Your dining room is such an important part of your home, it's worth making it beautiful and comfortable.
The latest dining room trends in design aim to make the most of this highly-used but often neglected room. The goal is to make your eating and gathering area special again, and not a redundant space. In the past couple of years, having a functional and attractive dining room, regardless of the type of space, has become in demand again - a full reversal of the previous few years where they tended to be forgotten.
Whether dining rooms are small or large, or used to entertain or simply have intimate family meals, if well decorated, they add to the quality of home life.
Dining Room Trends
There are a few things you can do to update your dining room. Here are some dining room ideas that are on trend right now.
Highlight Dining Table
The centerpiece of your dining room is the dining table, so it's not a surprise that a popular trend is to make it a statement piece. It sets the tone for the rest of the room. An elegant dining table creates the basis for a formal dining room, while a rustic one with bench seating or artfully chosen mismatched chairs makes for cozy, comfortable family dinners.
Flexible Dining Rooms
Whether you have a small or large space, make the most out of the space you have. Modern families use the dining room for more than just an eating space. With an extendable dining table, you can expand it for hosting larger dinners, games nights, homework, or to create a relaxed office space. When you don't need as much table surface, you can make it smaller for family dinners, or to tuck away if you need the space.
Upgraded With Little Touches
Updating just one piece can change the whole feel of your dining room. Dining tables, chairs, and lighting have the biggest impact, so switching just one of these can give you a whole new feel.
However, just adding a cabinet, side board, or buffet table will not only help you keep your dining room tidier with better storage, but it can revamp the whole look of your room.
Get Comfortable
Even in a formal dining room, you don't need to be stuffy and uncomfortable. Padded or upholstered chairs look stunning and you can find them to fit any decor.
Small Spaces
If you are tight on space, or don't have a large space for a dining room, popular design trends focus on creating a small dining space in the kitchen. This works really well for a rustic or modern kitchen. A pub table and stools are attractive, while taking up less floor space.
A round table, especially one that folds down, is excellent for small spaces. The rounded edges means it takes up less space.
Modern
A modern look is one of the big dining room trends right now. With bright lighting, or even neon lights, modern art, a large mirror, and banquette seating, a modern dining room is functional and eye-catching. A bold feature wall is at home in this type of dining room.
Live Edge Furniture
For this year, organic, natural looks are in demand, with a live-edge dining table as a perfect highlight piece to fit this look. This natural, rustic look gives a comforting, homey feel, and can even be paired with contrasting, modern-vibe furniture for a unique decor.
White Is Back
White had a reputation for being sterile and boring for a while, but it is back again. It opens up a smaller space, and makes the most of your natural light. White also feels light, airy, and optimistic. White walls with little touches of colour and elements that bring a sense of serenity keep today's dining rooms from looking like a hospital cafeteria.
A matching dining room set with natural wood and white upholstery is perfect for a zen vibe. You can easily make this colour scheme fit your personal style. Make sure the wall colour is complementary; it may seem like white walls are all the same, but if you have a cool-toned white with creamy white furniture, it can be jarring.
Sparingly-Used Bold Colours
While neutral tones, whites, and light blue colours are on trend right now, using splashes of colour carefully to add a bit of personal style is very popular at the moment. You can keep your existing colour scheme, but just add one or two things for a bit of pop.
Try upholstered chairs in a bold blue for a statement piece, and choose wall art with complementary tones. You can have light blue shades elsewhere, but keep the bold blue limited to a couple of pieces to avoid it becoming overwhelming.
Traditional Dark Wood
Dark wood can seem heavy, but it is surprisingly versatile, and can be used for contemporary, rustic, and formal dining rooms.
For a contemporary dining room, use contrasting white walls, with modern art or one or more feature walls. Avoid overdoing it, as the appeal of this look is clean and streamlined.
Even in a small space, this look can work well, with a smaller table, or one that folds down or away.
With embellishments, dark wood is elevated, and excellent for following current elegant formal dining room trends. For this look, a contrast of light neutral tones or whites to lighten the look of the wood, and allow the dark wood to stand out as a feature, is ideal. When choosing dark wood, high-quality dining room furniture is essential, so it doesn't just look dreary, and won't start to look tired and worn quickly.
Ethical, Natural Wood
Everyone loves the look of wood, and natural wood tones are certainly perfect for a dining room, whatever your personal style. It fits well in a range of dining room styles. One of the biggest dining room trends - and throughout the home - is to choose brands and manufacturers that make their products ethically and sustainably. As people are more aware, designers and homeowners are choosing furniture they can feel good about and be proud of owning.
At Smitty's Fine Furniture, we have beautiful dining room furniture to help you follow today's current trends, that can also act as a timeless statement piece you will love for a lifetime.
Smitty's Fine Furniture is a family-owned furniture store specializing in Canadian made furniture and customized solutions. Visit our locations in Kitchener and Hanover: