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Original poster

Kitchen without a table?

16 replies

jamaisjedors · 03/09/2011 08:57

We are currently re-designing our small-ish kitchen and handicapped by the fact that there are 3 doors and a window in it so not many walls!

Currently we have a table in there, but v. little space.

The designer has come up with something which works well and will look good BUT there is no table.

I am wondering where I will do food prep (standing up at a worktop?) and bake with the kids.

OP posts:
Decorhate · 03/09/2011 09:44

I never use my table for food prep or baking but I am tallish so it would be too low for me! Have you got somewhere else you can put a table to eat at? If so, might be best solution if you are tight for space. Could you design the worktop so you can use it as a breakfast bar?

ChristinedePizan · 03/09/2011 09:49

Can you put in a little fold down one? John Lewis do a freestanding one which two chairs fit inside or you can get a wall mounted one from Ikea which is big enough to seat two people at

throckenholt · 03/09/2011 09:50

I have never had a table in the kitchen - never had space for it. We use the worktops for everything.

PureBloodMuggle · 03/09/2011 09:53

I don't have a table in the kitchen as it's small and use the worktop for food prep and baking with the kids (they stand on a small stool), mind you I don't use the table at my mums for the same (nor does she) and her kitchen's huge with a giant table!

My table is in the living room - and if I didn't have the space there for a table I'd have a fold down one in the kitchen as I wouldn't be without a table in the house

Original poster
jamaisjedors · 03/09/2011 11:06

Thanks - that's good to hear - we have a table in the dining room which is adjoining and has plenty of space but I wasn't sure how the children would manage at the worktop.

The designer suggested making one part of the worktop a breakfast bar so that we could put stools by it - but I have read bad things about breakfast bars on here!

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BertieBotts · 03/09/2011 11:17

Bad things about breakfast bars?

hotchoc · 03/09/2011 20:37

My mum used to have a roll out table thing that looked like a normal kitchen drawer and then pulled out to give you a long, thin table that sat 4. Never seen one anywhere else but it was brilliant, it was used for all over the years. No idea where it came from but worth asking your designer about. Hope that helps.

HoneyPablo · 04/09/2011 08:00

I have never had a table in the kitchen and have managed perfectly well for 20+ years. Thinking about it, we never had a table in the kitchen when I was a child either- make that 40+ years Grin
I use the worktops.

Original poster
jamaisjedors · 04/09/2011 10:30

I have read lots of threads where people were designing kitchens and told by other posters that breakfast bars were a waste of space and never used!

Thanks hotchoc - we are thinking of something like that - I saw one on the hafele site.

Good to hear more positive things about cooking/prepping on worktops honeypablo!

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OriginalPoster · 04/09/2011 10:35

It's not long until dcs can reach worktops. But if your dining room is adjoining you can do things like ice cakes or make crisps on it. Or roll out pastry, chop veg and fruit or whatever.

Original poster
jamaisjedors · 04/09/2011 11:27

It's adjoining but it's a bit of a faff trekking ingredients etc. back and forth. I suppose as the DC get older they will be able to help more too.

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JumpJockey · 04/09/2011 17:16

We don't have a table and admittedly it is more of a pain now that dd1 is getting older and wants to help out, I have to do things like mix cakes in bowls on te floor... she has a little step that we use when she wants to see what I'm doing. But basically we get on fine without a kitchen table.

Then again, our old kitchen before we had it redesigned also had 3 doors like yours (to lounge, bathroom and outside) and previous people had put in a foldy down table on the wall - all very well, but it blocked the back door so you couldn't actually get out to the garden Hmm

racingheart · 04/09/2011 17:32

Breakfast bars never used? My kids practically sleep at ours. We have a huge refectory table in an open plan kitchen diner but they still prefer to eat sat at stools at the breakfast bar. And DP reads his paper there, and I prep food there. In fact I just prepared dinner on top of his Sunday paper, cos I'd run out of space. Didn't occur to me to prep it at the massive table. (Or to move the paper) :o
(Not literally on top of it. Put a chopping board on it first...)

Original poster
jamaisjedors · 04/09/2011 17:38

oh good! a breakfast bar it is then! (although it will be against a wall, not separating the room in two).

OP posts:
BonyM · 06/09/2011 11:23

I'm with racingheart - we have a big, wide breakfast bar with room for food prep on one side and stools on the other side. It get used for everything from eating meals, to food preparation, to arts and crafts, and I'm sitting at it now with my laptop. I wouldn't be without it!

Original poster
jamaisjedors · 06/09/2011 19:39

Ours won't be double-sided, there is no room in the middle of the room for anything really (although we currently have a table half against a wall.

So it would be a work-top facing a wall with room for stools underneath.

Would you really eat breakfast facing a wall?

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