Decorating a dining room is trickier than you may think. This room is one of the main areas that you will be entertaining guests. For this reason, it is vital that you take the opportunity to showcase your own personal style in this room. You will need this room to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Another important consideration is that with many homes being open concept in design the decor in this room will need to flow from the rooms that it is connected with.
Does your dining room need a makeover? Here is a guide on how to decorate a dining room stylishly:
1. Lighting in dining rooms
If you want to decorate a dining room, start with the lighting. The lighting can transform a room from mediocre to something truly spectacular. When it comes to decorating your dining room you will want some flexibility with the lighting design. The dining room is a wonderful opportunity to install a chandelier.
Placed directly over the dining room table you will be able to have this lower than you would in any other rooms as there is no foot traffic below it. Having a good source of light to illuminate the many great meals you will serve is essential.
When choosing a chandelier there are a great deal of options to choose from. It is the focal point of the room and directly in your guest’s eye line the moment that they walk into the room, so make sure you take your time and choose the one that you love and that it matches the overall look and feel of the room.
Another thing that you will need to consider when setting up the lighting in the dining room is what to do after dinner. You may not want the room to be as bright and have some secondary mood lighting that you can use to create a cocktail hour atmosphere.
2. The dining room tables
Without a dining room table, the dining room is not able to do its primary job of sitting and feeding your guests. So, what do you need to think about when it comes to choosing a table for your dining room? Ideally, you should start with the size of the space that you are working with. Your guests will need to be able to comfortably navigate around the table to find their seat. Also, there is nothing worse than being a guest and finding yourself boxed in once everyone is seated.
To decide on the size of the table that you need, you should carefully measure the space of no only the table, but the size of the table and chairs with the chairs pulled out to simulate everyone being sat down.
There are lots of different designs and materials to choose from. Dark wood is a very popular choice and it is hard to go wrong with this material. The shape of the table that is ideal for your dining room will depend on the dimensions of the space. Longer rooms will allow you to have a rectangular dining table, and square rooms will be better suited to round tables.
3. The dining room furniture should be seasonal
When you are learning how to decorate a dining room, you should think about how the room will look in every season. The basics such as wall colour, furniture design and shape should all be suitable in every season. For inspiration, you can browse furniture stores to see what matches your dining room this season.
You can adapt and augment the room’s appearance throughout the year by swapping out the table cloths for seasonally appropriate colours and designs. The room can also be updated for each season through other simple and cost effective additions such as flowers and other small decorations.
4. Artwork in your dining room
When picking out the artwork for your home you should make sure that you are buying it for yourself. The artwork that you put up on the walls of your home needs to speak to you as you will be the one looking at it the most.
For your dining room, you will be able to put your own personal flair to the room through your choice of artwork. The artwork you choose should have a personal connection to you. It could be something as simple as a piece of art that you always loved the look of, or it could be a picture from your travels.
Whatever you choose, you should be prepared to speak about it. You will probably find that your guests will focus on that as a conversation starter so it’s always a good idea to know a little something about the art.
5. Plates and utensils
No strictly fitting into the category of decor, however, once you have laid the table, the plates and utensils do act as accent pieces to the rest of the room whether you like it or not. For this reason, you should invest in a set that you are proud to display as they are just as much a part of the overall look and feel of the dining room as the rest of it.
