Dining Room or Pool Table?

[Blue Shutters]

We have a problem, well not a big one in the scheme of things, more of a dilemma. We have a big farmhouse kitchen in our new French House, it has a pine table that seats 8 (6x3ft I think) and we will market our house as sleeping 8-12 + up to two under 3s.... A bigger table cannot fit in unless we remove the central island that has the hob and oven installed in it, and we can't run to that this year (moving cooker)

Alongside we have a wonderful long dining room with huge double doors, perfect for a centrepiece dining table for long sociable meals BUT there is a good quality (ex pub) pool table in there, that will not fit sensibly anywhere else, nor can both pool table and large dining table fit. If the pool table stays it will become a games/second seating area room, which would be used more in mainly a summer house.

I want the dining room (but agree it will be very rarely used) and worry we should have a table that seats 12.

OH wants the games/pool room and can't see the problem about the table as we could have a second smaller table in the pool room or living room (but that's at the other end of the longere)

I know LMHers will say the large table.........and OH will say Pool table...what shall we do?!

[Paul Carmel]

How about getting a local carpenter to make a nice removable table top that fits securely over the pool table, Then you have the best of both worlds.

[Blue Shutters]

I forgot to say we tried that one, but it's too high for comfort (there is already a home made table tennis top to go over the pool table in the room!) Fine for chop sticks/shovelling rice type dining but for anyone under 6ft no way (of course DH is 6ft 4" so he also thought that was a good option!)

[la vache!]

Pool table gets my vote.

[pete]

Could you put a bigger table top on the pine table ? just to take it up 4 more places ?

I do think that you would benifit from having a table that will seat your maximum occupancy, could you not have an outside shed for the pool table ?

[la vache!]

Changed my mind, if you have a house that sleeps 12, you need a table for 12 people, definitely.

[Blue Shutters]

It's a shame that we have no weatherprioof outhousing, (except 1 shed for all the patio furniture etc)

A bigger table in the kitchen may make it a squash, but perhaps something with leaves that fold down for most of the time?

[Martha]

Dining table for me. The chance to have big family meals around a proper big table is one of the best things about a holiday, and a dining room is something people very rarely have these days. You can play pool any old time. That's just me though, and maybe a lot of families would prefer a games room in case of rain. Dilemma! Do you have the possibility to make an outdoor games area at a late point?

[Paul Carmel]

I fancy one of these, But Nicky an't having it!!!



http://www.libertygames.co.uk/store/foo ... fee-table/

[tansy]

we have a pool table and a dining table... dining table gets used all day every day, pool table about 3 times a year... novelty wears off even when on holiday... build a lean too and sheet it all up in the winter - pool table that is...

[Giddy Goat]

I agree with the majority here - you need to be able to seat your maximum occupancy around a dining table for the days when the whole family is there, and it's not nice weather to eat outside. A pool table is fun to have but only as an add-on after the essentials are catered for I think Blue Shutters.

If you decide you want to sell it I know someone with a van who makes frequent trips through your area and might be interested in buying it - he restores then re-markets them and is in the Gers, just south of our property.

[Blue Shutters]

Sell it!!! I would be nastily disposed off if I sold "his" pool table!!

LOL about the dining room. We eat in ours (at home) every day, around a big table (children's activities and work do make shifts some days for meals) but it's just off the kitchen and our kitchen at home is too small for a table. On holiday we have never used the indoor table in any of the gites we have rented for meals, alwasy outside, although in our French house there is no lean to/open barn covering the outside table, we just plan on an iron gazebo for shade from sun and light rain!

But a pool table would get used loads as it would be a novelty (for us anyway!)

I'm thinking a kitchen table that extends to seat 12 (and doesn't block up the kitchen normally) and the pool table is the compromise......

[la vache!]

My table has 2 ends which can be extended - it fits fully extended, but when there isn't full occupancy it gives a bit more room to downsize it.
The reason I originally said I'd like a pool table is that one of the reasons my OH booked the gite he rented in the summer was that there was a pool table - he has 2 teenage boys. It was a bit disappointing in the end because it wasn't a pool table, but French billard thingy and in anyway there were no balls
There was also a table in a dining area which we NEVER used - we either ate outside or at the kitchen table.

[Martha]

Flip a coin

[Blue Shutters]

Who makes a nice solid (not too modern looking) extendable table that seats 12, that doesn't break the bank?




Nobody probably!