Ideal Summer Settings for the Home

While all of us are now looking forward to and gearing up for the upcoming holiday, the focus is on summer, backyards, family get-togethers and outdoor fun. But what if it rains? Or even if the weather is nice, people seem to also want to gather indoors to take a break from the heat, whether or not that was part of the original party plan.

Creating overflow areas in your home for guests to sit and chat can make entertaining that much easier. And even if you’re not in the habit of entertaining, having an additional place, apart from where you dine on a regular basis, to sit and have a morning cup of coffee while doing the crossword puzzle will make your living space more versatile and functional.

Often in our homes—even for condo and apartment dwellers—there are “dead” spaces that can be easily converted into multi-purpose dining/entertaining/informal gathering areas. Having an impromptu place for friends and family to perch when eating or having a drink can be as simple as adding two or three counter-height stools and placing them in front of a kitchen island or an under-utilized portion of a counter. If you already have a built-in breakfast bar, you might consider purchasing extra counter stools and keeping them on hand for when you plan on hosting an event.

When creating a breakfast nook, it doesn’t have to mean a major woodworking project or hiring a professional. Some manufacturers of kitchen and dining furniture offer freestanding versions that can be easily incorporated into a corner of a room. They have the look and feel of the traditional built-ins but have the added convenience of only looking permanent, giving you the option to move it somewhere else. Freestanding breakfast bars can also have the same appeal, while generally being more compact in size. Many manufacturers offer them with casters, which makes them conveniently mobile, perfect when entertaining.

Finding a place in a family room for a pub table and a set of matching stools is a great way to create a comfortable area for friends to gather. Pub table sets come in a wide range of styles and materials, from ultra-modern to trendy to traditional. They generally seat two or four people. Usually round or square, they have the advantage of using the space vertically rather than horizontally, allowing you to add seating to a room without eating up valuable “real estate.”

Since space is at a premium, even in new homes, gathering tables are gaining in popularity. Like pub tables, they utilize floor space up instead of out, giving you the benefit of formal dining furniture, but in a more casual environment. Gathering tables can be counter height or pub height and will seat up to eight people. Many different styles of gathering tables also include leaves, making them an even more practical choice when entertaining.

Turning an unused counter or corner of your home into a place to gather with family and friends is a practical way to increase the versatility and functionality of your living space. It’s as easy as choosing a pub table or the perfect counter stool or barstool to make an area more usable and guest friendly.