Living Room that Quickly Converts to Dining Room

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Living Room that Quickly Converts to Dining Room
by Jessica Ackerman

Small spaces do not have enough room for large, traditional dining room tables. When the living room is also serving as a quick change dining room, it is important to be creative with the available table space. Furnish the living room with two or three drop-side dining tables. While the space is set up as a living room, these folded down pieces can serve as end tables or sit flush against walls. When it is time to change the room into a dining room space, fold up the sides and line up the tables end to end. A typical, double folding table will easily seat four people. If the usual dinner crowd is eight or 12, invest in the appropriate number of tables to accommodate them. After the dinner is over, the tabletops can be folded down and the pieces can slide back into their cubby spots or at the ends of the sofa. Many large furniture stores carry these types of tables, as do quite a few online retailers.

Camouflaging the table is one thing, but disguising the seating for a dining space is entirely different. Chairs are much more difficult to disguise or use for another purpose. Folding chairs are, by far, the easiest chairs to store in a small space. A convenient way to store chairs in a small apartment is to purchase two screw-in bar hangers. Hang them about a foot apart inside the closet or on the back of a door. The chairs can then be hung there for storage. If there is room underneath the sofa to lay the chairs flat, that can also be a convenient storage spot. The chairs are then readily accessible and can be used to quickly transform the living room into a dining space.

No transformation is complete without accessorizing the space. Keep a few tall taper candles and candle holders set out in the living room as decoration. When the space is converted, simply place them on the tables for mood and ambiance. Tablecloths can also make quite an impact and can be stored folded in a dresser drawer or hung on a hanger in the closet. Be creative with centerpieces and experiment with different decorations around the room to create different looks. The details that draw the eye and make the tables the focal point of the room will be what ultimately transforms the thinking from living room to dining room.

Making a living room that quickly converts to a dining room is all about choosing the correct furniture and accessories. It can be done on a budget and even the smallest living room can be transformed with the right table and chairs. Be prepared for unexpected company or for that next dinner party by knowing that the dining room is ready to be set up.

With signature design style, Jessica Ackerman, an online writer with WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, describes bold approaches to metal wall grille and wine and grape decor.

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