Do you appreciate long meals and conversations at long tables? With these 9 tricks you can create a welcoming dining room
A dining room should be more than just a table and chairs. We’ll show you how the dining room can become a place of exchange where you can enjoy spending more time: With these 9 furnishing tips, you can make the dining room the communicative center of your home.
- Luxurious lamp
With large lamps you create a visual anchor so that the dining room doesn’t seem lost. Very charming: lights that can be dimmed depending on your mood.
- Large carpet
The rug visually encapsulates the dining group and gives it a homely character. Important criteria when choosing: Care should be easy.
- Dishes that are easy to reach
It would be nice if the surrounding dining area offered additional space for a display case or sideboard. Because close proximity to plates, glasses and cutlery makes every host happy! Moreover, such furniture is not only practical but also simple and decorative.
- Comfortable chairs
A comfortable chair at the table is the best prerequisite for guests to feel at home for a long time. Very comfortable: the so-called chair seat, which has soft padding and armrests for extra seating comfort.
- Comfortable bench
Often considered bourgeois, the bench has experienced a renaissance in recent years. However: Even though the backless version looks airy and light, no one wants to sit on it for long. So it’s better to choose one that has a backrest for your dining room. Alternatively, you can move the bench against the wall and add some soft pillows.
- Beautiful tablecloth
A beautifully set dining table makes every meal a special occasion! If colors and materials are coordinated, the board looks very harmonious and stylish! A tablecloth or set also protects the sensitive table top from scratches and stains.
- Candles to set the mood
Soft candlelight provides a cozy atmosphere to even a simple dining room. Whether it’s stick candles or pillar candles, tea lights in color-coordinated glasses, or rustic lanterns – a small flame spreads a cozy atmosphere.
- Fresh flowers
A bouquet of fresh flowers livens up the atmosphere and adds a colorful accent. Seasonal flowers and grasses arranged in simple containers look the most casual. But even a large flower in an unusual vase has the ability to attract attention.
- Colored accent wall
To visually highlight the dining area, it is recommended to use a colored accent wall. It provides table support in the room and highlights the dining group optimally. In front of it, tables, chairs and lamps can be presented beautifully in contrasting colors or simple black and white.
The dining area is a space used for morning, afternoon, and evening activities. Normally, it is a place for families to convene and strengthen their bonds. Typically, the dining room is furnished with various amenities such as a dining table, plate rack, refrigerator, water dispenser, and more. It is often situated close to the kitchen for ease of food service and other kitchen-related activities.
In a home, the dining room generally serves as a space for eating, food preparation, and storing food items. Due to space limitations, residents in various homes may use other rooms for these activities.
Creating a cozy dining room for family moments is important. Several factors need to be taken into account when designing a comfortable dining space. The dining room is a unique area because of its infrequent use; on average, people use it for only 30-60 minutes. Despite its limited use, the dining room plays a significant role. Mealtime is when everyone in the household can come together, fostering a deeper level of intimacy compared to other activities.
Let’s start by examining the advantages of having meals as a family. Here are the benefits of dining together as a family:
- Enhanced communication during meals
Eating dinner together creates an opportunity for quality conversations, allowing families to connect and share. It also enables parents and children to discuss various topics and learn from each other.
- Strengthened family relationships
Family dinners provide an ideal setting to reinforce familial bonds. Children can use mealtime to talk about important matters and ask their parents questions, which is particularly beneficial for their growth, especially during challenging times in adolescence.
- Development of social skills
Eating together helps children cultivate good social skills as they learn to listen attentively and wait patiently while others speak.
- Teaching of table manners
Mealtime presents an opportunity for parents to instill good manners in their children, starting with table etiquette.
- Improved academic performance for children
According to a 2005 study by Columbia University, teenagers who frequently dine with their families have higher academic achievements compared to those who often eat out with friends.
- Cost-effectiveness
Preparing food at home is more budget-friendly than dining out, resulting in long-term savings.
- Establishment of routines for children
Routines help children find stability and order in their family life.
