are outdated window treatments. We could always use tension type rods for those. No drilling holes, or installation of other hardware required. The solar shades we saw in Arizona were operated by a remote or switch on the wall and the shades were sort of neutral shade of beige/silver and kind of looked like a mesh. My BIL said the Home Depot out there sold them in their stores and they are easy to install. I checked with our HD and they don't sell them here. Guess they are widely used because of the hot sun/hot tmeperatures in Arizona and they let in light but blocks the hot sun. Guess they are considered an energy saver too. Out there if you hang clothes outside on the line, they are dried in 15-30 minutes, even in the month of May. We had porcelain tile installed as you walk in our front door, with a small inexpensive Walmart scatter rug that can be lifted when the cleaning lady mops that floor every other Monday. The tile was inexpensive and our son-in-law installed it for us. Even though he is now our ex-sil, I'd feel comfortable asking him to come and do the floor and pay him. Only trouble with the tile by front door is he used wrong type of grout and some of it has started to crumble. There is baseboard heat in every room in this house. My DH is afraid if we have tile in the sunroom, it will be cold in the winter. Well, you solve that by buying a nice area rug that will add warmth but anchor the room I tell him. Would a padding be necessary under an area rug over that tile floor? DH has the tv playing from when he wakes up till when he goes to bed. Sometimes when he is sleeping during the day in his recliner, I turn all the noise off or mute the sound for my own sanity. When he is watching his favorite TV shows in the evenings, I come into the home office and get on my computer or go into my bedroom and read a magazine or book or go to bed or call friends or family or go visit one of the a widows/neighbor/friends a few houses away in our court. To install a tile floor, I would assume a subfloor of plywood would need to be laid down? Since I wasn't here when the carpeting was installed, have no idea what is under there but thin padding probably. A seller doesn't go to the expense to put in the best when you are selling the house! In our other houses we owned, we always had a different color for each room and this is the same color throughout the house and I love that look so much better. We have said when the carpet wears out we will consider having hardwood floors installed. I do not like laminate flooring(Pergo)Had it in our kitchen that we just left in 2005 and hated it. Found it harder to keep clean than sheet flooring. Thanks for all your ideas. I've written myself some notes in a composition book. Maybe I'll hit either the library and see if I can find some sunroom books or B&N book store. Feel free to post if you come up with anymore suggestions.

Lisa- Thanks! I'm really excited about the table. Your kitchen is going to be amazing and a dining room that feel like a sunroom....what a great space! Stephan- That is so nice! My love of CL and thrift store finds is the key to staying on budget (LOL) so vintage is a perfect fit. Rebunky- Yes! Too much for the kitties, there will be no seedlings in sunroom. Especially on the floor...but that table is cute! Love the bunnies...and I think a little Peter Rabbit fabric and maybe a few planters may find their way into the remodel. Nothing too much, but just a little whimsy :) I don't know if I mentioned this (long week) but my SIL and her husband have very graciously donated their old cabinets for our kitchen remodel. They're white (which I like) but our uppers are wood....so we may be painting the uppers. My mom is ecstatic! So, I guess it's a good call, but we are keeping the wood trim and some detailing and will probably use the vinyl "wood" floor planks or tiles. (Shhhhh....don't tell Fori.) LOL But we will still have lots of colors, fabric and overall fun in the finished kitchen. And the dresser will have an even better location! More to come, later...I have to redo my little floor plan, but now it's back to gardening!

Solar shades for the windows. I would get white to match the woodwork. I assume the walls will be painted to match/coordinate with the kitchen? I would get chairs for the table that aren't so high