Double take: kitchen to dining room

Nothing beats the traditional look of a country kitchen that's big enough to eat in - but if you haven't the space to let the table take centre stage, look for a design that can fold away to one side to do double duty as a worksurface. Keep the fittings mellow and "furnished", with wooden cupboard fronts, panelled walls, soft paint colours and cookware pretty enough for the dining room. A terracotta floor suits both settings, and a rise-and-fall lamp will shift the focus from kitchen to dining table when required.

Furniture

A fold-out table at full stretch can comfortably seat six as a dining table. Stowed at the side of the room, it provides an extra worktop and breakfast bar, complete with cutlery drawer.

Folding chairs can be stowed away in a cupboard or alcove when not needed for the dining table (or, with handles cut into their backs, could hang on a wall or on the back of a door).

Stackable metal stools provide alternative everyday seating and will slide neatly under the tabletop.

Wooden worktops give the cabinets a mellow finish - they match the wood of the table as well as softening the kitchen's functional edge.

Storage

Fit open shelves so that you can keep dining table china easily accessible, mixing elegant pieces among your everyday kitchenware.

Make use of "moveable" storage systems such as a stack of baskets in a metal frame They can be used to hold table linens and cutlery as well as fruit and vegetables.

Enjoy the beauty of raw ingredients by using storage that puts them on show. Eggs displayed in racks and garlic hung in strings provide natural decoration, and bright pulses - red beans, orange lentils, green split peas - add splashes of colour in glass containers.

Tableware

Look for tableware that combines everyday kitchen practicality with dining-table appeal - traditional earthenware mixing bowls can be used as serving dishes.

Find pans in pastel colours to match ceramics and fabrics (2). Traditional French-style enamel has an attractive glaze with a similar effect to china or iridescent glass.

Use homely kitchen containers, such as milk jugs and coffee pots, as simple dining-table vases.

Line the kitchen shelves with attractive food containers that will transfer happily to the table.

Tea towels and table napkins can be interchangeable: use traditional linens woven with bands of colour.

Appliances

Hide the washing machine and dishwasher behind doors to minimise the kitchen's functional side and maintain the feel of a dining room.

Small appliances can be disguised with individual covers, such as a quilted fabric case to keep a toaster out of sight when not in use.

Additional fittings can be provided as moveable extras. Items such as rubbish bins and butcher's blocks can be put on wheels and moved out of the way when dining.

Aim for adjustable lighting, such as a rise-and-fall pendant light, so that you can alter levels depending on whether you are using the space as kitchen or dining room.