Design a Dining Room Layout

Designing the layout for a dining room depends greatly on the dining habits of the homeowner. The space can be large and formal, or it can be an alcove or breakfast nook. You should plan your home design to include space for both formal and informal dining. The formal eating space may not be used routinely, but it comes in handy for holiday meals and dinner parties. Even in a small house this can be accomplished if proper home planning and design is executed. The following is what is considered to design a dining room layout.

3 factors to consider when you design a dining room layout

Dining Room Function

This room functions as an extension of the kitchen design. Whether for casual or formal occasions, dining rooms are to provide a place for the family to gather and eat.

Location

design a dining room layoutWherever you position your dining room, it should always be adjacent to the kitchen. In addition, design a dining room layout so that the walking distance is as short as possible between the two rooms. With a closed floor plan, the formal dining room should be in close proximity to the living room and kitchen. In this particular design layout, walls generally separate the spaces making the rooms very specific in purpose. Design the room to accommodate the maximum capacity you would plan to host at a dinner party.

A floor plan with an open design concept has more flexibility. For instance, the living and dining room can share one huge open area. Guest and family can enter the dining room through the living room making the move from socializing to dining a smooth transition. In both the open and closed floor plan concept, the dining room should serve as the buffer between the kitchen and living area. In addition, kitchen activities should not be view-able from the formal dining area. You can achieve this by dividing the room with a wall that only has a door for access to either room.

A breakfast nook or alcove is unlike the formal dining in that it can actually be apart of the kitchen. In some cases, the kitchen is designed large enough to allow space for a small table and four chairs. However it is important to design in a way that this doesn’t impact the work triangle of the kitchen. An ideal design creates a eating area opposite of the dining room. Our Letcher house plan and Lexington home plan are good examples of this layout. The kitchen act as a buffer to separate the formal and informal eating areas.

Size and Shape

Small dining room
Suggested measurements: 10 to 11 feet in width, 10 to 14 feet in length (100 to 154 sf) – Holds a table and 4 chairs plus a buffet [10 feet by 10 feet: This is an absolute minimum size room. It only accommodates a table (3 ft x 5 ft rectangular or 5 ft diameter) and 4 chairs.]

Medium dining room
Suggested measurements: 12 to 13 feet in width, 15 to 17 feet in length (180 to 221 sf) – Accepts a dining table, 6-8 chairs, a buffet, and a china cabinet.

Large dining room
Suggested measurements: 14 feet plus in width, 18 feet plus in length (252 sq plus) – Accommodates everything in a medium size dining space with room for 8 people or more with respect to the expanded width and length.

Keep these important tips on your mind as you design a dining room layout. It is one piece of a bigger puzzle that begin to take shape as you assemble the floor plan design.