Ideas for Using Contemporary Art in a Traditional Dining Room

A dining room with traditional wood furnishings and can be brought to life with a few simple contemporary additions. Updates can include works of eye-catching contemporary art, colorful light fixtures, throw rugs and more. When combined with traditional dining room furniture it will drastically change from an uninspiring and outdated space to a stylish place for entertaining and enjoying meals with family and friends. Use contemporary art in a traditional dining room, and liven it up in unique new ways.

I had a traditional solid wood dining room table with cushioned seats, and they were not my furnishings of choice. The set had belonged to my ex husband, and he insisted that we keep his dining room furnishings and give mine away. I agreed to use his set because I knew that I could create a contemporary dining room using his traditional furniture. I was very pleased with the results. The table, chairs and buffet no longer looked uninspiring. With the contemporary additions, the arrangement looked brand new and quite stylish.

Begin with a Work of Frameless Contemporary Wall Art

I began by purchasing a large work of frameless contemporary wall art. I selected a work of art that was almost as wide as the buffet. It depicted a vase with flowers on a table along with a few pieces of fruit. The art was very colorful, and it brought life to the dining room. All eyes went straight to the work of contemporary art instead of focusing on the drab wood furnishings.

Update Dining Room Fixtures with Colorful Lighted Art

The next step was updating the construction grade light fixture with something equally as impressive. I chose a contemporary light fixture that looked more like a work of art than a chandelier. It was comprised of colored glass designs that looked similar to stained glass, and it was suspended by four chains. The colors in the glass were many of the same hues in the contemporary work of wall art, and it was the perfect addition to the dining room.

Decorate a Traditional Buffet with Fiestaware and More

I completed the contemporary dining room with a buffet display. I chose bright red Fiestaware plates, and I stacked them on the traditional wood buffet. The color of the plates coordinated beautifully with the work of contemporary wall art and the new light fixture. I also added pillar candle holders and candles that also picked up the colors in the art and other decorative pieces in the dining room.

The dining room no longer looked the same after adding the Fiestaware, the candleholders, the new light fixture and the bold contemporary work of art. It looked like a contemporary dining room that was worthy of the cover of a home decor magazine. It no longer appeared traditional at all. The contemporary art and other pieces completely transformed the look of the space, and it was a fantastic improvement.

Source: Personal and Professional Home Design and Decorating Experience