Decorating a Dining Room

The dining room is probably one of the last rooms of the house that anyone thinks to decorate, if the home even has one. Modern homes don't often have a separate room for dining but they do have a breakfast nook or an open floor plan in which the dining room and kitchen are all part of one big room. Because of the many options available in homes in where a family sits down to eat, decorating a dining room depends, in part, on the type of room you are dining in.

Decorating a Dining Room: Breakfast Nook

A breakfast nook is often still a part of the kitchen; it is usually just a space off to the side that is large enough to hold a table. A nook usually has no cabinetry but frequently does have several windows. When decorating a dining room, like a breakfast nook that is in the kitchen, it is important to decorate it the same as the kitchen. Curtains or shades over the kitchen sink should match or coordinate with the window coverings in the dining nook. When painting the room, stick with one color, or use color-blocking, and paint the breakfast nook a shade darker or lighter than the rest of the room. Use the same colors found in your dish towels and kitchen rugs in your tableware and in the fabric on your chairs. There is not often a great deal of wall space in a nook so when decorating this dining room keep the décor simple.

Decorating a Dining Room: Open Floor Plan

An open floor plan is common in new home because the occupants like to have a flow of energy in one large space where everything that is going on can be seen, instead of having several separate rooms. Often, the kitchen, dining room, and living room are all in the same space. Decorating a dining room in this situation calls for continuity as well as delineation of space. Think of decorating the entire room instead of each area. Use color-blocking, architectural elements such as columns or arches, furniture, or area rugs to define each separate space. For instance, use a buffet or an area rug to separate the living room from the dining room when decorating. Keep the sense of style the same in each area but use pops of color or pattern to set each area apart.

Decorating a Dining Room: A Room For Dining

Actual rooms set aside solely for the purpose of dining are becoming rarer, and may not even be found in many modern floor plans. Decorating an actual dining room can be more fun than other variations as you have more stylistic options than when it shares its space with another room. Give the room a bright coat of paint that complements the paint in the rest of the house. Purchase a sideboard or buffet and dining table set that fits your personality and style. Place lamps, candles, or your favorite pieces of dishware around as décor. Use a large scale piece of art on the wall as the focal point instead of scattering a bunch of small images around.

Decorating a dining room is possible no matter what kind of dining room you have, your budget, or what you decorating style is.