Dining Room Design: How To Make The Most Out Of Your Space?

Your dining room is the most multi-functional space in your house, as it can be anything you want, such as where you eat, entertain, and even work. 

In this article, whatever your style, size, or budget, we have some excellent dining room design advice on how you can make the most out of your space.

Choosing A Dining Table

A focal feature of any dining room is the dining table, which is much more than just a functional surface, it is an integral decision when deciding on your dining room design. And this is why it is important to select the right style and shape for your space and lifestyle.

Dining Table Shapes: Rectangle Or Round?

The uncomplicated, linear shape of a rectangular or square dining table conveniently fits in most rooms. For the smaller dining rooms, the table can be pushed against the walls when not in use to allow for ease of movement.

The most versatile of all shapes, the round or oval dining table, works in any size or shape room. These shapes make clever use of available space, whilst the rounded edges incorporate curves that help soften the scheme and break up angular lines.

For example, the circular shape of our Tulip Tables helps to build a sense of intimacy, thus resulting in a dining experience that feels much more casual and can easily accommodate an uneven number of guests.

The main takeaway is that round tables offer flexibility that a square or rectangle table doesn’t. 

Deciding On A Colour Scheme For Your Dining Room

The great thing is that you have the freedom to do what you want when you design a dining room. It’s your house, so your rules! 

Think about how you will use your dining room, which will help to decide on the perfect interior colour shades and tones that will work best. For great tips, check out our article on How To Create A Complementary Interior Colour Scheme. 

Colour can be introduced throughout your dining room with painted walls, furniture, accessories, and more. If you want some great inspiration, head to our Pinterest Board on Interior Colour Palettes and choose the one that speaks to you.

Calming Colours

If sitting down for your evening meal is the perfect way to relax after a hectic day, introducing shades of blue, dusky pinks, or lighter greens will create a sense of comfort, tranquillity, and serenity.

Energising Colours

Deeper greens and pinks can add a punch of energising colour to your dining room and can be integrated with lighter, calmer colours. However, they’re not designed for the faint-hearted, as they’ll bring a statement look to your dining space. 

Inviting Colours

You can create an inviting ambience with warm colours such as red, yellow, and orange. These colours are meant to make us feel brighter and peckish, therefore, they are ideal for the primary purpose of any dining room, which is eating.

Dare To Go Dark

If your dining room receives plenty of natural light, you can be bold and embrace a darker-toned colour scheme. Arrest guests’ interest with shades of deep purple, indigo, slate grey, or midnight black – now that’s a way to entertain your guests in style with contemporary dining room furniture. 

Simple But Effective Colours

An earthy or monochrome scheme layered with subtle colours in soft furnishings and decorative accessories is perfect for a pared-back space. Just take a look at how beautifully paired our Iconic Dining Chairs look with a glass table and a unique piece of modern art!  

Designing A Large Dining Room

Now you must consider the room’s function when deciding on your dining room design. Start asking yourself questions like:

• how will time be spent there?
• how much seating is required? 
• does the space need to have furniture to store away dinnerware?

You want your dining room to encourage conversation among the people seated, so the space shouldn’t be too noisy or have too many distractions. Sometimes, ensuring a private and intimate set-up in an open-plan home can be hard but not impossible.

There are endless dining room designs to choose from, but no matter your final choice, your goal must always be to make the dining table the centre of attention. Furnishings and accessories can be situated around the focal point to complement the space. To give a more creative approach, mix the style of furniture, lighting, and artwork to give an eclectic look.

Designing A Small Dining Room

When designing a dining room with limited space, you need to be more thoughtful when decorating. However, don’t let a small dining room limit you, but instead, make use of every inch of space you can.

Pedestal bases give more available floor space, giving the illusion of extra room, which can help a small dining room feel more open and airy. If you need a versatile dining room, a round table allows you to fit more chairs comfortably. These round bistro-inspired table designs will help to provide a chic and practical choice for smaller dining spaces.

If you live in an open-plan space, and your dining area is included with another room in your home, you can establish a clear separation between the spaces with a rug. On the flip side, you could position the rug in another area and use the negative space to separate your dining area.

You can also try transporting your dining area into a French bistro by hanging a photo on the wall and dressing your table with fresh flowers and a candle.

Family Dining

Family meals can be a very important part of your children’s development, as it is the perfect way for them to learn table manners. When sitting at dinner time, parents can model acceptable behaviours in their children as they are gathered around the table with them, whilst sitting at the same level, which is the ideal place for eye contact while speaking. 

This results in better hearing and understanding, as everyone can observe important social cues such as facial expressions and body language that can easily be missed with modern-day interruptions. Creating this atmosphere in your home will leave your family members feeling valued, thus increasing their self-esteem and building a culture of respect.

Surprising Benefits You May Have Not Thought Of Before

Many benefits come with a regular family meal around the dining table, such as:

• encouraging picky eaters to try new dishes
• promoting teamwork, as everyone in the home can take on a job to help prepare the dining room 
• helping to prevent obesity by slowing meal times down with conversation between eating
• building children’s self-esteem by listening to what they have to say, which shows their thoughts and opinions are heard and valued

Easy to Clean Dining Furniture

Family dining furniture doesn’t need to be compromised by spills and mess. 

Stylish designs without compromising on style can still be made affordable. Consider our Iconic Dining Table and Chairs range. Using ABS plastic and durable materials means that the pieces can be easily cleaned and are tough enough to take on the demand that comes with daily use.

Fine Or Fun Dining

Whether you want a sophisticated or more relaxed look for your dining room, these interior design tips will perfectly implement your preferred dining style.

Light-coloured walls can be more intriguing than white walls without engulfing the room in bold tones. But, if you want to make a statement, the dining room can be one of the best opportunities, where you can be more expressive without making the room too busy. For more tips on how to elevate your dining room design, check out our article on Dine In Style With Contemporary Dining Room Furniture. 

Versatile Dining Rooms

A dining table that can adapt effortlessly to its surroundings is our Tulip Table.  

It never looks out of place, no matter your interior design style. Its pedestal base leaves ample legroom for a comfortable seating experience, whilst you can create an eclectic mix of materials and styles by contrasting upholstery and contemporary features.

To soften a modern dining set, you can try balancing the neoteric materials and design with homemade elements like a cosy wool rug. Additionally, accessories are the finishing touch to set the tone for the dining room. Think about the mood you want to create before purchasing your dining room decorations, and then try to match them to your interior design colour scheme. If you are struggling, read our article on How To Create A Complementary Colour Scheme In Interior Design?

Final Thoughts 

We hope our tips and tricks will help you turn your dining room into an inviting gathering space, whether you have a designated room, a corner nook in the kitchen, or simply a blank stretch of wall. 

Something to remember is that you can always create a comfortable spot to share everyday meals and entertain guests in no time by making a few small but smart adjustments, from furniture and lighting to the colour scheme and storage. By doing so, your dining room design can come to life and fit in seamlessly with the rest of your home, providing you with the perfect place to tuck into your evening meals, entertain, or dine with your family and friends.