Dining Room Decorating

You don't need to have a dinner party to create a gorgeous tablescape.

Matching dining room sets are overrated.

Name: Faith Location: Arlington, VA Room: Dining Room Size: about 140 square feet Own or Rent: Own This is an update from the #MakeoverAmerica road trip! We’re traveling across the United States to tell people about Complete + Happy Home, and while we’re at it, we’re saving the country, one room at a time! Design Prescriptions are hour-long visits where Maxwell offers advice on what readers can do to improve their homes.

No matter the size of your home, I think it’s really important to create a casual, comfortable, welcoming space in which to sit down and enjoy a meal. If you’re lucky enough to live in a larger space, this could be where you eat your morning cereal while poring over the latest news or your favorite home decor site (hint hint).

Half the fun of flipping through the glossy pages of a furniture catalog is fantasizing about the bed, sofa or chair living in your own home. But it can be tough to envision the design in your space when your home’s style doesn’t quite match the impeccably styled look on the page. So abandon the catalog and check out these gorgeous real-life homes. This contemporary dining chair is sleek, shapely, easy-to-clean and most importantly…versatile!

Classic chairs are usually called that for a reason — they made an impact on history and their designs have endured. But not all classic chairs are made the same (literally or figuratively) or fit with every style of home decor. The shapely Panton Chair featured in this post does, surprising, despite its statement-making modern outline. See how this famous chair looks fabulous in these six differently designed dining rooms, from glam to minimal and more.

We’ve all been in a relationship where our muse turns around and stabs us in the back, right? No? Me neither. What I actually relate to in Phantom Thread is the gorgeous interiors. Yes it’s a film about fashion, but the production design is no slouch either. One minute we’re in a chic London townhouse with high ceilings, gold chandeliers, and sofas with fringe, then we’re whisked off to the country for simple, rustic decor against delicate floral wallpaper.

When you want smart space-saving strategies, you can pretty much turn to IKEA. Almost all of their interior images are built sets, so they’re jam packed full of editorial ideas that someone has dreamt up and turned into reality. Inspiration abounds, and yet, these IKEA “homes” still feel like real homes with actionable ideas beyond just buying a table or a sofa or whatever.

Manchester-based Evelyn’s Cafe & Bar is a cozy-looking neighborhood spot for eating and hanging out. Designed by Central Design Studio, it feels less like a restaurant and more like a stylish friend’s home. And there are some design details in this space that inspire. From Ian Haigh, of Central Design Studio: The aim with Evelyn’s Café and Bar was to create a neighbourhood restaurant, which instantly felt like a local favourite.

Have you ever noticed how some of the finest restaurants have very simple, white plates? No need for elaborate patterns or colors when food is delicious and beautiful. The same philosophy can apply to the rooms, corners and nooks that we eat meals in. A minimal, non-distracting space can be the perfect backdrop for your own prepared meal, whether enjoyed solo or among friends or family. And this modern dining room is an example of how to layer a minimal and beautiful space.

Wallpaper sometimes gets a bad rap, which makes homeowners and renters alike hesitant to try it. Blame it on grandma’s old petunia living room wallpaper, because the stuff doesn’t always inspire confidence. But wallpaper is now used in more contemporary ways—I promise!—and it’s worth taking the plunge. Especially when it comes to the dining room. Make your entertaining all the more special with a thoughtfully patterned area.

Prize: (4) Maxwell Ryan Wine Glasses, (4) Maxwell Ryan Large Glasses, (1) 8×10 Crystal Black/Ivory Rug, and (4) 4-Piece Table Settings Total Value: $1,642From: Annie Selke, Canvas Home, and SnoweBeing able to design my own home and build it from the ground up has been one of the highlights of my life so far (I’d do it again in a heartbeat), but possibly more fun is raffling off some of the contents, which I carefully sourced.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s about that time to eat, drink and be merry, and if you are hosting this holiday season, you’ll be elbow deep in charcuterie and wine charms before you can say “Black Friday Blowout.” With the cousins in town or the neighbors stopping in, there’s one thing that you’ll need no matter your spread: extra seating.

When it comes to buying furniture, some pieces stay with you for a year or two, and some for a lifetime. But when it comes to buying furniture on a budget, more can fall into the former camp. And while some inexpensive options might be required to get started while you save up for more investment pieces, it’s also nice when those inexpensive pieces can grow with you.

ICYMI: A perfectly manicured dining room is so, so yesterday. We’ve all seen those uniform dining rooms in movies and catalogs. You know, with the long wooden table, matched chairs, and carefully curated China? They’re stately, regal, and, if we’re being totally honest, a little stale. You feel obligated to sit up straight, put your napkin on your lap, and use the correct fork for each course. Alternatively, a more eclectic dining room immediately feels cozier.

