The dining room is a social space for meals and game nights, so this multifunctional area can be styled to reflect the personality of your family. From a vibrant wallpaper to a coordinating tablecloth, there are plenty of ways to dress up your dining room without breaking the bank. You can also create a statement with furniture or wall art, designate a built-in home bar or arrange rows of books in built-in shelving. Finally, tabletop decor, like luxe candlesticks and elegant flatware, can help add finishing touches to the look of a polished dining room.
Whether your dining dining room decorating is large or small, a central table anchors the space and sets the tone for the rest of the room. If you’re limited on space, consider a round table, which maximizes seating and preserves traffic flow around the perimeter. This DIY oval table from A Beautiful Mess pairs Saarinen-inspired chairs with pink walls, green plants and a midcentury modern-style sputnik pendant light, all to create an eclectic dining space. In a larger dining room, you can experiment with different shapes and sizes of tables, like this long rectangular one from Jenn Pablo Studio. Adding an upholstered bench on one side of the table provides extra seating and eliminates visual clutter for a clean look.
Chairs, rugs and window treatments are all excellent places to introduce color and texture into a dining room, says interior designer Sarah DiMarco of VERANDA. “You can mix wood colors, for example, as long as they have the same undertone,” she notes. “Or, a woven wool rug can add warmth and texture to a neutral room. It’s all about layering and bringing in texture that makes your home feel special.”
If you want to make an even bigger impact, consider painting the ceiling of a dining room or creating a feature wall with statement wallpaper. In this dining room from Miles Redd, a hand-painted patterned wallpaper from Gracie overlays faux-bois detailing and gold-leaf borders for an elegant effect. The chandelier, a sculptural glass bubble fixture from Cathie Hong Interiors, complements the textured wall paper and the glass tabletop accents.
To give the dining room an extra dose of personality, add a pop of color with vases or table linens. In this petite nook, a corner banquette dressed in fabric that mirrors the wall’s print energizes the room. A coordinating Roman shade and throw pillows further tie the room together.
If you’re going for a more refined look in your dining room, try mixing high-back upholstered seating with low slipcovered chairs to avoid the predictable formula of a matching table and chairs. Warm gold accessories — like luxe flatware and embellished vases — complete the look. To create a more casual table, layered linens and a collection of earthy ceramic vases are perfect for a cheery dining room from designer Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis. To bring in a sense of nature, she added a potted indoor tree.