Designing a Dining Room to Suit Your Lifestyle

The holiday season is fast approaching, which means that it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming celebrations, from Thanksgiving to festive gatherings. If hosting is on the menu for you, we recommend a dining room makeover as this will be one of the most used rooms this time of year. As one of the leading Chicago interior design firms, we’re happy to share our tips on how we design dining spaces for our clients to align with their needs. 

Choose Formal or Functional

PHOTO CREDIT: Paula interiors

While many people today are opting for more casual dining areas, there are others who prefer a traditional formal dining room. What’s right for you will come down to factors like your lifestyle and how you like to use your dining table. Strictly functional options include a dining table in your kitchen or a long dining table in an open-plan living room. These might be good for families with small kids who don’t entertain frequently and want an easy solution where they can eat together without the fuss. For people who do enjoy entertaining guests, a traditional dining room makes sense as it creates a space to dine without distractions.

Photo credit: Aroussia Chamakh

Pay Attention to Your Home Design Style

Photo credit: the life style dco

When it comes to designing your space, use your other rooms as a jumping off point. Pay attention to your home's existing design style - do you have a traditional home, or is it more modern, minimalist, eclectic, or coastal? You’ll want to create a design for your dining room that speaks to your style, ensuring that your dining area seamlessly flows into the rest of the home. Be sure to think about the colors and textures of your home when selecting furniture, decor, and upholstery for your dining room.

PHOTO CREDIT: Paula interiors

Consider the Number of People Dining

Do you often host large gatherings, or will your dining room mainly serve your immediate family? You’ll need to think about this when buying your dining set to make sure that you can accommodate everyone. While many traditional wooden dining tables can expand with the addition of leaves, modern glass and stone tables cannot. You will also need enough dining chairs for everyone – having some small stools on hand is always a good idea for when additional company stops by.

Add Storage

After you’ve settled on a dining table and chairs, it’s time to choose your other furniture. If you are planning to have a traditional dining room, we’d recommend a credenza, sideboard, or china cabinet. These will not only add surface space for hot dishes and drinks, but will also provide ample storage for your place settings, linens, candlesticks, vases, and more. 

Take Inspiration from the Season

Taking inspiration from the current season can breathe life into your dining room and create a charming ambiance that you can enjoy yearround. Weave the colors and motifs associated with the season into your decor. For example, in autumn, you might paint the walls with a warm red, burnt orange, or chocolate brown to create a rich, welcoming space. As a finishing touch, bring in seasonal flowers for your centerpiece, or decorate the table with small pumpkins, berry branches, and gourds. 

Don’t Forget Lighting

Finally, think about what lighting you need to make the most of your dining space. If you are primarily using the space for dining, then you can get away with only an ambient light source, like a chandelier or sconces. However, if you are planning to occasionally use your dining table as a homework space or crafts area, you’ll need overhead lighting to illuminate your projects.

Designed to elevate the everyday experience of eating, a dining room can have a big impact on your experience at home. It’s a place to gather with no phones or television, bringing people together to converse and enjoy a good meal together. As such, we believe in treating it with the utmost care; doing all we can to create a space that is welcoming and enjoyable. If you have any questions about your own dining room, or would like help in transforming your space, please contact our Chicago interiors today!