Deconstructing the dining room: The essentials you need to style your space

When refreshing a dining room or planning for a new one, you want to be sure you've accounted for everything you'll need in the space for day-to-day use as well as special occasions. It's a highly social area of the house, so bears a lot of responsibility, contributing to a fulfilling home life. These essentials will help you cover all the bases you'll need to create a dining room that does all you need it to and more.

Starting with the obvious inclusions, a dining room cannot exist without a dining table and chairs for people to come together and eat. They are easily the most important items of furniture in the space so making the right choices is crucial. Ideally, your dining table and dining chairs should complement one another aesthetically, taking into account materials, sizing, colour and decorative styling. You should also think about your dining room decor for the same reason and the dining room itself, especially the practical considerations, ensuring you'll have enough space to manoeuvre in and around them.

As with any room in your home, the lighting design is fundamental to achieving the look, feel and functionality you want from the space. For this, there are many different options to consider but a popular choice is to use a chandelier or pendant light over the dining table as a focal point of illumination. This can add a real sense of sophistication and makes a perfect choice if you want to achieve an elegant dining room. Complemented with some stylish wall sconces and floor or table lamps for task lighting, you'll ensure you have well-lit space.

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It's important to prioritise high-quality tableware whether you're designing a formal dining room or not. Your plates, bowls, glasses and cutlery will be used every day, so need to be reliable and robust. They also need to be comfortable to use and look the part too, as they'll be used and seen up close by all who dine with you. Immaculate styling and furnishings can be very quickly undone with poor choices with respect to this so be sure to give them as much attention as you do everything else. Some will also buy an extra set of tableware for special occasions which is a great idea too.

A centrepiece for a dining table is a quick and easy way to beautify your dining room. Again, your choices here are wide-ranging and could include a vase of fresh flowers, an arrangement of candles, a decorative bowl of fruit and more. Some like to make their choice based on the season, especially with respect to botanicals, while others will tailor it to the mood they want to create. It's a nice and easy way to decorate your dining room making it feel less utilitarian and a more inviting space.

Some might see sideboard and buffet tables as somewhat antiquated but they have great modern-day application as a useful storage solution for tableware, silverware, table linens and other essentials. They also have other versatile uses like providing an additional surface to serve food or display ornamental objects and they can also be positioned in a way to help define your dining room area in an open-plan setup. You can also coordinate your choice so that it complements your dining room table and dining chairs for a more cohesive overall look.

Related article: 11 unique sideboards and buffets for your home

In a similar vein to this, the display cabinet can bring both functional and aesthetic benefits to your dining room. The main purpose of these in the past has been to store and showcase prized china, crystal and other collectables that have been passed down or acquired over the years. However, display cabinets are also decorative in nature, with some exquisite cabinetry options to choose from. It's an item of furniture that gives you the best of both worlds in terms of form and function and is precisely the type of addition you should want to include.

A bar or drinks cart is a great item of furniture when hosting dinner parties or social gatherings that adds to the ambience and theatre of the occasion. It's something that has heritage and elegance while representing a bit of fun at the same time too. Practically speaking, they are a very handy space to store glasses and cups within the dining room area, negating the need to leave the gathering to tend to the gathering. You'll also find them useful for everyday living for the same reason making it something you'll get decent use out of.

Dining rooms can sometimes be slightly pokey, especially in homes where the floorplan is prioritised elsewhere leading to a small dining space. Mirrors are a great tool, frequently used by an interior designer, as they can create the illusion of space, making a room feel bigger than it actually is. During the day, if positioned well, they can also bounce natural light effectively around the space making it feel bright and airy too. Many choose to place wall mirrors parallel to the dining table to allow the diners to get the full impact of this. It also gives a nice even symmetry to the room for a balanced aesthetic.

Related article: Where to place a mirror in a room: 9 tips for maximum impact

Your walls can be a canvas for other things too like paintings, prints and photographs — all excellent options for establishing the mood you want in your dining space. This is a great way to personalise your dining room in a way that reflects your interests and passions. Whether it's a print of a stunning landscape or an abstract work of art, it can make your space more welcoming and will likely serve as a conversation starter for you and your guests.

Your floors should not be forgotten when furnishing a dining room and floor rugs are a great way to stylise them. Many buy rugs and place them under the dining table, ensuring they are large enough to allow your dining chairs to be pulled without catching on the edges. This helps define the dining area and also adds a bit of warmth and comfort underfoot. If you have a hard surface floor like polished concrete or timber, then they'll also reduce a lot of noise from the dining room chairs moving around which can detract from an otherwise pleasant occasion.

Potted plants are great to include in any living space in the home and the same goes for dining rooms. The reasons for this are many. Their vibrant pops of colour, the way they clean the air, the sense of vitality they bring — the list goes on. There are countless choices of plant species to consider for small pots for dining room tables, larger pots for floors or even hanging plants for shelving. It's another nice easy way to add a bit of visual interest that brings your space to life.

Last but not least, your curtains, blinds and/or drapes play a pivotal role in your dining room design and how you experience the dining space, day and night. During the day, they help you control light, give you privacy and elevate the aesthetics of your room. At night, they insulate, reduce noise and add to the ambience. From sheer curtains to Venetian blinds and velvet drapes, you can pick and choose between different styles and hone in on the type that adds the qualities you want. You can also use them in combination with one another to double the benefits.

As you can see, there is probably more to consider, as far as traditional dining room essentials go, than you might think. The great thing about all these inclusions is that they all deliver on multiple levels, adding plenty of value in each their own way and making a real difference to your home life.

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