Depending on the space and your personality, red may suit you just fine for a variety of occasions. But the more people I talk to, the more I discover that it is not usually the kind of color that inspires one to spread out the morning paper and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee...even on lazy weekends when you might actually have time for such a luxury. It certainly wasn't for us. In fact even though our house was tiny, we rarely entered our dining room before the dinner hour.
For those who don't have an additional breakfast nook or a cozier casual eating spot, creating an understated dining room that can easily transition to leisure space, craft area, or work table seems like a wonderful option. Soothing colors and simple unfussy furnishings are key for the look. For fine dining, you can always glam up the room with candles, dim lighting, and fresh flowers.
Too spare, or just right?
(Images: 1: Atlanta Bartlett, 2: Jacobsen Architecture, 3: Domino, 4: Anna Kern via Decor 8, 5: Southern Accents, 6: via emmas blogg, 7: via desire to inspire, 8: Design Sponge, 9: Marie Claire Maison, 10: Living Etc. of Baileys Home & Garden)
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Though I could never live in an all-white (or even mostly-white) environment -- my dining room is pink -- a few of these (3, 4, 5 and 10) look rather inviting. The least inviting, IMO, are 2, 7 and 8 -- very stark and hard. The pairing of the white bench with the rustic table in 6 looks odd somehow. Not crazy about 1 and 9, because of those big mirrors...
view mirandabee's profile
Wow, I love these cool-toned rooms!
view fabframes's profile
just beautiful, esp. the 1st room.
view timmy jr.'s profile
I agree with Miranda--2 and 8 are very stark, but 7 has a minimalist elegance to its starkness that gives it an architectural beauty, even if it is a bit cold.
What I like about all of these is that they maintain a monochromatic or near-monochromatic palette that isn't too strong or overbearing. 5 shows how to do this while being very warm and relaxing, although I still think 7 is the most beautiful in its impressive restraint.
view atfan123's profile
3 is my favorite
view sunnyshelle's profile
Most of these feel very staged and impractical, I do like three and wish you see the pendent fixture better.
view LoriSF's profile
Some of the rooms - while attractive - just don't seem very functional.
The folding chairs in 3 would be fine if used for additional seating for a party or as a child's desk chair. But for adult guests - they're not appropriate. Dining room chairs should be sturdy and comfortable - something your guests can sit in for an extended period of time. The chairs shouldn't wobble when someone leans forward or backward.
view mear's profile
Anyone know where the dining table in #3 is from?
view zaky's profile
i like the fact that room #5 used stone/tile floors, how warm and inviting, just different from the wood that everybody else used.
view JennF's profile