People have all kinds of theories on what dining should be. Some individuals prefer to dine on the run, and aren’t particular about what they eat, where they eat, or even how the food tastes. To them, eating is merely a necessary fact of life, a biological requirement.

Others enjoy taking the time and effort either to prepare or seek out gourmet-style meals. Good meals to them are to be slowly savored in the company of others, in carefully structured atmospheres at home or in fine restaurants.

A typical household leans toward a happy median between the “fast-food” meal and a candlelit dinner. That’s why there are often two dining areas in a typical home — one for quick breakfasts, lunches, and children’s meals, and another for more formal dining, which, though less frequently, still plays an important role in holiday celebrations and special family events. In any event, a dining room should have direct access to the kitchen.

In many households, a third dining area consists of an outdoor patio or deck with a gas grill. All three areas, however, should be located near the kitchen food preparation site for greatest convenience.

You have several basic choices to make when deciding upon informal and formal dining space: quick, easy meals and snacks can be served either at an attractive utilitarian bar, which is simply an extension of the kitchen work counter, an overhanging portion of counter that can accommodate three or four bar stools (see image), or a table/chairs or booth/bench arrangement included as part of an extension of the kitchen—often referred to as a breakfast room or nook.