Let’s not Forget the Dining Room.

Posted: 29 July 2009 by Metricon Homes

Tags: colours, design, furniture, lighting

Not too long ago, most homeowners would have dubbed the dining room the least popular room of their house. In fact, the room had become so underused that builders had started omitting the space from their house plans, using it instead for a larger kitchen or living room. This style of design still makes a lot of sense for on-the-go families who would rather sit down for a quick bite compared to a drawn-out meal in a formal dining room. But it seems as though the dining room are making a comeback, largely due to the growing popularity of home entertaining.

Today's dining rooms are much different from those formal, standoffish spaces. They have become casual, comfortable and inviting spots where you can share a glass of wine with a couple of friends or host a formalised dinner. The materials and furnishings are important elements to consider.

Catching Up with Friends

You don't have to prepare a fancy meal to get a lot of use out of your dining room. Sometimes all it takes is a good bottle of wine, a nice cheese plate and a little music to draw people into the room. Introduce a nice soft rug underneath the dining table to liven up the space. Even a great painting on a blank wall would help draw attention to this area. If you plan to use this space for less formal occasions – keep this in mind when selecting the furniture. Generally dark coloured furniture – especially wood based – will give the room a more formal feel.

Hosting a Dinner Party

When you're hosting a dinner party, it's time to pull out all the stops, which means music, beautiful lighting and tasty food. Including items like a jetmaster fireplace will help create a nice comfortable mood – but still maintain that formal feeling. You can also use nice candle labres on the table as a centre piece to give the room a dramatic feel. Candles will also help create a formal mood. If you want to utilise the room for more formal dining – then consider introducing dark drapes – possibly velvet – but be careful not to close the room in with a lot of dark colour. Brighten up this space with a light coloured feature wall to offset the dark drapes.

The possibilities are endless – good luck.