Ask any homeowner, and you’ll hear that their kitchen is the gathering spot for the family and friends. It is the place where there is always food, drinks, and plenty of conversations. The kitchen goes through a lot of changes to make gathering and entertaining more conducive. However, more people are using their dining rooms for less formal gatherings, making it a place in the home that runs a quick second to the kitchen when making changes.
Dining rooms are getting makeovers to make them less formal and more gathering and socializing friendly. According to decorators and home interior gurus, households use their dining rooms more often for weeknight meals, buffet-style gatherings, and remote work offices. Six things that people are doing to change up their dining room for everyday use are:
Getting New Tables
Changing your dining room may mean purchasing a new dining room table. That begins by measuring your room before searching for what you like. Though not set in stone, specific table shapes look better in certain shaped rooms. For instance, square and circular tables are better in square rooms. Rectangular and oval tables are best in rectangular rooms. Other things to consider when shopping for a table are: How will it be used? Is the material durable? Does the base or legs work with your flooring?
Blending Designs
There is nothing in the design books that says you can only have one style in your dining room. If you love contemporary and modern and want a mix of both in your dining room, what’s stopping you from doing it. Your taste and choices in pieces are what will make your dining room unique and personal. Some tips in blending designs include: Limit color palette, Pay attention to scale, and balance materials.
Comfortable Chairs
There is nothing worse than having coffee after dinner in an uncomfortable dining room chair. To enhance your dining experience, select chairs that are comfortable for long periods. They can be padded or upholstered, have arms or high backs, or be paired or mixed and matched, but make sure that they are comfortable and that there is space between them.
Get Good Lighting
There is no such thing as a classic chandelier for the dining room anymore. Select lighting that you enjoy looking at, that moves you and creates the mood you want in that room. Lighting comes in many styles, and the proper lighting can enhance your entertaining. Since lighting is a must for dining, keep the size and length of your table in mind when selecting lighting. You want your lights to serve the entire table. If you need multiple pendants, get an odd number. Also, consider a dimmer to set the mood and entice your guests.
Declutter
Frequently dining rooms are a room off the kitchen that is out of sight from the primary entryway of the house. That makes the dining room the perfect place to stash clutter. One huge way to make changes to your dining room is to declutter the room. Take everything that shouldn’t be in that room out. Also, if you have a dining room table that has typically been set up with place settings, clearing off the table will give the room a new look.
Carpet
Adding carpet to your dining room is one of the most significant ways to take that room up a notch. If your room is already flexing and you want to add warmth, glam, personality, depth of character, adding some oriental area rugs will do precisely that. The shape of your rug can also make your space look more prominent when placed correctly, and different textures can add life to your dining room. Some tips when purchasing dining room rugs are:
- Err on the side of too big
- Get low pile rugs (cleaning spills easier)
- Match rug shape to room shape
Dining rooms are getting makeovers to make them less formal and more gathering and socializing friendly. Some tips to change their dining room for everyday use are selecting a dining room table for multi-uses. Don’t be afraid to blend designs, choose comfortable chairs, choose lighting that enhances the table, declutter the dining room, add carpet.