Whether you’ve got a large dining room calling out for a bit of TLC or you’re looking for some small dining room ideas, it’s time your dining area was given the love it deserves.
From choosing comfortable and stylish dining chairs to adding touches of colour and texture to your home - you will want to find the best dining room furniture that's both practical and gives you the dining room décor you’ve always dreamt of!
So, let us help you design a luxurious dining room, and find stylish dining room furniture perfect for entertaining, with our eight dining room inspiration top tips, below.
1. Consider your dining room’s mood
Let’s start with the mood of your dining room design. Do you prefer a dark and intimate atmosphere, bright and vivacious, or quiet and calm - this will help inform the rest of your choices as we move along.
When you picture your perfect dining room design, do you see candles bathing the room in a golden glow, ivy dressed tables, seats filled with people you love, wine and conversation flowing smoothly? Well, a dark and intimate design might be for you.
But perhaps you’re more of an early bird and prefer to catch up with loved ones over pastries and fresh coffee. If this sounds like you, then quiet and calm is the way to go. Of course, there is the middle ground of brunch. Keep your guests entertained and the mimosas coming - bright and vivacious is the perfect dining room design here.
2. Pick comfortable dining chairs
No matter what dining room mood speaks to you, they all have this in common – the dining room is where it all happens, so comfortable dining room chairs are key to your dining room design.
Dining room furniture like wooden benches are perfect for hosting large dinner parties, you can squeeze in the whole family and your friends to catch up over a good old roast dinner. You can place seat cushions on these to make them feel extra cosy too!
If a more intimate dinner party is for you, then a few individual dining chairs will work best in your dining room décor. And perfect for hosting that breakfast get together, bar stools transform any dining space into something special!
3. Add characterful colour
Now that you have decided on both your dining mood and your dining chairs, you want to look at injecting colour and texture into your dining room colour ideas.
For wall colour, choose two main shades to evoke your ideal dining room design mood. For example, you can have a dark and intimate dining room wallpaper idea with black wallpaper with hints of gold. Or, for something brighter and more vivacious, try painting in sunshine yellow and sky blue. Regardless of your choice, pick a main shade and a highlight shade for skirting boards and door frames.
And you can utilise colours as part of a small dining room idea too. Use lighter shades to open up your space a bit more. You might look to add a beige colour to your walls with white for the ceiling. However, if you prefer a dark dining room décor, try to at least keep the ceiling bright to create the illusion of more space.
4. Make the dining table the focal point
The focal point of your dining room will likely be your dining table, as this is where everyone will gather to share food and good conversation. That’s why it’s important you pick something that will stand out in your dining room design.
Functionality and good looks must be equally considered when it comes to your dining table, and our dining furniture buying guide is here to help you pick the perfect table for your home. But let us first talk through a couple examples that might suit your dining room décor mood.
So, if you decided on quiet and calm, then a square, oak, and cream dining table is perfect. But for something a bit more dark and intimate, a round matte black table is ideal. And lastly, nothing is more bright and vivacious than the clean shade of a white dining table. Take your pick!
5. Set your dining table
With your dining table decided on, it’s time to get to the finicky details of your dining room design. We are, of course, talking about setting your dining table.
When styling your dining room, one of the main aspects will be the dishes and cutlery you pick. Golden cutlery sets with matching plates fit the dark and intimate dining room décor to a tee, while iridescent cutlery is more vivacious and creates a lovely contrast against white plates.
With the essentials sorted, it’s time to create intrigue in your dining room décor with textures and colours. Pieces like table runners, place mats, and coasters work beautifully to do just that. What’s more, they also protect your lovely new table from heat damage or spillages!
6. Bring in greenery
Perhaps one of the best dining room ideas is to bring in some plants and greenery. This is perfect for breathing a bit of life into your dining room décor, regardless of the mood you like.
Low maintenance plants like potted citrus plants or chives are a great fit for a dining room design. However, you could go for something a bit more floral like peace lilies or orchards (just as easy to maintain) but bring a bit of colour to your dining room décor too.
Indoor pot plants and flowers delicately adorned throughout your dining room design will add an eye-catching touch of vibrancy. But if you find it hard to maintain natural plants, choose faux indoor plants instead – easier to manage, but just as lovely!
7. Pick up some cushions and rugs
One of the simplest ways to infuse colour into your dining room design is through soft furnishings such as rugs, cushions, and throws.
There are plenty of options available, from block colour cushions, waffle textured throws, and Persian-style rugs - there's a soft furnishing perfect for any dining room décor. Not only do these add intrigue and colour to your space but they’re cosy to boot!
After all, what’s better than catching up with friends, cosied up at the dining room table with a hot chocolate – or wine, whatever takes your fancy – with a lovely knitted throw warming your shoulders? We don’t think much can top that!
8. Finish off with window furnishings and lights
Bold lights and elegant dining room curtains are truly timeless finishing touches to any dining room. And one dining room lighting idea is perfect for opening up smaller spaces too!
But first, let’s talk about dining room curtains. You may choose to add a bold feature colour to your curtains and, by moving the feature colour away from the dining table and towards the window, you can easily balance the aesthetics of your dining room.
And lighting is perfect for setting the mood and creating that cosy ambience. It’s better to have a few smaller lights, as opposed to one garish big light, with warm tone light bulbs being the best shout for this vibe. And that small dining room idea we spoke about? Well, simply place some wall lights into the corners of your room to brighten up the edges and make the room feel bigger!
Now you’re on your way to piecing together your dream dining room design, you might be looking to spruce up other areas of the home. From how to style your bedroom furniture to our top 10 design tips for the bathroom, head over to our blog.
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