Do you love your formal dining room, but sometimes forget it exists? Instead of visiting this seldom-used room only on holidays or when guests come over, make it a dining destination. These dining room décor suggestions will give you specific ideas on how to bring warmth and style into this special area of your home.
Crystal chandeliers
Chandeliers bring instant elegance to a formal dining room and are available to suit just about every design aesthetic — from traditional to contemporary. When choosing a chandelier, make sure the size fits the scale of the table and the room itself. If you can’t resist one of the smaller crystal chandeliers that have become so popular, go ahead and buy two to hang above your dining table. Remember to enjoy the shopping process — sometimes it’s just as fun looking for the perfect chandelier as it is finding the one of your dreams.
This 19th century Rococo Iron and Crystal Chandelier from Restoration Hardware was inspired by the opulent Victorian English chandeliers and will cast a shimmering glow with its hundreds of precision-cut, light-refracting crystals.
Shopping for a chandelier>>
Library wall
Give your dining room the warm and inviting feel of a library with the addition of bookshelves. In fact, why not go ahead and fill an entire wall of your dining room with bookshelves and have the room serve double duty as a library? With the proper lighting and seating choices, you can help this under-used room become a destination where you’ll look forward to both eating a good meal and reading a great book.
Get the rich look of library shelving with this black Oxford Bookcase Library Wall from Park House. It comes with a matching ladder, giving any dining room a true library feel.
Wingback chairs
If the thought of upholstered chairs in the dining room doesn’t scare you, wingback chairs are a stylish choice. For visual interest, or if you have children who haven’t yet mastered the art of food-to-mouth delivery, use wingback chairs on the ends of your table only.
This Belfort Wingback Upholstered Dining Chair from Restoration Hardware is a reproduction of the classic English wing chair and features slim wings and low arms for dining comfort. Upholstery choices include Brushed Belgian Linen Cotton, Belgian Linen, Army Duck and Vintage Velvet.
Hot décor colors for fall>>
Wood slab dining tables
Wood slab dining tables that feature a live edge, or natural uncut bark edge, are a stunning way to showcase nature in your formal dining room. What’s the benefit of having a live edge on your dining table? In the words of designer Ward Troetschel of Edinboro Creations, “It is strong, it is beautiful, it is real.” Often, wood slab tables are made from fallen trees or reclaimed wood, so no natural resources are destroyed in their creation.
Jeffrey Greene’s live edge slab tables, like this Burled Black Walnut table, feature thick 2-inch pieces of lumber. Greene’s tables are made from kiln-dried planks that he personally selects from mills in central Pennsylvania, which is known as “the heart of Black Walnut and Cherry country.”
5 Stylish dining room tables >>
Tell us
It what room does your family most often eat dinner? Share in the comments section below!
More cooking and entertaining tips
5 Must-have cookbooks for the modern chef
Classy china: Fun but elegant place settings for the modern hostess
Edible decor: Decorating with fresh food
Leave a Comment