6 Easy Steps to a Dining Room You’ll Love

Transforming your dining room into an elegant and welcoming space for guests doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Whether you love to entertain colleagues or host casual dinners for old friends, the following six easy tips will help you make your dining room into a gathering space that everyone will enjoy:

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Paint When it comes to paint choices for your dining room, think cozy rather than chic. Rich, classic colors will help your guests to feel more comfortable and inclined to linger over another glass of wine. A dark chocolate brown with white woodwork is a great option, as it wears well and goes with just about any color of table linens, china, and flowers. Other solid dining room colors are red and coral, which complement most skin tones and will help your guests look good just by sitting there.

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Lighting For most rooms, and especially the dining room, the key to a good atmosphere is several different

sources of ambient lighting. Installing two or more pairs of wall sconces is a helpful way to add small pockets of light without overpowering the whole room. Mount your sconces so that the bulbs are at a height of about 6 feet or a few inches less, and use lower wattage bulbs so the light will be softer (an easy task, as many sconces only take bulbs of 40 watts or less). Moreover, choose sconces with clip-on shades for a more diffuse glow.

When it comes to overhead lighting, a chandelier is the most obvious option, but make sure to think carefully about whether it would be a good fit for your dining room. Chandeliers or other low-hanging light fixtures are elegant and dramatic, but depending on the height of your ceiling, they can limit the flexibility of the room by hanging too low for people to pass underneath if the table is moved. If it is important for you to be able to rotate or completely move your dining table to make space for another setup, like a stand-up buffet or cocktail party, you may wish to consider a flush-mounted fixture rather than a chandelier. If you do choose a hanging fixture, the basic rule of thumb is that the bottom of the fixture should reach to about 30 inches above the top of your dining table.

Whatever light sources or fixtures you choose, attach dimmers to all of them so that you can adjust your light levels as needed based on the occasion and time of day.

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Storage Most dining rooms are spacious enough to include some sort of storage unit that can help to anchor the room, relieve pressure on your kitchen cabinets (which are more than likely stuffed to the brim already), and allow you to have all the essentials you need for entertaining in hand. Choose a piece that is roomy, but not enormous, and transfer all your serving essentials into it: fine china, napkins, serving pieces, candles and matches, and occasional centerpieces or vases.

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Dining room table The most helpful factor in determining the appropriate size of your dining table is the size of your dining room. In general, the footprint of the table should take up no more than a third of the total floor space of the dining room. You’ll also want to think about the number of guests that you’ll generally be entertaining. Up to 10 guests can usually sit comfortably at a table about 3 by 8 feet. If you expect to have more guests than that occasionally, but not often, a leaf or table insert will provide you with flexibility without permanently committing you to a massive table.

Square or rectangular tables are the most common choice, as they are well suited for the shape of most dining rooms. However, circular tables have the advantage of being more conducive to conversation, so you’ll want to think about both options as you shop. You should also be sure to test the stability of the table and check that there are no awkwardly placed supports that might make the seating uncomfortable.

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Chairs Dining room chairs should invite after-dinner lounging. Nothing ruins a dinner party like chairs that guests can’t sit in for more than an hour. This means that chairs should be comfortable and easy to move. Steer clear of cumbersome styles, overstuffed seats, and splayed-leg models that are difficult to maneuver. If you prefer to have upholstered chairs, remember that they may regularly come into contact with spilled food and drink, so be sure to choose leather or outdoor fabrics that are long-lasting and easy to clean.

As for the style of your chairs, choose ones that contrast with your table rather than match it for a simple way to create a chic look. Think about pairing wooden chairs with a marble-topped table, for example, or an antique mahogany table with modern white-framed chairs.

BY EUGENE CHRINIAN

Mirror A mirror is a lovely addition to a dining room, as it adds to the overall ambience by reflecting candlelight (or sunlight during the daytime) and it can easily give the effect of a window in a completely interior dining room. Just be sure that wherever you hang it, the mirror reflects something beautiful.