Q: I will be hosting Christmas dinner this year so I quickly need to furnish my dining area. The room is 9×9 and is part of an L-shaped living/dining room in my condo. What size/style of table and chairs should I buy? – Beatrice Kington, Alberta.
A: Choose an appropriately sized table to suit your day-to-day needs, not a size that you will only use occasionally when more than extra guests come over.
Find a table that is expandable in order to accommodate a more than average amount of guests on special occasions.
Your dining space is fairly small, so I suggest choosing a 42-inch round table, which will seat four people comfortably on a daily basis, or up to six in a pinch.
A round topped, pedestal based table will be your best choice as there will be no corners or legs to content with, ultimately giving you more freedom as to where guests can be seated.
If the table is expanded for extra guests then allow the longer shape to creep into the living area when entertaining.
Buy four comfortable Parson-style dining chairs that will permanently sit around the table. They then can be brought into the living area space when extra seating is needed.
Purchase four additional folding or stacking chairs that can be brought out on the special occasions when lots of guests need to be seated around the table.
Adding a slim bookcase or credenza against the back wall will offer up great storage for extra dishes, wine glasses and linens as well as create a place for serving dishes while dining.
Keep the overall look of it light and airy so it doesn’t visually fill up the small dining space.
A hanging light fixture will help define (and illuminate) your new table.
The fixture should be hung 30-36 inches above the table, and should be 16-20 inches in diameter.
A dark coloured 5×7 rug will help ground the table and chairs while helping to define the dining area.
