Interior Design Tips - How to Decorate a Formal Dining Room

Dining spaces can be formal, casual, or a combination of both. Many traditional homes have both a formal dining room and an informal eat-in kitchen.

When planning for a remodel of this area, whether you're converting an existing space or adding on, consider:

The size of your family

The number of guests you typically invite to dinner parties

The types of occasions when you'll use the room.

The traffic flow and especially the proximity to the kitchen for serving meals.

These facts will help guide you in planning the size of your dining space, the layout, and the furniture you'll ultimately choose.

Your dining room is also a great space to store extra-large serving pieces that don't typically fit into your kitchen. Whether you incorporate built-in cabinetry or individual storage pieces, make sure to provide enough clearance for cabinet doors to open fully. When planning lighting, consider all the uses: dramatic enough for elegant dinner parties and bright enough for your kids' birthday parties.

10 Tips To Consider When Designing A More Formal Dining Room

Add character in your dining room by adding simple wood panels, moldings, or beams on your ceiling.

For a more traditional feel and layered look, install some paneled wainscoting and beefy crown molding around the perimeter of your room.

Increase the size of your baseboard by adding another piece of molding to the existing material to make it look chunkier and more substantial.

If you're lucky enough to have hardwood flooring beneath that old green carpeting, then simply re-finish and stain it in a deep rich tone.

When renovating your dining room, check the plans to make sure your existing furniture will fit back in to the new space.

Rectangular dining tables are best suited for rectangular dining rooms. If you need to seat 8 to 10 people, the recommended room size is a minimum of 10'6" x 15'.

Square dining spaces look fantastic with either square or round tables. Rounds are my personal favorite as they provide for a much more intimate dining experience. For 8 to 10 people, the recommended room size for an 8 ft. diameter table typically is an 18'6" square space.

Provide a focal point in the dining room either by enhancing an existing fireplace or creating a new vignette by introducing a beautiful hutch for storage, and flank your favorite piece of art above with a pair of colorful lamps.

Use a combination of light sources. In addition to a central fixture or chandelier, it's tremendously effective to add some recessed halogen light fixtures to highlight artwork, or any other key pieces-and your crystal and silverware will sparkle like diamonds.

Hang your chandelier anywhere from 36" to 42" from the tabletop (from the top of the table to the underside of the fixture). Keep the diameter of the fixture 9"- 12" smaller than the width of your table.

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Why a Round Kitchen Table is Used More Than a Formal Dining Room Table

When you think of "family dinner" what comes to mind? Sixty years ago you would have instantly thought of the average family of four sitting comfortably around a dining room table with an eloquent setting eating properly prepared meals. But today when people think "family dinner" they probably think of microwavable meals eaten on TV trays while sitting around the tube on the sofa. Formal dining has gone the way of the Dodo bird these days.

It may be a regrettable change for some, moving dinner from the dining room to the living room, but many are caught in a sort of transitional limbo. Some families don't make it all the way to the living room to eat; some just get stuck in the kitchen and find it an adequate location for family mealtime. They may not get the whole dining experience that a dining room setting will bring but at least they are making an effort to converse and enjoy each other's company without the aide of the television.

The kitchen table is often the most utilized in the house. The average family of four will use their kitchen table for every meal of the day, even if they have a formal dining room table, the kids will use it as a makeshift desk for homework and Facebook, it is a place for board game night, and if the mood strikes it can even make a great fort.

A formal dining room generates the feeling of professionalism and fine dining. You will often find armoires with expensive China and silverware on display and the table will be dressed up with candles, doilies, and fancy napkins. It can be tons of fun to sit and eat in a formal setting during special occasions, holidays, and family gatherings but when you are just trying to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast it can be a little overbearing.

The kitchen table is such a common area because of its general proximity to the comfortable places in the house: the kitchen and the living room. In most homes you will find a round kitchen table dividing the kitchen area from the rest of the house unless walls and doors already divide the kitchen. In a house with an open layout, where minimal doors are used to separate space, it is a good idea to set up furniture in certain places so that each room has its own unique feel and space.

As media consumption expands you find that more people are likely to eat in front of their television or computer rather than at a traditional dining area. However, if the family places a kitchen table somewhere close to the television set you can still get the best of both worlds.

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A Small Formal Dining Room Can Be Beautiful and Functional

A dining room is at the heart of a home. It is where you gather to break bread as a family, and it is where you entertain your guests. Allocating some time and money to decorate your dining room can really give you a great return on your investment. By designing a room that is elegant but comfortable will make dining in your home a memorable experience for both family and friends.

Simple Colors - By selecting your furniture, walls and flooring from a neutral palette you lend an air of sophistication to the room, and you give yourself a blank slate to easily dress for any occasion.

Texture Talks - Adding texture to the room keeps it from feeling flat and monochromatic. Select a focal wall for a black and white wall treatment or simply use a faux painting technique to add interest to all of the walls. Molding and wainscoting can add further dimension to the walls. Adding light or sheer curtains to the windows will continue the formal tone of the room.

Focus - A single accent adds drama to a room. A single large artwork, mirror or piece of furniture can really anchor your design and add drama while still staying neutral. Other focal points in a dining room could be a beautiful centerpiece or an exquisite light fixture, but remember that you want your palette fairly neutral so that it is easy to change the look of your room for any occasion.

Scale Furniture - Make sure that you can move easily about the room. There is nothing worse than having to shimmy into your seat at the table. A drop leaf table is a wonderful investment because you can customize to whatever sizes you need. If you have a smaller dining room it is better to have less furniture in the room to keep an easy traffic flow.

Mix and Match - Look for a dining room table and chairs that you really love. This furniture is generally a pretty substantial investment that you will likely own for quite some time. Remember that it is quite acceptable to purchase your table and chairs separately to build a more individual look for your room. You can create an eclectic look by mixing the style of your chairs, or keep it a little more traditional by only selecting different chairs for each end of the table. You can unify your chairs by chair style or even by upholstery.

Lush Linens - Invest in several beautiful tablecloths, and do not be afraid to layer table runners for an elegant look. Feel free to mix and match colors and styles of china, flatware and serving dishes to create a look that is all your own. There is no limit to your creativity when designing a festive place setting, and your guests are sure to remember any meal that they enjoy in your dining room.

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