Tag Archives: dining table size

The November Room Redesign Challenge starts today. Here’s how this dining room challenge works, and the one thing to do before Day 1.

YOUR DESIGN GUIDE | ROOM CHALLENGE | DAY 0

Welcome to November.

And welcome to the Dining Nooks + Dining Rooms challenge.

We are not starting by shopping for a new table.

We’re starting with the one you already have.

Because the most common thing I see in dining rooms is a room planned around a purchase. Someone falls in love with a table, buys it, and then tries to make the rug, the light and the chairs work around it.

Sometimes that works.

A lot of the time, the table is the wrong size, the light is hanging over the wrong spot, and the chairs scrape the wall every time someone sits down.

So this month, we’re doing it the way I’d approach a real design project: first we look, then we measure, then we plan, and only after that do we decide what (if anything) is worth buying.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a formal dining room, an open-plan dining area, a breakfast nook or one awkward corner off the kitchen. If it holds a table, it counts.

How the dining room challenge works

Every day from tomorrow, I’ll publish one short written lesson with one clear next step. Most take 15 to 30 minutes.

• Week 1 (Days 1–7): Figure out what you’re working with.
  Photos, your design direction, shopping your own house, measuring, the table math and the flow.
• Week 2 (Days 8–14): Build the dining plan.
  Chairs, banquettes, the rug, the light, and your own dining board.
• Week 3 (Days 15–21): Color, walls + storage.
  Paint, wall finishes, art, windows and the sideboard.
• Week 4 (Days 22–25): Get ready to host.
  The dinner plan, the table setting, the centerpiece and the buffet.
• Final days (26–30): Finish it like a designer.
  Mix old and new, edit, and make your final shopping list.

There’s a catch-up day at the end of each week, so if Tuesday gets away from you, you won’t fall behind.

You can follow along daily or go at your own pace. The lessons stay in the archive.

What we’ll cover this month

Things like:

• how big your table should really be
• round, oval or rectangle
• chairs that are comfortable for a long dinner
• when a banquette beats chairs
• the rug size that keeps chairs on the rug
• how big the light should be, and how high to hang it
• a color story for the room
• art and the sideboard wall
• storage for dishes and linens
• setting a table that feels like you
• a centerpiece people can talk over

And plenty of small things that make a surprisingly big difference.

• Lowering a light six inches.
• Swapping the two end chairs for a pair that doesn’t match.
• Turning the table.
• Moving a rug that’s two sizes too small to another room.

Sometimes the fix isn’t expensive.

It’s just something you wouldn’t have thought to change.

Week 1 includes the table math. If you want a preview, here’s the dining table math I do before anyone buys a table.

Print your dining room checklist

If you haven’t yet, grab the free Dining Nook + Dining Room Checklist (it’s linked in the challenge welcome post). It has what to measure, the clearances that make a table comfortable, the rug and lighting rules, and a hosting list for the week before Thanksgiving. We’ll use it all month.

Your one thing for today

Clear the table.

All of it. The mail, the laptop, the fruit bowl, the stack of things that “live” there.

Don’t style it, and don’t tidy the rest of the room. Just clear the table, so tomorrow we can see the room honestly.

Then tell me in the comments on Substack: what kind of dining space are you working with, and what’s the one thing that bothers you most about it?

I read every comment, and your answers help me shape the lessons ahead.

Tomorrow is Day 1. We start with photos, a fresh look at your space, and figuring out how you really use it before we change a thing.

Days 1–30 are for paid subscribers: $9 a month or $90 a year. Free gives you the ideas. Paid gives you the plan.

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From my shop

Want a head start on Day 2, when we find your dining direction? The Big Book of Mood Boards has 140+ finished boards for every room of the home, plus a holiday section, to help you see what you like before you buy a thing.

Here’s to a table you love gathering around.

Jill

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Dining room challenge: FAQ

Do I need to buy a new dining table for this challenge?
No. We start with the table you already have. First we look, then we measure, then we plan, and only after that do we decide what (if anything) is worth buying.

What if I only have a breakfast nook or a corner off the kitchen?
It counts. A formal dining room, an open-plan dining area, a breakfast nook or one awkward corner off the kitchen: if it holds a table, it works for this challenge.

How much time does each lesson take?
One short written lesson a day, with one clear next step. Most take 15 to 30 minutes, and there’s a catch-up day at the end of each week.

Will my dining room be ready for Thanksgiving?
That’s the plan. Thanksgiving lands on Day 25, and Week 4 is all about getting ready to host: the dinner plan, the table setting, the centerpiece and the buffet.

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Read more on Substack: follow along with the challenge, or subscribe for all the perks and the daily lessons.

Originally published on Your Design Guide. Read the post and the comments on Substack: Day 0: Tomorrow, We Start With the Table You Already Have