- Better nutrition
Numerous studies have shown that families who eat together have healthier eating habits, as mealtime allows family members to monitor and encourage each other’s eating habits and food choices.
It’s fascinating to discover the numerous benefits of having meals together. These benefits range from psychological to physical advantages.
Before you proceed, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the fundamental principles of the dining room that we’d like to share with you.
As mentioned earlier, the dining room holds a unique significance. Although it is used for a short period, it offers significant benefits. On average, individuals spend only 30 minutes to 1 hour in the dining room. However, during this time, all family members can gather together. The dining room can be considered a small gathering place in a home, as it brings all household members together, even if only for a short time.
So, what should you consider when arranging the dining room? Let’s take a look at the information below!
Utilization of pendant lights in the dining room
You may have noticed that most dining rooms are equipped with pendant lights. The purpose of installing these lights in the dining room is not only to illuminate the space but also to create a more intimate and personal atmosphere, reducing the room’s expanse and making the ambiance more personal for the occupants.
Dining table size
The size of the dining table is also crucial. It’s important to ascertain the required capacity. For instance, in a household with 4 family members, a table measuring 90x150cm is sufficient. The key consideration here is to maintain an intimate and personal setting in the dining room. Imagine if there are only 4 people in the household, but a table with an 8-person capacity is purchased. It would feel too spacious and large, diminishing the sense of closeness.
Dining table material
After determining the capacity needed for the dining table, it’s essential to decide on the material for the table.
Different materials have their own advantages. For example, a dining table with a solid wood top, like the M dining table from Uwitan, offers strength and durability but is prone to stains. Therefore, using a tablecloth or placemats is necessary to maintain the table’s quality.
Merging the dining and living rooms
Many people are now adopting this concept. Essentially, the dining room serves as a hub for interaction among inhabitants. It would be more ideal if there were no barriers separating the dining and family rooms. Some even transform it into a multi-functional space.
Those are some of the concepts Uwitan discussed regarding the fundamental principles of the dining room!
The Importance of the Dining Room in Your Home
If you’ve recently bought a house or browsed home listings online, you’ll notice that opinions on dining rooms are divided. Some individuals cherish formal dining rooms, evident when they sell their homes. Others dislike their formal dining rooms and believe no one else would want it, so they convert it to another space, such as an office. While you should always have the right to decide what goes in your home, the dining room holds significance. Continue reading to discover why and how to create the perfect dining space.
Designated Functional Areas
As open floor plans have gained popularity, we’ve started to overlook the specific roles of each room. While many find it enjoyable to arrange and decorate an open floor layout however they please, this freedom can also be overwhelming. You may find yourself unsure of how to allocate space and spend a considerable amount of time attempting to create the ideal layout.
Specific functional spaces, like a formal dining room, eliminate the need for all that extra effort. You can enter and recognize that it’s a dining room and understand its intended function. The space is also simple to measure, allowing you to easily select the appropriate table and chairs. You can use it regularly with your family, or you can leave it untouched until special occasions. Regardless of how often it’s used, you can be confident that you have a functional dining room.
Space for Healthy Habits
Many of us feel constantly pressed for time. We rush to work, school, or other activities, hurry home, and move on to the next item on our to-do list. Having a formal space for dining means finishing your meal, or not eating at all. While a hectic schedule is sometimes unavoidable, there are other times when it is. Just as your home has a designated area for dining, you should make time in your schedule for healthy eating habits.
A formal dining room can help you establish healthy eating habits. There are no distractions such as a TV in a formal dining room, allowing you to focus on your food when you sit down to eat. This enables you to pay closer attention to your body’s hunger cues and can assist children in developing good table manners. A dining room is crucial to your home and your well-being.
Entertainment Space
Regardless of whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, there are individuals outside your household whom you cherish and enjoy spending time with. You can go out to spend time together, but sometimes it’s more enjoyable to stay in the comfort of someone’s home. A formal dining room provides the perfect entertaining space when guests visit your home.
Most formal dining rooms can accommodate at least six people, alleviating concerns about crowding. The table and chairs create an ideal setting for a delightful meal and also offer additional opportunities, such as hosting game nights or serving as a fun meeting place.
