The dining room is where friends and families gather to enjoy each other’s company, which is even more important when we tend to communicate so much through technology. This is why a dining room is a staple of any home—plus, there is so much you can do with the look and feel of it. If you recently moved into a home or are working on a renovation project, here’s how to design the perfect dining room.
Figure out the Scale of the Room
Before you start buying furniture and décor for your dining room, you first need to make sure you don’t purchase items that are too big. Be sure to consider the available space for your dining room and take down measurements. A thing to keep in mind when you are determining the scale of your dining room is how many people typically eat at once. By figuring this all out, it will make it much easier for when you start to get the dining room furniture because you will know whether or not it will fit in the room or not. For example, this can be the deciding factor between getting a round or a rectangular table and will help narrow down your search.
Keep it Consistent
It’s important that when you are looking at what you are filing up your dining room with that it matches the overall theme of your downstairs area—especially if you live in a small home. There are some themes that you can blend together, but there are others that can be pretty drastic such as a modern look with a rustic design. A lot of it also deals with the look and feel. Try to visualize how the furniture and accessories you are looking at will fit within the space you are filling and the ideas you have for the room.
Decide on a Tone with Color
After you have an idea and determine the scale of the room you are working with, the next step is to decide on a tone. You can best accomplish this by choosing a color to your liking for the walls, furniture, accessories, dishes, and more. A great way to tie the whole room together is to go for neutral colors such as brown, white, gray, and beige. Color can do an awful lot subconsciously, so you want to choose a feeling that you want to give off for the dinners you will be having normally.
Decorate the Wall
A must-have accessory for your dining room is some kind of wall décor. Many people tend to go with cool artwork, but you can also choose signage or a mirror. For signage, it can be a board with a quote you like that gives off a good vibe, or you can get a nice mirror that can bring some elegance to the room. The color of a dining room can present a mood, but wall décor will make the room feel bigger and give it some character.
Choose Your Lighting
Another aspect of your dining room you need to take into consideration is the lighting. Decide on where your lighting will come from—whether it is overhead lighting with a chandelier or if you decide to go with lamps. You might also want the option to install dimmable lighting so you can play with the mood of the room. Think about whether you will use candles in the room and how the natural light from the windows affects the room.
Ensure Comfortability
Meals are a tradition that brings families and friends together. As such, you want to be comfortable when you are enjoying meals together—especially dinner after a long day. When you are looking for furniture, make sure that it’s comfortable. Another option you have for the setting that is becoming more popular is dining benches instead of traditional chairs. While a chair and a table’s appearance play a major role in the look of the room, you still want yourself and others to be content with using the furniture itself.
Get a Centerpiece
For your dining room table, you are going to want to include a centerpiece. A centerpiece for your table can be anything from flowers and candles to a tablecloth and decorated mason jars. The key to making your centerpiece look good is to not overdo it. Less is more in this instance, but a centerpiece will still make a great addition to your dining room table.
Create a Staging Area
Another part of your dining room that you should think about adding to your table and chairs is a staging area. A staging area is typically another addition you will make to fill the space of a dining room. With a staging area, you have some freedom with what you want it to be. You can use it as storage with a dining cabinet or a buffet and hutch. A staging area should also have some decorations on it as well—whether it be some plants, pictures, dishes, candles, books, etc. You have a lot of flexibility to do what you want with it. However, like the table centerpiece, you will want to make it subtle.
Absorb the Sound with a Rug
A room without anything in it can be noisy, but as you slowly add to it, that will start to disappear. To absorb the sound in the room, take advantage of a rug. If you have hardwood floors, this will also prevent any potential floor damage. A rug with a cool design is also a nice touch to give the room some more character.
Part of knowing how to design the perfect dining room is to realize that it’s an ongoing process. Sometimes things don’t look as great as you once visualized, and it will continue to evolve as time goes on. The point is to not be afraid to experiment with the room because that’s how you can end up with something special. Take these tips with you and go create the dining room of your dreams.
