A Tale of Three Tables

Table 1: Kitchen Table

(used somewhat as an island, and somewhat as an eating area)

Table 2: Beastly Booth that still hasn't been refinished

(mainly used as a study and coloring area for hubby and kids)

Table 3: Dining Room Table

(hardly ever used...mainly a studio space for Events by Design)

It started by simply clicking on Nester's post. Then, after deciding to take her advice about clearing off my tables, I decided to move my tables. All of them. I started looking at my space and feeling ambitious. I have been itching to make some space, and hadn't had the exact plan, yet. But I could tell I was on the cusp.

Full disclosure time. My husband, my two kids, and I live in a small two bedroom one bath bungalow that was built in 1932. Charming. Yes. But spacious? Not exactly. We only have a couple closets in the entire house, and no garage. My hubs is in grad school, and we are definitely going to be here for a while longer. All that summarized, means no spending, no renovations...just use what we have and do the best that we can.

Just this past weekend, we talked at length about how we can maximize our space here. "Should we make the dining room a bedroom, but then what about my studio space...and what about when I have events....or people over for dinner? So, then, should we make it more of a playroom? But it's not like we can afford right now to do an addition"... And on and on, and you've probably been there too.

A lot of the time I feel like I'm doing a puzzle. And then re-doing it, and re-working my pieces, but still unable to really make everything fit. You would think the solution would be easy...to purge. And, we actually do purge a lot of the not so important things (old toys and clothes). But the problem is, the majority of our furniture has been passed down to us by mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers, and has way too much sentimental value to let go.

I know it probably doesn't look cluttered to you, but that's because I zoom in. And, I hide things under beds and in trunks.

So, an hour and a half later...

my beast of a booth in our breakfast nook, held my dining room table.

My booth table became my "new" island

(which is higher than my other table and even looks

kind of intentionally french-farm-house-rustic used as an island...perfect!)

And, my old kitchen table dining room became a great new spot to color or play,

...or simply just be.

Therefore, keeping my dining room functional as a play spot, study spot, eating spot, or work space. Problem solved. And my daughter even plopped down on the couch, and said, "Finally, I can take a nap here!" I guess it could even double as a bedroom.

And simply because I cleared a table.

Linking up to Simple Pleasures and Imperfect Prose.