You may think of a formal dining room as a thing of the past, with modern living centred around a kitchen-diner. But there is still a place for a separate dining room – the key is to create a special space for you and your guests.
What follows is a selection of dining rooms and spaces that we have designed, decorated and furnished.
Dining areas
An open-plan kitchen diner allows a host to entertain guests while cooking; children can do their homework while parents potter in the kitchen. We knock down walls and build extensions to create space and light conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
We have written some guidance notes on the cost of a kitchen diner. You can also find more advice on our kitchen design page.
Dining Rooms
Some people prefer a separate dining room, so the question moves from space to style. For a more cosy environment, darker, warmer colours work well. Many standard British dining rooms are not particularly large, so remember that warmer colours will also make the space feel smaller.
Neutral colours are more appropriate for a contemporary feel, but don’t be afraid to add vibrant splashes. We would accent a space with jewel colours whether through fabrics or art – or both.
Dining room lighting
Lighting design sets the mood in a dining space. You need to be able to see, but also to enjoy the ambiance, so we use several switched circuits with different dimmable lights. For a more intimate atmosphere, softened peripheral lighting might be your choice. LED downlighters give more brightness. To focus on the dining table, choose a pendant or three. You can read more general advice on our home lighting page.
Dining room furniture
You shouldn’t need to squeeze around an over-sized sideboard to get in and out of the dining room. And you won’t want to feel squashed in whilst trying to enjoy your meal. Like any other space, the dining room needs to be planned, so choose a dining table of the right size with space around it for comfort. We’ve written separately on choosing a dining table.
Music while you dine
Strains of Stravinsky with your stroganoff, or a rhapsody from Ravel with your ravioli. We’ve installed many multi-room music systems for our clients, controlled simply from a smartphone or tablet. We hide the equipment in adjacent cabinets and even blend the speakers with the wall colour.
What to do with a old dining room?
People wonder how to use an old dining room when they’ve built a kitchen diner. Sounds like wasted space, but is actually a great opportunity for a new lease of life. In this case, we created a home office.
If you can feel we can help with your dining room, you can read more on our interior design services page.
