I wonder why the 10' table can't do double duty. Just use one end of it for daily dining.

groveraxle thank you, that is certainly one option. I worry it will be less intimate, like we'll always be at a half full table with paperwork sitting at the other end? My eldest is 13, we're definitely looking ahead at how little time we really have with them all still at home. I've just always wanted a round table, they seem so much more intimate, even though it's currently throwing a wrench in our plans!

How about a round table with leaves? Round for every day and stretch it out for times when you need to seat many?

auntthelma, I jokingly told my husband that our perfect solution is a round table with a 10 foot leaf! He was not amused ;-) I should probably go shopping and see what's out there for expanding tables. This is probably our most practical solution. We were kind of drooling over the idea of having friends over on short notice without having to rearrange furniture to make it possible. We're a family of 5, if we have two other families for dinner we need seating for 13 or 14, although at that point maybe we just do "kids table".

Krista, my family had a round table with five leaves. We sat 12 comfortable and often sat 13 - 15. Less comfortably. But those tables exist.

Pictures of the room please.

I don't have a problem with two tables. In essence it would be like having a small round table in a breakfast nook area and a rectangular dining table in the dining room.

Designer Summer Thornton recently put two very different tables in a space. Houzz ran a story on it. What she basically did was bisect the space, formal and informal with a unifying wallpaper. More typically,I've seen this done with two close to matching rounds.

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Thank you Lindsey, I don't care much for convention either ;-)

Sorry Kim, I don't have pictures because it's all just on paper at this point.

cpaul, this was my thought too, in doubting whether I am justified wanting what I want, it's really no different than a table in kitchen with a separate dining room, we thought about a separate formal dining room, but we are not formal people and we're in the kid years so we don't spend much time or energy on formality.

rustynail, I love your username! Yes, leaves are a pain. We're trying to eliminate barriers to entertaining often, a luxury of space for sure but a big table as a permanent fixture. Also want to do more meals with our aging parents whom we are fortunate to live near and still have with us.

Hollybar thanks for the link! I'm going to read that now!

Thanks all for the comments! We've really been struggling with this decision.

Go for it. I have a dining table in my dining room and a small table in the adjacent kitchen, in the living room I have two four-seat dining tables. You're right, it makes spur of the moment entertaining easy, and there is always space free for people to set up a board game or puzzle or do homework. Granted we have a lot of people in our household.

I do not see a problem with having two tables. It's your house and you should do what you and your family needs and wants. I like hollybar's suggestion and photo on how to do this.

Will the two tables be right next to each other? I don't think its weird for them to visible in the same space, but next to each other might be a bit strange. It's hard to give a good opinion without knowing how the space is set up.

Exactly what Emily just said: I don't think it would be odd for them to be in the same space but it might be odd to have them right next to each other. For example, can the smaller table be on one side of the kitchen (maybe in a cozy nook) and the larger table on the other side? I think the important thing is to make them feel like distinct spaces.