Design Your Ideal Dining Room
Answering the five questions below should help spark ideas for your ultimate dining room design. Let's get started.
by Corynne Pless
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1. How much flexibility do you need? Consider how many people you need to seat for dinner every day and
how many would you like to be able to squeeze in occasionally. If you
need to adjust to different-size crowds frequently, it's important to
look for furniture that can stand up to the task. Think of dining tables
with extension leaves, and benches that can tuck against the wall until
needed.
If you serve a big crowd only once or twice a year, you might prefer to go with a smaller table for everyday use — just pull out a few folding card tables for holiday gatherings as needed. |
Browse thousands of dining room designs
Let yourself daydream about how you would love to use your dining space, then write down five specific things you would need to make it a reality.
3. What level of formality do you crave?
This does not necessarily depend on how or how often you use the room —
it's more about personal style. You can have a dining room used for
special dinner parties that still manages to feel relaxed and casual ...
or a fancy room the whole family uses constantly.
If you have your heart set on a formal dining room but don't want to constantly be worried about damage, don't despair. You can hang a fancy chandelier, put wallpaper above the chair rail and hang artwork, and none will be within reach of little ones or furry friends. Find your dining table style |
Steal this style: With
symmetrically arranged lamps and chandeliers, a grid of artwork and a
set of Chinese Chippendale chairs, this room is a wonderful example of
how to work formal details into a livable space.
Make a few concessions to practicality with a table that won't show every scratch and fabrics that can stand up to a little abuse — washable natural fibers, stain-resistant fabrics and outdoor fabrics would all hold up exceptionally well. |