Loose Furniture vs. Built-In: Flexible Layout for Our Dining Space

212

Couple Living
3 br
HDB (Resale)
~900 sqft
Free Style

Hello, we are KH & MS and we appreciate your time here with us! Today's all about our main dining area where we have the best conversations and chats with our family and friends. :) Soooooo for us at @hwashan_, we knew we wanted to seat at least 8 - 10 people for meals (because we really do enjoy hosting) but also cosy enough when it is just the two of us winding down during the weeknights. We also wanted it to be multi-functional such that it could be a space to play board games or work from home. Hence, locking down the layout at the initial stages of renovation was quite tough! That said, we went ahead with a fairly straightforward set up, with loose furniture and chose not to do any built-ins. And it was because of this decision that we were able to change up our layout to fit our changing needs over the past year! AND to amp up the cosiness of the space (& privacy as well), our linen curtains were the stars to help change up the ambience :) This was a shot from our first few Christmas gatherings last year which our very talented friends showed us styling 101 and how to capture good angles for the memories!
We've been enjoying our Castlery Sloane Dining Set for a year now, and it has really made our dining space feel so cozy and welcoming. The cane chairs with armrests and the leather-cushion bench are perfect for our little meals together, but it's also fantastic when we have the whole family over—it can comfortably seat up to ten people because we decided to get two benches instead of one as per their catalogue! Also, we intentionally went with dark tones to complement the black ceiling fan we kept from the previous owner, and we love how the dark wood tone and pops of rattan go so well with our cream floor tiles and linen curtains. It’s been great for everything from our quiet dinners to lively family gatherings, and we just love how it fits right in :)
Initially, we thought about going with fluted panels for the house, but we decided against it since we weren't confident in the cleaning and maintenance aspect. Then we saw and fell in love with the Sloane table at first sight! It has a wonderful wood-like texture, and the table legs have that "fluted panel" like pattern... :D The leather cushion for the dining bench adds a great pop of color, and the cream white fabric of the cane chairs adds a lovely contrast. These little touches make it even more special and really enhance the overall look and feel of @hwashan_ That said, one thing we didn't take into account was the back support, which some of us need after prolonged seating, but it's not too big of an issue. :)
Our dining area has really become a favorite spot for us to chill, enjoy our coffee, and have great conversations. Over the past year, we've had so many wonderful moments—lovely meals with family and friends, birthday celebrations, alcohol tasting sessions, and even some coffee making experiments. It’s been such a fun and special place for us, and we’re excited for all the new memories we’ll continue to create here!
Thanks for sticking around until the end! If you’re curious about any details of our dining area, just ask and we’ll fill you in. :)