We fondly remember our childhood home and and all the quirks that came along with growing up there. For example, even though we had a dining room, it was only used for special occasions (Thanksgiving and Christmas). We always felt that our formal dining room was a wasted space--and that if it weren't so stuffy it might've been enjoyed more than twice a year...
The first thing we noticed about all of these dining rooms was the inclusion of an informal dining room table. Because the tables aren't fancy, it won't be a problem if you spill a drink or want to use the space for crafting or reading the paper. In addition, you could also use mismatched dining room chairs to make each space even more laid-back. Each room is kept accessible by sticking to soft backdrop colors like yellows, earth blue and white. We also noticed that artwork is kept to a minimum with most of the dining rooms relying on beautiful overhead lighting (or a great view) which acts as the focal point.
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(Images: 1. ColorTherapy: Monet's Dining Room, 2. Inspiration: Dining Room in a Portland Bungalow, 3. me*jo, 4. Before & After: Dining Room, 5. How Are Your Home Resolutions Coming Along?)
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Not necessarily, ladymantle. LOL
We (DH & I, full disclosure) have a small house too, and no nooks near the kitchen for informal dining, and were recently offered a beautiful oak dining set (round to ellipsoid dining table and 6 chairs w upholstered seats). We thought long and hard about it, but in the end turned down that generous offer to keep our lives informal and easy. The existing table is unfinished maple... unfancy, just as above, and we use it at least twice a day, and more on weekends. It's a wonderful, informal, comfortable room, made all the more exciting by the ... wait for it... RED walls! Great garden views, too. Substantial chandelier.
Perhaps someday DH and I will feel it's necessary to cover up our oxblood red walls with something more soothing, but it works for us for now.
view DeborahMcP's profile
sweet! we also grew up in a home with a waste-of-space formal dining room, complete with sharp-cornered glass table and pale silver carpet. nice for spilling on.
we have a 50s kitchen table in our dining room, which sees more "living" than the living room.
(ladymantle, are you new? you'll get used to "we" very quickly. it's standard around here.)
view doubledutch's profile
i don't have a dinning room or even a nook...that's one of my challenges!
view SydneyBristow's profile
We (Mr. Jonnifer and I) have a separate dining room, but we keep it pretty casual - an old table we bought off Craigslist and then 8 mismatched chairs that I painted red. Everything is scratched or watermarked, so I never care about coasters or people spilling, etc. I think that's the key to having a dining room that doesn't feel stuffy- your attitude towards the things in it.
http://www.jenfromtheblock.blogspot.com
view jonnifer's profile
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the use of "we" is a stylistic usage common among publications. Newspapers, magazines etc. The usage is common when giving editorial opinion.
view Seanvik's profile
Sydney, how about a banquette/higher loveseat, a dining table and comfortable dining chairs insted of living room furniture?
view ladymantle's profile
"I think that's the key to having a dining room that doesn't feel stuffy- your attitude towards the things in it." Well said, jonnifer. I completely agree. And have you ever noticed that things within dining rooms can influence our reaction/attitude to the overall room--just like your post portrayed?
A couple of things I've noticed about "formal" dining rooms:
1) "delicate" things are normally displayed: glass, crystal, expensive silver, porcelain, fine china...you name it. People become more tense because they don't want to damage anything. As long as anything fragile is not visible and any ornate or formal furniture looks sturdy, the dining room is automatically less stuffy.
2) formal dining rooms tend to be closed off by doors. Remove them. If you're laid-back enough, it makes no sense to close off the dining area from the kitchen and living areas.
We placed a really comfy couch in our dining room. It's great extra seating for entertainment and is great for nap-time and reading. =)
view magstermash's profile
oh this is a beautiful post.
one thing all these have in common is beautiful natural light
my thought is always if a cat wants to hang out it in a space is getting there
view Philip_Littell's profile