A Happy Meal
Published in: The Times of India
Date: 27/04/2017
Published in: The Times of India
Date: 27/04/2017
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‘A family that eats together, stays together’, goes the age-old adage. But it is 2018, and although preferable, that is often not the case with most nuclear families. While that is no indication of how families function, it is definitely a reflection of the changing times.
Design is not just about aesthetics. One has to be mindful about personal preferences, lifestyle and useability. Dining spaces too have transformed as well to accommodate these changes. “Many young families these days are not able stick to make the time to have meals together. Lifestyles, priorities and usage patterns have changed drastically. Which is why, much like every other room in a house, the dining space is also evolving. We see so many people opting for smaller tables and asking for convertible options,” says Vipin Damodaran, store manager at a popular furniture store.
Dining table sets too have undergone a major makeover. A certain kind of wood or material no longer spells luxury or class. People are aware about the kind of designs available and are more comfortable picking something that works for them rather than invest blindly in an expensive set. “Classic, heavy, teak furniture is no more the most popular option. Inexpensive and sturdy and long lasting, wrought iron dining tables with their many designs are quite popular for a casual setup. Even in terms of wood, people do not mind going for options like bamboo or coconut wood,” says Damodaran.
With less space in most city homes, a separate dining room is not a luxury most can afford. In fact, many people see a dedicated dining room as a waste of space. “When we bought our 2BHK we knew that we had neither the space nor the need for a separate dining space. We decide to experiment a little and asked our designer to come up with a better alternative as compared to having no dining space at all. She came up with the idea of doing away with the wall that separated our kitchen and living room. We created an open kitchen with a raised platform that was 4 feet high which can be used for the kitchen from one side and as a table from the other. For chairs, we got high bar stools to match the décor of the living room. The entire look of the living space changed drastically with this one little change,” Avni Kapadia, an HR consultant.
For an informal setup, an open and fluid space that is equipped for more than just meals and seamlessly integrated with the bigger living space is what many prefer. That being said, a dining arrangement still needs to feel like a space where one would like to eat, as opposed to the sofa in front of the TV, which is a popular choice. “The design concept for a dining room needs to take into consideration aspects like the material used, the shape of the table, the colour of the walls and the size and height of the cabinets. For smaller families I often suggest round dining tables. It fosters a more comfortable and personal dining experience because everyone is an equal distance apart,” says Anu Sinha, an interior designer.
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