Small Dining Room Designs

Dining Room Design

Dining room is one of those places in the house where we spend the maximum time. We also use the room for receiving guests and holding parties. Thus, it is very necessary to design it in the best possible way, keeping in mind it size, use as well as arrangement inside the house. There are certain basic principles that we need to adhere to while selecting the interior design of the dining room. Not only do these principles help in setting the room in the best possible way, but also help improve its functional use, appearance and accessibility.

Dining Room Interior Design Ideas

Size
The size of the dining room decides the type and the extent of furnishings. For a small sized dining room, rectangular table works the best. In such a scenario, it is the best to avoid dark, heavy furniture, dark walls and heavy drapes. They will make the room look even smaller. At the same time, you will have to keep furnishing to a minimum, so that the room doesn't look cluttered. Things like built-in buffets and wall cabinets will be preferred.

If you have ample space in the dining room, you will have to add enough furnishing, otherwise it would look empty. Round dining tables, which require much room, can be experimented with. You can also play with dark colors, such as red, which stimulate the appetite as well. Tall plants, rich drapes and additional pieces of furniture are amongst the other items that can fill-up the space in a large dining room.

Nature
The next aspect that you should consider while designing a dining room is its nature - formal or informal. This will have a bearing on the layout of the room as well as the type of furnishings used. For example, a crystal chandelier looks out of place in an informal dining room, but forms a very important part of a formal dining room. Even the accessories used in the room, antiques or candid family photos, will depend upon the extent of its formality.

Frequency
Frequency of the particular used of your dining room will determine whether it needs a professional touch or would do with personal designing only. If you hold parties on regular basis and are often paying host to elaborate lunches and dinners, professional advice might be desirable. However, if casual parties are the norm, with a few formal occasions, thrown in-between, you should keep personal preferences in mind.

Accessibility
While designing your dining room, keep the factor of accessibility in mind. Fixtures such as serving tables and buffets should be placed near the table, so that people are not required to constantly move for, say fetching a glass of water or refilling the plates. At the same time, you need to ensure that there is enough walking space between the chairs, when they are occupied, and the wall or other fixtures. Otherwise, the occupant will have to move every time someone passes from behind.   

Furniture
Arrangement of furniture is one of the most important aspects of designing a dining room. The placement of the table should be such that there is enough space to allow the guests to move freely in the room. As for the addition furniture inside the room, its quantity as well as placement will depend upon the size of the room, overall décor and storage requirements.

Lighting
When you plan the interior design of your dining room, remember to take lighting into consideration. While it is necessary to have enough lighting to let the guests appreciate the food, it is not be so harsh that it glares off white surfaces. The type of chandelier you buy will depend on the extent of formality in the dining room. The presence of natural lighting is another factor that you should take into consideration while deciding about the lights in dining room.

Decorative Accents
Embellishments help add character to a room; however they should be chosen with consideration. They should be placed in such a way that minimal re-arrangements are needed to accommodate different meals. One of the major decorative accents in the dining room is a centerpiece. Make sure that it suits different holidays or events and is not so tall or bulky that it block outs guests sitting across from one another.