May I suggest you have the table cut to size. With the piece cut out, the cabinet maker will be able to use this as an insert that slides under the table, so you can open the table to original size for xmas or any special function. I had this done on our table many years ago. I love that I can change the size by just sliding it open. Not sure if you can see the lines in this photo. Our friend did it for us and he placed two inserts in it. It goes from an 6 to 8 to 10 in a touch of a button. Sorry the photo won't download? Good luck

Hi Kez, I agree with you, finding the right table, chairs and accessories for a space is very important as it can be a costly and time consuming exercise. You mentioned in one of your earlier responses that you feel like you need to have someone come out and help organise the furniture in your home for you. We have the privilege of seeing a lot of homes of different shapes, sizes and styles and have been able to help clients restyle their homes, as well as reshuffle, restyle and reorganise their furniture to better help with the flow of the house. We also work with a large number of suppliers and can help you by taking the stress out of sourcing a suitable dining table and chairs for your dining area. I'm positive we will be able to find something very nice that will suit that space. If this is something that is of interest to you, please feel free to send us an email: info@letsrevamp.com.au or give me a call on (02) 4312 5634, I would love to see if I can help you further. Regards, Nicolene

Simon, 100% agree with OKlouise, she's on the right track..... I've done a stack of these types of things.....big projects, that call for professional solutions....what I would say as a start is that there are always various ways of achieving your needs. It's not just about the rooms, it about the quality of the spaces, the proportioning their connection/relationship to both the adjacent internal and external areas.....I'm guessing from the floor plan you have a lovely older home with some traditional character...depending upon your needs for the rear yard (pool??) I see opportunities here for alternative configurations that would open this thing up and let more natural/north light into the main living/kitchen areas.....if you want my 2 cents I think for a home of this scale no you shouldn't have to pop through the kitchen to get to the study...a study nook within a kitchen is OK but as a differentiated room that could potentially be used for other purpose (always good for the property value factor ;) )....its ALL in the planning, there's a lot of money involved here so make sure you get it right and if it doesn't "feel" right, then there's an issue.....clearly here you have priorities and vision for your study, and that's great, so make sure you get it right and that the outlook is how you want it to be - so it should, it's yours!.....but it's not a simple as just swapping the spaces around/over...floor plans are delicately balanced and carefully considered/arranged and when resolved properly/professionally they will just sit there and be unquestionably "right", appropriately scaled & proportioned, not awkward, representative of your specific requirements/priorities and balanced within the particular context....

Thanks for taking the time to answer. What a mistake. I never imagined that there would be such a variation between table & chair heights. That one slipped by me. I don't think budget is going to stretch to 8 new chairs after we just unpacked 8 new ones tonight. I'll check with builder. Of course, I'll pay him. What is general table height in Houzz land?