Hi Joshua,

I live in a tiny apartment with no good place to sit and eat. I have a small living room and bedroom. I do like to have people over. I’d like a place to eat that isn’t a TV tray - which is what I’ve been using and I hate them, but doesn’t take up space that I don’t have. I’m not sure what to do. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave, Chicago, IL

Scandinavian style small living room. Image created using AI via Canva

Hi Dave,

You’ve got a common problem for those living in small spaces. I’d like to make a suggestion that is illustrated in the picture above. Granted, the picture is probably more space than what you have, but I’m focused on the chairs and coffee table. Since you indicated you like to have people over and you want a space to eat that isn’t obvious, I suggest getting a small coffee table that looks like a mini dining table and then a couple chairs that fit the space, that you can pull up to the table for eating.

While not perfect, this solution will provide a little more proper dining situation than the TV tray that you hate and the vibe will be more like a bar with lounge seating where you might order some food and be eating from a low cocktail or coffee table.

If you’ve got a sofa and no room for extra chairs, another option is a pop-up coffee table. Similar to the TV tray situation, it is a bit more elegant and can give you some storage inside the coffee table that is often needed in small spaces. There’s the benefit of not having to store TV trays as well.

I’ve added a couple shoppable options below for examples that I hope you find helpful. I even found an industrial style option that is height adjustable to make dining at it even more comfortable!

Good Luck!

Joshua

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