Dining Table dilemma at weekender

Discussion in 'Airbnb & Short Term Letting' started by See Change, 7th Aug, 2018.

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Dining table dilemma - see post for options

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  1. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    We're going to be renting our weekender and we have a minor dilemma about the size of the table .

    The house has 5 queen bedrooms so potentially 10 adults (Plus maybe 2-3 kids in one of the rooms ) .
    We have plenty of space on the balconies for large groups which is where you sit if the weather is nice , but inside the dining area is 3.5 *3.4 m with a corner cut off and on two sides there is a drop of around a foot to a lower living area so you cant be tight on those edges.

    Our current table is 1.4 * 1.5 which will comfortably fit 8 .

    We can

    1 - leave the current table where it is and put a smaller table ( 4-6 Seater ) on the lower level .

    2 - put a larger 1.8 m round table in the current position , though with 10 people it will be "comfy " and it still wouldn't fit everyone if 10 adults and some kids came along .

    3 - turn the current dining area to a smaller sitting area and put a larger table on the lower level , however it would need to be in front of the fire place and we nice a nice cosy sitting area currently around the fire place which is a nice feature .

    If you had a large family group at a weekender , would you expect to sit every one at the same table ?

    What would be your preferred option ?

    Cliff
     
  2. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    With five queen bedrooms, you are clearly targeting groups or large families. And facilities should be equivalent to the number of separate bedrooms.

    I would therefore cater to the probability that five couples would be close to the maximum adults wanting to eat together. Five queen bedrooms = 5 couples = dining table for 10. A few scattered chairs elsewhere would cater for occasional extras.

    Just make it clear in the listing.
    Marg
     
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  3. Blacky

    Blacky Well-Known Member

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    If I was traveling a large group of 10adults (plus maybe kids) it would be expected that we have the ability to all eat together. However I’m also reasonable to expect that with that many people we may need to be accommodating by ‘squeezing’ a few extras into spots they weren’t designed for.

    So as long as the table is an 8 seater. And there were spare chairs for a few extras to ‘squeeze’ in it would be ok.
    Or alternatively a second table close by. Adults at the main table kids at the small table. I’m at the small table!

    Blacky
     
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  4. Westminster

    Westminster Tigress at Tiger Developments Business Member

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    I think for super large groups - ie 10 adults plus kids I'd be AOK about having a kids table or 2 sittings. Ie feed the kids at 6 and the adults eat at 7.

    To stretch the abilities of the table you could get an extension table so that it fits the room well for 6-8 but can accomodate 10 if the place is full. I'd also suggest making one of the seats a bench seat as then you could probably cram 3-4 kids in the space of 2 dining chairs.

    I'd also be wary about encouraging large numbers. Even though it has 5 queen sizes I'm not sure I'd advertise it as a 10++. I'm probably a worry wart though :p
     
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  5. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Do you have a wall that you could use for a long banquet, then add a long narrow(ish) table and maybe a bench on the other side, or chairs that can fold so it doesn't look like an empty restaurant when all the chairs are not needed?
     
  6. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    I had a similar issue on a smaller scale, and space was an issue. One bedroom apartment on airbnb, normally couples and singles, but I did advertise for up to 4 people with a sofa bed.

    In the end I went for something with primarily aesthetic appeal over functionality - round table on the side with two chairs - but also with a bench tucked in nearby that can be brought out to increase the seating to 4.
     
  7. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    We thought of having an L shaped banquette which would be around 2.4 on either leg , which would be along a wall and one of the sides next to the drop , but quote was painfull , though we might re visit . SWMBO wasn’t keen on it due to the Bench seating and having to access the ‘ inner’ seats and it would block the open feel of the room , but that for a properly built one .

    Cliff
     
  8. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    Must admit I am not keen on banquette seating.
    Shuffling along to the middle of a long bench is awkward, and L-shaped ones are the worst for people stuck in the middle.
    Marg
     
  9. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    My wife's the same , she's never been keen on a banquette .

    Cliff
     
  10. inertia

    inertia Well-Known Member

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    If it is a large group, with a quantity of kids, I'm pretty happy having a grown ups table and a kids table, or alternatively feed the kids first, then feed the adults.

    I don't think it is a big problem to not be able to fit all those people at 1 table inside.

    Is there also a kitchen island or bench, with bar stool type seats? When our family gets together, the kids often get put on the corners of the table on the bar stools.

    The alternative is as mentioned above - a long trestle table with benches. I'm not a fan of being pinned in the middle of a bench though.

    Cheers,
    Inertia.
     
  11. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    We do have a fourth option .

    Currently the TV area is on the left side of the lower area ( TV on the side wall ) and then there is a separate sitting area on the right side of the lower area next to the fire place .

    The back wall is all floor to ceiling windows / doors

    We can move the TV to the fire side of the living area but it has to be on the rear side and will then be slightly impinging on the view out the back over the water . I prefer the TV tucked to the side . We'd have to move all the TV / foxtel points etc and it means when you look at the water you also see the TV .

    Then we'd put the Dining table where the TV is .

    Cliff
     
  12. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    A sculpture didn't like it?

    She Who Must Be Obeyed (sculpture) - Wikipedia

    I have often used, and like that term, but it surprised me that it didn't come from Rumpole of the Bailey, rather from H Rider Haggard.

    Back on topic. Is some sort of expandable table a possibility? That would leave the dining area usable when the table isn't in use, but with a tight space only when fully extended. There's a lot on eBay.
     
  13. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Do you have photos, floor plans or dimensions of those rooms?

    And regarding banquet seating, and some people not liking it (for all the reasons well said), don't forget this is a holiday home, so having to manoeuvre into a banquet seat isn't a daily thing like it would be for you if you lived there.
     
  14. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    Can you get an extendable table? Seems obvious, but I only skimmed the post so probably missed something! :)
     
  15. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    St the end of the day, I don’t think it really matters which configuration you choose, so long as you state it clearly in advertising,
    e.g.,
    “Table seating 8 in main dining area, another table seating 4-6 nearby” or something like that.

    So long as guests know what to expect they should not be disappointed.
    Marg
     
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  16. See Change

    See Change Well-Known Member

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    We can't have an extendable table in our preferred options and in other positions isn't not completely necessary , BUT , it does look like we will be doing it any way .

    This is another case of posting here has helped clarify our thinking .

    We do want to advertise it up to ten people and if that's a group of five couples , then they will expect a table that can fit 10 people. It's a house designed for entertaining , so its the destination rather than being accommodation while you visiting somewhere .

    We can't fit a table for ten people in the current dining area without it being tight and that goes against what we're aiming for . So that means we need to put the table on the lower level and there are two positions available . Either in front of the fire or where the TV is at the moment . We don't want it next to the fireplace so it has to be where the current TV is.

    That area is around 4.5 * 4.5 so we can comfortably fit a large rectangular table there and there's a nice extendable one we've seen which will fit there , and up to 14 people if necessary .

    Cliff
     
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  17. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    A table that can be extended is sometimes a great compromise. Just ensure there are suitable numbers of chairs and place settings etc