Death of the Dining Room?
Death of the Dining Room? Say it isn’t so! It’s true that Covid had us reimagining our spaces in our home. That grand room saved for large gatherings for holidays and special occasions started to be looked at questionably when the house felt smaller by the day. But let me just make a case for the beauty of a dining room…
First, it’s swing space. Maybe it’s become a de facto office space because it’s uncluttered and the table is open for laptops. Or maybe it’s the craft room for school projects where poster board and craft supplies can be left for a week at a time while life goes on. And you know it’s your go to wrapping room at the holidays, nothing like a big empty table for that! So maybe you do only use it for its ‘intended’ purpose on holidays and special occasions, so be it. The dining room being left uncluttered by the daily life stuff that the kitchen island has - mail, keys, dishes, groceries - is wonderful, it makes room when you need it to. And when it is time for its intended purpose, just sweep that poster board aside and let it shine!
Second, its separation from the kitchen matters. For the cook and dishwasher in the family this matters a lot because it allows them to just sit and enjoy their guests and loved ones faces and conversations rather than seeing the dish pile in the sink or the pots and pans all over the counter. It allows for a savoring of the moment. Most times too, the dining room doesn’t have the distractions that you’d find in the main living room or kitchen - TVs, gaming consoles, etc. and it feels a little off to have phones strewn all over a beautifully set dining room table. The separateness of the room is part of its unique charm and affords another chance for design that distinguishes it.
Third, the dining room evokes a beauty and a layer of sophistication that you just can’t recreate at the kitchen island or at the kitchen table. I love making things “fancy” at times, it means it’s special and that always makes room for whimsy and escape from everyday life. I’ve always felt the dining room fosters a sense of connection for the family, less distractions. My kids would sit a little straighter, practice their table manners and feel a bit more adult when at the dining room table. It was a place where we could center our family from the daily busy-ness of life, shut out the world and focus on one another, on conversation, on a beautiful meal – or sometimes it was just take out! A beautiful and relaxing view can change all the stress emotions!
There are many opinions, but if you have the space and the ability. I am a dining room fan. Maybe it is my traditional upbringing or my love for the beauty, but I don’t think a kitchen island can replace the magic of a dining room.
