Remember awhile back I mentioned the idea of a game table in the living room? Well, we finally moved our dining room table in here just to see what it would feel like.
I haven’t had time to try chairs with it and haven’t taken any more room pics to show you the table in full context (plus if I want to get the whole look right, the plant would likely need a new home so the table could have more space and the rug situation and art would need to change…), but this step stilll got me thinking.
What kind of table would I want here, if I could find the ideal one?
If I used the table I have, what kind of chairs would I need? And then what table would go in the dining room? What two tables and sets of chairs would complement each other?
And what would it look like to have two tables and chairs so close together? Weird? Ok? Would it depend on the style of table and chairs?
Do I even care if it’s weird? And what if I eventually want to turn this corner into a new master closet and living room library? Maybe I should just put the table back and forget the whole idea. Lol!
Decisions, decisions. So many questions. So many options. I can be a very indecisive person until suddenly I decide on something. :)
What would you do?
If you love real life decorating dilemmas, you’ll love the Q & A format of my new book But Where Do I Put the Couch? Preorder here, and join the launch team here!
Look at draw leaf pub tables…more compact when not in use but can be pulled out when needed…I had one in my dining room until just recently and loved it!
That sounds like a great space saving idea, I’ll look into one! Thank you!
We have a round tulip table we typically use for our “game table.” The pedestal makes it so we can fit a bunch of people around it if we need to (there are 6 of us). We have a couple small cafe chairs always around it, then have a few small stools hanging around in corners here & there that we can pull up and fit everyone. It works! Also, we have it like 8 ft from our main dining table in our open floor plan (it was definitely a different space, but close by) and it hasn’t been weird at all. Bonus – it was handy to have nearby when we had too many people to fit comfortably at our dining table and were easily able to use it for overflow or a kids’ table.
Love that, a pedestal table definitely is so nice for easily squeezing in more people! I think I would love the extra space for holidays and big group dinners, too.
It’s fun to think about isn’t it? After your post about this, I gave serious consideration to doing this too, but my kitchen table is right here to use for games and still be a apart of what’s happening in the living room. Plus, for us, we need the extra seating more than another table.
But I did like thinking about it, and whether it would work and would it be the right thing for how we live in our home.
I love thinking about ideas like this! Even if I decide against something, it was worth considering just in case it turned out to be the best idea I ever had haha. :)
I was thinking of doing something similar. I want to move a piano out of our living room (that no one plays!) and replace it with a table where I can leave a jigsaw puzzle out etc. I will be interested in seeing what solution you come up with. A round, square, or rectangle table?
Pedestal table and add some stools to the chairs….kibitzing is allowed i presume?
A thought to consider: set up a card table and chairs and leave it up for a year or so. See how many games and puzzles, crafts, etc, get implemented there. After a year, then decide. That way, you can get the experience without a large outlay of funds for furniture that may not actually get used.
I am assuming that you are referring to the inexpensive folding card tables with the folding chairs. But, there are some nice wood ones available.
I like this idea and it would be easy to move around in your living room to see which corner is the best. You might like the table by the fireplace, either side. Having a table by the corner window would be wonderful to sit at to read, write notes, gaze outside. And most of the pictures in the first post about gaming tables are right by a window.
I think your dining table should stay in your dining room, only because it is perfect for those chairs and decor that I can see in the background; however, having said that, I also like the idea of a table and chairs in the living room- I have that myself, although with two chairs and another that can be pulled over to the table when needed. That also gives me a small formal dining area if needed; our home has no dining room, it just has a large eat-in kitchen. I kept my table and chairs in the same style as my other living room furnishings, which is a modern version of a Federal style room. I chalk painted the majority of my furniture to give it an aged appearance. I did not see a way to add pictures, or I could have showed you.
One of the tables that you showed in the first post was really a coffee table with lots of storage spots. With your family, would most of you be sitting on couches and pillows while playing a game or doing a puzzle. Of course, that is harder on older bodies! Oops, if you are doing puzzles, how do the dogs handle the many little pieces, since they do like to eat your decorations!
It would be fun to go antiquing or flea market shopping for a table. I found one table that is a basic square, but you could push the top to one side, exposing a lined area for cards, etc and then the top flipped open to expand the table.
I would enclose that space for your M. B. closet opening into bathroom hall. The other corner could have a drop leaf table for games and a bookcase for books/games
I like the idea of a drop leaf table such as this one from Target https://www.target.com/p/40-square-drop-leaf-rustic-dining-table-threshold-153/-/A-51802892?preselect=51803045#lnk=sametab. It looks like it would go nicely with your decor.
I agree with the drop leaf table or gate leg table. its folded down for a decorative display area and opened up for games, puzzles etc. I have an antique gate leg table in my dining room. We use it for pies and desserts on holidays and it can be a Christmas display in front of a window, or we can open it up for puzzle space to keep up for weeks if needed. Life its not all perfectly pretty!!
I love your idea of a table in the living room! We have been in our home for almost 30 years and recently donated our piano (that we rarely used) to a Christian company that refurbishes them. I have the potential for doing this in the future, but would really need to rethink my other furniture in living room, so would be a big deal. However, as I am writing this, I am picturing this could also be a nice private space to set up my laptop once in awhile when I want to get away from the hubbub in the open space kitchen family room in my home! Right now I sit at my kitchen island, but a little table in the living room could be perfect! It would need a comfy chair, though. And, as several others have said, it is great for flow over formal dining. And, of course, is perfect for Bunco night with my girlfriends!
I think the idea of a temporary table and chairs is fantastic, as it will let you know whether or not that space is more valuable for something other than occasional use. If it is used frequently, then you have a lot of options to consider when it comes to table size, height, and square/rectangle/round choices. Since I live by myself, and do not often have visiting family, (we gather at my son or daughter’s much larger homes), in my home it would not be a good use of my small space. I tried setting up a card table for puzzles and while it was fun for a while, I soon tired of the table’s location. Now, if I get the urge for a particular puzzle, I commandeer my dining table and eat my dinner on a tray table in front of the TV for the duration. It’s easy when you have no one but yourself to consider. Good luck with your conundrum.