Interior Define may be best known as a great source for customizable sofas and chairs, but now it’s making waves in the dining room as well. The company just debuted a new fully customizable dining collection to give customers the chance to create a set that perfectly suits their style. The centerpiece of the new collection is the Hayes table, a clean-lined piece that is available in four finishes and three different shapes (round, square, or rectangle).

Dining rooms are a luxury many of us don’t have, but we all need spots to sit and eat—and extra spots for our guests to sit and eat! This super-clever and equally approachable DIY will allow you to create a whole new “room” in the very smallest of spaces. Tiffany of Offbeat & Inspired found herself without enough seating for dinner guests, so she cleverly converted an unused corner into the world’s sweetest and smallest dining room.

Inspiring rooms your guests will feel like sinking into and staying awhile.

For just under a year (as of last June, to be exact), I’ve had a serious crush on the Brooklyn home of Jae and Devin. The architecture alone of their brownstone, with those amazing moldings, ceilings and floors would make any design lover completely and totally jealous obsessed. Their lust-worthy abode is more than just really great bones, however, and I’m going to break down why their combo living room and dining room just plain works.

It’s a funny thing what happens when you move into a new home. All of a sudden, the furniture pieces that worked so well for you in your previous abode just don’t feel…right anymore. Sure, some things transition seamlessly, but others end up feeling too small or too basic in the new space. Vijay Nathan—Apartment Therapy Media’s Product Manager—and his wife Anita would certainly agree. If you’ve been following along with the couple’s rental loft 2.

Moving into a new place can be a fun adventure. It can also be a little daunting when you realize a hefty amount of the furniture you had in your previous home just doesn’t work anymore and you aren’t sure where to start the refresh process. Such was the case for one of Apartment Therapy’s Product Managers, Vijay Nathan and his wife Anita.

Sure, we think “less is more” can be incredibly lovely, but it has its place. Sometimes, a table calls for more and more…and more. We are always in awe of those that can pull off that ultra-layered look with effortless grace and sophistication. Here, we’ve pulled together inspirations from tastemakers who have created tables that embrace a maximalist aesthetic. These collected beauties prove the possibilities to be endless when it comes to what you can put on the table.

If you’re anything like me, you’re always calling dibs on the banquette seat when you dine out. I mean, who doesn’t want to be super comfy and cozy on a plush sofa seat (sorry chairs!). To further entice that lust for the best seat in the house, check out this round up of settees being used in uber-chic dining rooms by some top-notch design talents.

I’m such a big fan of eclectic style—which is really just a nicer way of saying mixing things up. I mean, who can just pick one style anyway? Pulling together an eclectic look comes naturally to some but can be tricky for others. The dining room is a great space to start mixing things up because there are so many different elements layered in one look, and you can really have some fun with the dynamic between the table and the chairs.

Let’s face it: as much as we’d all like to think of ourselves as the sort of people who throw dinner parties all the time, the formal dining room is mostly obsolete. So what’s a modern family to do? You can set up a dining table and chairs in there and then let stuff collect on the table (I’m pretty sure this is the default), or you can take it one step further and transform your dining room into a multi-purpose space that you’ll use every day.

You might think that entertaining — especially during the holidays — is out of the question in your small space. These dining areas can blow that myth out of the water. Look at how these folks make room for cozy and compact dining areas and see if any of these ideas can work for your home. Don’t be afraid to use your sofa on one side and a small table in the middle to carve out a dining space. Floor pillows and stools can always be pulled over for extra seating.

There’s no one-size fits all recipe for a room, of course. But if you’re stuck trying to get that luxe-y, lived-in look in your dining room on an affordable budget, can we suggest one of our favorite combinations? The dining room is the perfect place to play with furniture because there are no time constraints on getting it “finished.” Start with what you have (a table and 4-ish chairs, maybe?

The mix and match dining set is a great look. It can be seen across many different interior styles — Scandinavian, modern, bohemian, eclectic, etc. It does, however, take a bit of thought and planning to pull it off, because you can’t just order one up from the store. In many cases it’s also a very budget friendly option, because you can use either dated, thrifted or random chairs you have around to create a look.

Stuck on the idea that a sideboard, credenza or other low storage piece is the thing to add to a dining room to make it look, feel and work like a dining room? Though a lovely credenza or cabinet might make for an obvious furniture choice in the dining room, it’s not the only item that can help fill a dining space and complement your table and chairs.

Pale pink may not be a common color for the dining room, but I absolutely love it in these inspiration rooms. It’s such a calming and demure color that I can’t imagine not having a relaxing meal in a room so delicate. The pale, peachy hues shown above are subtle, yet unexpected enough to be unique. See below for some colors that can help you get this look. Inspiration Rooms: 1. Yvestown flickr (Licensed under Creative Commons) 2. Kishani Perera for Style Me Pretty 3.