Dining room or no dining room

[Pichee]

Dh and I have decided to build - only way we can really afford to stay in our area and increase sq footage with kids who need more space.

Anyway, we are about to finalise our plans with architects and I’m really conflicted! Right now our plans do not have a separate dining room as we’ve opted to go for a home office for me instead. But I think on occasions like Christmas, birthdays etc a dining room is nice to have. Our plans currently include a spacious kitchen diner with nice French windows looking out to the garden but I’m worried on days when we’ve been messy cooking ie Christmas it won’t be pleasant to sit in a humid, messy kitchen. It’s nice to have that separation imo.

We could make my office slightly bigger by reducing our family room. I would just have my computer set up on the dining table and put away for when we want to use the dining room. But that would mean the family room is slightly tighter than I would like - I’m really want at least 2 sofas and an armchair as the fights we have over who sits where is so very grating or he’s on my side of the cushion blah blah.

We use our dining room most nights as the table in the kitchen is a bit of a squeeze these days.

Any input would be amazing if you have kitchen/diners, or if you miss or don’t miss having a dining room.

Thanks

We got rid of our dining room many years back in favour of an open plan living/ dining/kitchen at back of house, that accesses onto garden beside dining area also from living room,plus a utility space and very large bathroom at front- odd i know! The former dining room was not beside the kitchen, there was a living room in between them, and old dining table had become the family dumping room for those unwieldy plastic toys, laundry room, spare place to do homework, and so for those very odd occasions it needed to be used as a dining room there was a big job where first it had to be cleared out - I felt keeping space available to be used a couple of times a year was a waste, compared with a bathroom where we could have separate bath and walk in shower, and a proper laundry utility space that got rid of boiler from kitchen etc, and a bigger living space, we have not missed it, I did get a larger kitchen table in the new space, f that can be further extended if needed ( and 2 spare chairs we store in a home office) but with garden access so much better now a lot of home entertaining happens outside.

We used to have a dining room, then moved to a house with a big kitchen diner which I massively prefer. Especially at Christmas or when friends are over. It means they can congregate and have a drink while you put finishing touches to the food, and you aren't left out of the socialising, and they are not left to chat among themselves while hosts vanish into the kitchen. If you are building it yourself, you can design it so that the sink isn't in view of the dining area.