We’re Thankful That These Open Houses Still Have Dining Rooms With Room For Turkey

Favorite holiday? Not Christmas with all that stress. Halloween is a dentist’s nightmare. Fourth of July is too darn hot. Thanksgiving for the win. Family and food — that’s it. No presents to buy. No bikes to assemble. No wrapping paper to clean up. You hug your humans, eat mashed potatoes, and you’re happy. The game might be on TV or the game might be Monopoly on the kitchen table. A walk. A nap. Whatever.

It’s the best, right?

Not exactly a requirement, but what’s really nice to have for this celebration is an actual dining room. The turkey goes in the middle, your people sit around it, and memories are cemented. Yes, a room dedicated to dining as a family is not an outdated concept, but an actual preference for some who like defined spaces.

It can be dedicated to a gathering place where family and friends eat together in a formal sense, as opposed to a casual breakfast bar or a cozy breakfast nook. But even as it is formally assigned a function, the dining room of 2023 can mirror the look of a home’s interior.

Elegant, contemporary, rustic farmhouse or industrial — a dining room can be appointed in so many ways. Thinking of it as a gathering place where near and dear share a meal makes it a highly desirable item on a house shopping list. To help you out, here are some open houses this week with dining rooms you need to see.

1702 Carlyle Court, Westlake

Now this house is set up for a Thanksgiving gathering! The dining room measures 19 feet by 12 feet, and that’s just the beginning.

With 8,265-square-foot, this Westlake house has some great reasons to host a holiday gathering, including a gourmet kitchen, plus a caterer’s kitchen. Think of the pumpkin pies that could be made here.

The relatives certainly will be flocking to this house for family celebrations. The beautifully landscaped, grand home is impressive from the street, and inside the striking foyer and grand staircase make a statement. It’s situated on 1.57 acres with perks like a gym, sauna, game room, wine cellar, swimming pool, and hot tub. There’s even more in this house to impress guests—marble, Venetian plaster, and designer lighting.

Priced at $5.35 million, the estate has plenty of room for family and friends. The primary suite offers a cast stone fireplace, motorized shades, a marble shower, custom closets, and a safe room. There are four additional bedrooms and seven more bathrooms in this two-story. Tell them all to come for Thanksgiving!

From 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, this home, listed by Lucy Noonan with Synergy Realty, will be held open.

3983 Rochelle Drive, Dallas

Here, a contemporary house equals a contemporary dining room. Built in 2022, this home in Dallas’ Midway Hollow neighborhood comes with a dining room measuring 16 feet by 14 feet. Its clean lines open to a wall of oversized windows offering a view of the backyard.

Since it was built just last year, this two-story comes with lots of modern amenities. State-of-the-art smart features include wiring for automation and zoned speakers throughout its 4,263 square feet.

AIA architect Douglas Hildinger designed the house with a standing seam metal roof, a cast stone-surrounded fireplace in the living room, and custom millwork with Brazilian wood veneer. The kitchen, just steps from the dining room, offers floating shelves, quarts countertops, and JenAir commercial-grade appliances. The sister-in-law who was counting on making the family dressing recipe at your house will absolutely love the set-up here.

The first-story primary suite, which overlooks the backyard swimming pool, features an ensuite bathroom and duo closets. With another bedroom downstairs and three more upstairs, the house’s bedrooms total five. Bathrooms number six, including three ensuite upstairs.

Price tag? It’s listed at $1.75 million.

This home, listed by Kevin Curran with Redfin Corporation, will be held open from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

2312 Brenda Lane, Keller

Waiting for its first Thanksgiving is the dining room of this recently completed Keller home. The room, measuring 16 feet by 13 feet, gets a great view and natural light from its trio of windows.

The contemporary stucco house, listed at $1.899 million, just was finished in September and is ready for entertaining aunts, uncles and cousins. Invite them to gather in the great room and hope for cold day so the fireplace can be put to work in this 4,822-square-foot abode.

The owner’s suite offers the type of retreat to be expected in a house like this, such as a sitting area and soaking tub. The house includes four more bedrooms and five more bathrooms, plenty of space for the cousins to stay. As an added plus there also are a downstairs media room and an upstairs game room—perfect for working a puzzle after Thanksgiving dinner.

The spacious kitchen is ready for duty with a walk-in pantry offering enough space for a second fridge.  In case baked turkey isn’t the Thanksgiving choice this year, look to the backyard, spacious enough for a pool. The large, covered patio features a built-in grill. No law against charring some steaks and burgers next Thursday.

Agent Dona Robinson with Allie Beth Allman & Associates will hold this house open from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.