Your dining room is more important than you think

Your dining room is more important than you think

Too many people plonk a table and six chairs in between the kitchen and living room and call it their dining area. But given that mealtime is the only time many families get together in one place at the same time, are we under-valuing the dining experience?


Modern dining area


Dining Room Design Tip # 1:


Your dining room should be an expression of your personality and lifestyle, but it should also be an extension of the overall interior design of your home. Use artwork or a display to create interest in your dining room. In small dining rooms, think about the use of a large mirror to create a greater sense of space.

Dining area with red walls


Dining Room Design Tip # 2:


Colour is important in creating mood, and the use of striking colours can be a useful in delineating the dining area from other parts of the house, especially in the open plan areas featured in many modern homes. Use contrast to accentuate your table settings and accessories.
Dining area lighting


Dining Room Design Tip # 3:


Lighting is something you should give some thought to. An overhead light fixture provides a focal point and together with a dimmer switch, wall accent lights and candles, helps create the perfect ambience. Smart LED lighting can also create wonderful effects in dining areas, as in the photo above. 

Your dining table and chairs do not have to be new, nor must they match, although if you have different upholstered chairs, you could make them work together by re-upholstering in the same fabric.

Small dining table


Dining Room Design Tip # 4:

Don't cramp your own style. The dining room table above has been crafted from a gorgeous slab of timber, which the homeowners no doubt treasure, but the number and size of the chairs just don't suit - unless, of course, they like really intimate dinner parties. We're OK with the wooden lampshade because it's in keeping with the doors, floor and table, but please - lose two of the chairs or get a bigger table.
Round dining table


Dining Room Design Tip # 5:

As in feng shui, we like round dining tables because they're inclusive - nobody gets stuck at the end away from the conversation and nobody gets to dominate at the head of the table. We especially like this dining room because of its harmonious theme, from the subdued colouring to the cylindrical lighting (love the birdcage lampshades above the table) and the white-and-green floral arrangements contrasting with the dark brown fittings (including the exquisite door).


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