Your dining room may be the perfect size for your immediate family, but what happens at the holidays when you need to accommodate larger groups of people? Depending on your family size you can figure out temporary and permanent solutions. If you are small family then renting chairs and tables may be an option. While if you have a large family that continues to grow, you will need a long term solution. Here are tips for helping your dining room accommodate more people.

* Assess your current dining needs: How large your family is, how often you entertain, and if you have more than one dining area will help you assess how much seating you actually need. For those that don’t entertain often, renting chairs/tables or buying inexpensive folding ones may be a solution. If you have a formal and informal dining room, your problem may be solved by using both dining areas when large parties come to your home. Assess if you have other areas to use as well: outdoors, adjacent spaces, etc..

* Group seating: One solution to fitting more people at the table is to use group seating. Benches whether they are fixed or movable are good way of maximizing space as opposed to individual seats. Benches are especially good for children who are smaller and can sit closer together without feeling uncomfortable.

* Share seating from adjacent rooms: If you have an open floor plan, sharing seating with and adjacent room like a kitchen island or living room can be a viable option. This concept works well when entertaining a large group of people that are all involved in different activities, such as mingling, eating, and small conversation areas. If you do entertain a lot, consider buying sectional seating that can accommodate more people as opposed to only single chairs.