Cohousing-L Mailing List: [no subject]

[Fred H. Olson (fholson]

Kay Argyle <argyle [at] mines.utah.edu>
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> > 1. How how many dining room tables and chairs we should buy?  ...
> > What is the maximum number of folks you have at dinner, the average
> > number, and the number in your community?

Wasatch Commons has 26 households, with 35 adults, 3 "adult children," and
18 children, totalling 56 residents (3 don't participate in anything).  For
special occasions ("Everyone's In" celebration, holiday white elephant
exchange, anytime Steve cooks), most people show up.

We've had parties in the common house to which nonresidents were invited
that had us scrounging folding chairs and lawn furniture, and we still had
people sitting on the stairs with plates in their laps.

The average number of diners is probably 20.  Half the tables and chairs go
unused at most meals, but it's nice to be able to seat everyone when they
do come.

The dining room chairs also supplement the sitting room furniture for
community meetings.  (If you are also shopping for sitting room furniture,
I recommend rocking chairs.  Ours is always nabbed by the first person to
arrive.)

> > 2. We're looking for folding tables and wooden stacking chairs so we
can
> > easily use the dining room for other purposes.  Would be interested in
> > hearing if any of you were able to find sturdy and attractive folding
> > tables and stacking chairs.

This is also our goal.  So far a tight budget means we get by with
hand-me-downs, discards, and loaners.

We did a little exploratory looking last year.  Nobody reported any wooden
stacking chairs, just resin lawn furniture or metal, and of course metal
folding chairs.  I wouldn't recommend wooden folding chairs; several
donated ones have broken.

We found folding tables of various quality in office, warehouse, and home &
garden stores, and someone suggested public auctions of restaurant
equipment to look for used catering tables.

Kay
Wasatch Commons
SLC