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I have a large space in my kitchen and I have no idea how to decorate it. It is meant for a dining area, but we have a formal dining area and we have a "keeping room" connected to the kitchen that we are using for the dining area instead. I don't really know what a "keeping room" is supposed to keep, but it's a beautiful place to eat. 2 of the 3 walls are windows looking out to our woods, and it has beautiful high ceilings. It feels just like it is part of the kitchen because it has the same connecting flooring and same level, open to the kitchen, etc. My dilemma is what to do with the space between our dining area/keeping room and actual kictchen. The only wall is a wall full of more windows. Any ideas?
You can kind of see the area here, where the island ends
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and this is where we eat, which is directly connected to the first picture. Just turn around and you are looking in either direction.
That's a tough one. A sofa would seem awkward and so would another dining table. I think I would just leave it open. If the counters weren't already done, I'd say extend the island countertop and create an small eating area with barstools but that would be pretty expensive.
Wow, that's beautiful. Gorgeous floors! Too much space ... a nice problem to have. My first thought about furniture or decor is always, what would you (or family members or visitors) want to do there?
If it were me, I'd like to have a desk for my laptop and bill paying (or children's school work) there. I assume you're going to have stools at the island, but if you have kids with homework, a desk would keep them close by but keep their papers out of your actual kitchen. You might be needing the counter on the island for cooking. Or you could add a pair of matching of comfortable chairs with a small side table in between for people who might want to chat with whomever is making dinner. I can just see people having tea there in a more casual setting than a dining table would provide. (Kind of like the way people have tea service in classy hotel lobbies.)
If you're traditional, some wing chairs, but keep in mind if choosing fabric that it will be close to the kitchen. Don't pick anything too delicate or not cleanable. If young children are about, you might want to consider slipcovers that would be machine washable.
If your kitchen needs more storage for big items (soup pots and slow cookers, or holiday decorations, toys, etc.), you might think about building a window seat with a flip top under one of the windows in your dining area. You could put an upholstered pad on top to make it comfortable for sitting. I had one of those put in a kitchen I had once and it was amazing how fast it filled up, even though I seemed to have plenty of other storage. Looks as if you have a beautiful view — I'm sure people would be happy to do some lounging in that area.
The keeping room is stunning. I'd can understand wanting it to be your breakfast room.
A keeping room is just a sitting room within view of the kitchen. It's a way to have a family area near the kitchen for homes that are more grand, as opposed to homes that have great rooms. But I've seen people put a baby or grand piano in the keeping room. I've seen a grand harp with a lounge chair too. But a piano is most likely to be used for children since music connects brain nerves needed for math.
If you want to keep the keeping room as a breakfast room, you can go a few ways with the big empty space next to the kitchen.
You can treat the area as you would a large grand entry hall with a large round table centered with a huge flower vase. But I that doesn't solve the problem of having yet a third table in the same vacinity as the other two tables.
You could create a comfortable elegantly simple seating area. Like two oversized chairs facing each other with a low table between them. Like a comfy area to drink morning coffee. This would be basically switching the uses of the two spaces via having the table in the keeping room and the comfy upholstered furniture in the big area between the kitchen and the keeping room.
You could have a game table. Have you seen them? They are hand painted with the chess board painted on them. Some a very well done and worthy of being highlighted in a special space.
Or you could just buy an awesome huge area rug for visual interest.
My internet is acting up right now. I'll post picture ideas later.
Your keeping room is GORGEOUS!!! I assume you have a family room somewhere else in the house? I would have a tough time not putting a sofa or comfy chairs and TV in the keeping room so I could look at that view constantly...and you'd still be able to see it from the kitchen table as well.
But anyway, barring that, I like these ideas given above, especially the "sitting area" idea. I don't like the idea of leaving it open.
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You could create a comfortable elegantly simple seating area. Like two oversized chairs facing each other with a low table between them. Like a comfy area to drink morning coffee. This would be basically switching the uses of the two spaces via having the table in the keeping room and the comfy upholstered furniture in the big area between the kitchen and the keeping room.
You could have a game table. Have you seen them? They are hand painted with the chess board painted on them. Some a very well done and worthy of being highlighted in a special space.
Or you could just buy an awesome huge area rug for visual interest.
Here are a few more pictures of the area. It is open on 3 sides. To the left is the breakfast room (keeping room) and to the right is the kitchen, the 3rd open area is open to the family room. The only wall left is the wall of windows. That's why it's making it hard for me to figure out something for this area. The keeping room that we are using to eat in, has a beutiful view, but the family room has the save veiw with 5 floor to ceiling windows. We enjoy the view from all the rooms. Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming! And thanks for the compliments on our home.
Direct view from the family room where we have the same view and comfy seating.
View from teh kitchen. We also have a built-in desk here
desk
I think another seating area would be awkward because we have the breakfast table in the keeping room, which is now the breakfast room, and then we have the family room seating open to this area I'm trying to figure out how to fill. So, stumped, but loving all of your ideas!
You home is just lovely. Congrats! I like Hopes fix above. Another idea would be to put a casual short sofa in front of the window with a small dining height table in front of that with a couple of chairs which creates a more intimate space to sit and read with a cup of coffee in the morning. I don't think it will be "too" much seating.
Also consider putting a larger scale table in your "breakfast nook." Your current table and chairs reads a bit too small for the space. Adding a breakfront to the bare wall would help too.
Here is an example. Forgive how juvenile this looks. I put this house together in the Sims game for a friend before I knew Autocad, but it has the same sort of concept.
Something like the dining nook bench here, just with a 24" diameter 30" high table to and a couple of dining chairs on the other side. I think it would balance out the space nicely. Johnston Benchworks
Also consider putting a larger scale table in your "breakfast nook." Your current table and chairs reads a bit too small for the space. Adding a breakfront to the bare wall would help too.
Totally agree. The current table looks junior for that elegant room, like a sole lilypad in a big pond.
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