Hi Peacfullyme, get rid of the air con that you're not using - instantly you'll feel better about the space.

As your space is a little limited you're going to have to walk a fine line between "space" and "storage" - they're not the same. If you go with banquette seating - put the storage in the seating - not on the walls - that's as close to "space" and "storage" that I think you'll get without looking like you're trying to put everything in that space (you also wont want to risk accidents and breakages as people "scoot" over when using the banquette seating. I'd think about doing the following:

1. Banquette seating along only one wall and extend it the full length of the wall.
2. A narrower dining table will give you a few inches of more space (don't be afraid to use a glass table as it'll give you the sense of space - though it might be a bit of work if you've got littlies). You could also look for narrow dining tables that have leaves you can add to add an extra bit of dining space.
3. using a [wall wine rack[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/historic-renovation-in-west-chester-pa-traditional-wine-cellar-philadelphia-phvw-vp~473754) where you can still show off wine and access it easily but it's not taking up floor space but adds to the dining area feel.
4. Pull out the sewing machine (or find a friend who sews) and make several sets of slip covers for the foam seating and throw cushions so that you've got "kid friendly" fabrics for every day use and then you can whip them off and change over to more "classic dining/formal" covers and throws for those special dinner parties.

Also remember that to change the ambience of a room from casual to formal you've got lots of tricks at your disposal: the fabrics on your seating, cushions and table; lighting - bright overheads vs floor lamps, dimmed overheads and candlestick and voltive styles and how you decorate your table with flowers etc.

Good luck.

Thanks Louie and Georgi for your comments. Great suggestions for me to think through. Thanks for taking the time to provide that detail.

To help see the space a bit better, I've taken out the wine rack and replaced it, temporarily, with a shelf (that was in a different part of the house) that matches the one holding the water filter (the second shelf is to hold our phone and modem - again, due to a small house, it's really the only place the phone and modem can live). Plus, I've extended the table so that I could get a feel for the size table the area could potentially accommodate, now that the wine rack isn't there. The size of the table with the extension is: 1800 x 840.

Ignore the look of the current table - regardless of whether we go banquette seating or not, we would like to change the table and perhaps a pedestal table would be best so that it makes it easier to get to the seats at the back.

By the way I noticed that when I look at this post on my iPad I don't see all the photos I included like I do when looking at it on my laptop. Hopefully the photos I've included show okay for others looking at this.

Thank you.

Hi again peacefullyme, I have seen some more ideas like the ones you have posted & can see how the combination could work well for your situation.

I like how this one is elegant but has a ton of storage

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My suggestion for something like a church pew on the back wall is with the thought that it's not built in so much & therefore easily changed back if your plans change or you renovate.

Vintage Deacon's Bench (Church Pew) with Ikat Pillows and Oil Paintings · More Info

Another thought was it would be nice to open the area up to the back patio by extending the sliding door to the end if you want to create a more spacious feeling. You could still have the banquette on either the fixed wall beside the lounge end or have an actual window seat which might be nice if working at the table from home.

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Thanks, Louie. I love those photos. Food for thought. I especially love that first one, probably because it meets quite a few needs and the colours match what I already have in the other parts of the house.

So, if we were to proceed with this style of seating, can anyone suggest the way to do it - is it by contacting a cabinet maker? Carpenter? People who make commercial booth seating? I'd like to explore this further, including costs and how much space is needed for the seats.

Thank you.

A cabinetmaker would understand & shelving may be 300-400 mm wide, seat probably 500 mm wide plus depth of back cushion & your choice of table. I think an oval or round one so that it's easier to get into the banquette.

Let us know how you go ;))

Thanks Louie and acharyaanisha! I've got a bit of thinking and planning to do now. Thanks again.

I was thinking something along the lines of the L-shaped seating in the Orinda guesthouse pic but place the storage wall on the internal wall rather than the one that had the wine rack as I think that would feel a bit crowded with the sliding door and curtains. I would be inclined to put cupboard doors (perhaps sliding?) over most of the unit so that it isn't all on view and can maximise use without looking cluttered. Perhaps the side of the unit facing out could have display shelves or even house a wine rack.