Furniture to dine for

These days, a relatively simple thing like adding or removing a wall between an adjacent kitchen can be the difference between a large, all purpose kitchen or a formal dining room.

Older houses may have a formal dining room space that's used as a dining room - or an office, bedroom or computer games area. Newer homes run the gamut from large formal dining rooms to great rooms off the kitchen that serve the family with an entertainment center and more casual dining space for family and guests.

The good news is, there is still appropriate furniture for either lifestyle.

Kathy Richards, a sales associate with Gardiners...