DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in the process of searching for a home for myself, my spouse and our young child. It will be a slight upgrade from the house we currently own, but we cannot afford anything large. Many of the houses we view have three modest upstairs bedrooms, a kitchen and one large living/dining room downstairs. Thinking only of our own needs, we would be happy to turn the spare bedroom into a study and let the living/dining room be a playroom for our child. She can get a lot more use out of the floor space than we can as adults, especially during colder months. I envision setting up an art table and art supply cabinet, various areas for pretend play, and a central dance area in this space. Any seating in this room would be appreciated only by those who enjoy being in the midst of kid activity. If we were to set up our home this way, would it be rude for us to entertain guests (whether they come for a meal or merely to chat over tea) in our kitchen? Notice that I also do not have a dedicated spare bedroom in the above plan. What rooms am I required by etiquette to have, even when square footage is limited?
GENTLE READER: This may come as a shock, but etiquette does not care how your house is laid out (or whether or not you have a guest room), only that you do your best to accommodate guests with seating and refreshments when they are there.
Therefore, Miss Manners condones entertaining in the kitchen and holding dance parties in the living room — as well as the occasional chair made out of Legos for anyone who is up for it.
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
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