No one will feel excluded, which can inadvertently occur in a living room where seating arrangements may bring people together. Even if you don’t host guests frequently, a formal dining room can be an excellent gathering space, making it worthwhile to invest in quality furniture that will ensure the space is comfortable each time you use it.
Socializing Space
Even though a formal dining room is labeled as ‘formal’, it doesn’t mean that it can only be used for special occasions. While the dining room is an ideal place for hosting guests, as mentioned earlier, it’s also an excellent spot for spending time with your family. With minimal distractions other than food, you and your family can easily sit together and discuss your day. Whether you have housemates you want to socialize with instead of being scattered around the house or you belong to a more traditional nuclear family, the dining room provides a peaceful environment to bond with each other.
If you are concerned that your dining room feels too rigid and formal to be a comfortable space, you can change that. As previously mentioned, being labeled as ‘formal’ doesn’t mean it has to be formal. Select furniture that makes you feel at ease, incorporate various lighting options, and decorate the room in a way that makes it comfortable for the primary users. If you want the room to exude a more formal ambiance when hosting or entertaining guests, consider using an elegant dining set and adding throw pillows to the chairs.
Designing Your Dining Room
Now that you understand the importance of the dining room in your home, it’s time to start planning its design. If you’ve never designed a dining room before and only have a kitchen with dining space, this process might seem overwhelming, but it really isn’t. Designing the perfect dining room depends on the room’s features and how you intend to utilize it.
Socializing Space
Even though a formal dining room is labeled as ‘formal’, it doesn’t mean that it can only be used for special occasions. While the dining room is an ideal place for hosting guests, as mentioned earlier, it’s also an excellent spot for spending time with your family. With minimal distractions other than food, you and your family can easily sit together and discuss your day. Whether you have housemates you want to socialize with instead of being scattered around the house or you belong to a more traditional nuclear family, the dining room provides a peaceful environment to bond with each other.
If you are concerned that your dining room feels too rigid and formal to be a comfortable space, you can change that. As previously mentioned, being labeled as ‘formal’ doesn’t mean it has to be formal. Select furniture that makes you feel at ease, incorporate various lighting options, and decorate the room in a way that makes it comfortable for the primary users. If you want the room to exude a more formal ambiance when hosting or entertaining guests, consider using an elegant dining set and adding throw pillows to the chairs.
Designing Your Dining Room
Now that you understand the importance of the dining room in your home, it’s time to start planning its design. If you’ve never designed a dining room before and only have a kitchen with dining space, this process might seem overwhelming, but it really isn’t. Designing the perfect dining room depends on the room’s features and how you intend to utilize it.
Features
When considering how to best design a formal dining room, it’s important to think about its features. What is the size of the room? What shape are the doorways and how large are they? What is the room’s shape? What are the sources of light? Does natural light enter the room? Are there any specific attributes of the house that need to be taken into account, such as radiators?
Answering these questions can help determine the appropriate size and shape of the table, the number of chairs needed, whether additional light sources are necessary, and how the furniture should be arranged. Additionally, it’s beneficial to record the measurements to ensure accurate sizing and spacing when shopping for dining tables and chairs.
Utilization
After considering the room’s shape and furniture placement, you need to determine its intended use. If the room will serve as a formal dining area exclusively for entertaining and special occasions, consider investing in high-quality furniture like leather chairs.
On the other hand, if you plan to use the space for daily meals with your family, focus on shopping for durable furniture options, such as wood. If you want the space to be versatile for entertaining, family gatherings, and other activities like homework or crafts, prioritize durability and design.
Consider what will look best and make the space function according to your needs. Answering these questions will help you select the appropriate furniture without being swayed by choices that won’t meet your requirements.
A dining room provides a designated space that defines your home, aids in establishing healthy eating habits, and offers a place to entertain and connect with others. If you’re uncertain about maintaining a formal dining room in your new home, consider investing in quality furniture and make an effort to appreciate the space. You can always make changes later if you find that it’s not as useful as expected.