The dining room is the perfect room to share with family and friends, the ideal place to welcome your guests, use it to work, rest after a long day or serve a good meal. Therefore, it must be a cozy, relaxing, and elegant environment. In today’s homes, it is very common to share space with the living room, thus favoring open spaces and communication between the different areas. That is why you should always evaluate any change in the dining room, as it will influence the feel of the living room and vice versa. Visualizing everything as a whole is best, allowing you to make coherent decisions.
The dining room, usually attached to the living room, is not only a multipurpose space where you can both eat and work, but it is also the best showcase to show our style in decoration. A few days ago, we talked about the real kings of living rooms, chairs and tables, but they are not the only key elements of these rooms in which the dining room is included. There are a few more, and we will go deeper into them.
Main elements of a living – dining room
While it is true that the decoration is important, a good starting point to have the living-dining room you always wanted is consider the environment, i.e., take a look at the walls and other surfaces, as they may need to be refreshed, either with a coat of paint, a polish or a trendy wallpaper. A great idea is to wallpaper one of the walls, choosing an eye-catching and special wallpaper. If it is vinyl, it will be much easier to clean in case of stains.
Going into the furniture, choosing natural materials for furniture and decorative elements is an excellent option that will elevate the dining room’s decoration to very high levels—wood, vegetable fibers, natural textiles, etc. The texture and appearance of these materials, in addition to increasing comfort, give the space the elegance of the essential. Keep this in mind if you have to change any furniture, whether it is a dining table or an additional element.
And the fact is that in a living-dining room, a good table is a must. When choosing the size and design of the table, the following should be taken into account two fundamental aspects: the dimensions of the space available and the use to which it will be put. It is already known that, in small dining rooms, it is better to opt for round or oval models, as they help to create a lighter space. In large areas, extra-long rectangular tables that are the undisputed protagonists of the scene are best. Those made of planks and washed or recycled wood are the most successful lately.
As for the chairs, there are multiple options. You can place matching chairs in your dining room or combine several styles, depending on what you are looking for. For a formal and timeless dining room, choosing the same seats that can vary in color is better. Still, suppose you are looking for a stroke of effect and more naturalness in the composition. In that case, we recommend choosing different models of chairs, although with a common denominator, whether the materials, the colors, the age…, of course, you should try to make sure that the chairs have similar dimensions, even if they differ in design. In this way, we establish a good visual order. If you decide to upholster them, look for patterns or a color palette that matches the rest of the house.
Another very important element is the lighting, and centered ceiling lights, at a height that does not interrupt visibility between diners (about 80 cm from the table), are the most practical solution. However, recessed spotlights can be substituted if the dining room is small and the ceiling is low. On the other hand, if it is large, you can complement the light on the table with wall sconces or other light sources because having several light sources makes the space more welcoming. According to professionals, warm but soft lighting to create an intimate atmosphere would be ideal.
At this point, if you are still not quite sure where to place the dining room in your home, or if you want to change its location because its current location is not working, look for one near a window. Experts assure us that this will allow you to provide the dining room with natural light, making lunches and dinners much more pleasant. On the other hand, if your window has a good view, it will allow diners to enjoy it, “adding points” to the evening.
Finally, another aspect that should not be forgotten is comfort. As much as you want an elegant and glamorous dining room, sacrificing comfort is not an option. There is nothing comparable to a long after-dinner conversation with the people we love, but everyone must be comfortable to enjoy it. In this sense, the seats are the essential element to consider . If your dining room is small, you may find it practical to place a bench on one of the sides of the table since they offer several seats and take up less space. If you do, do not forget to equip it with a mat or cushions.
As a culmination for your living-dining room, a unique and special piece will give it the personality you are looking for. An heirloom chest of drawers, a sideboard from a flea market, a bedside table from an auction that has been converted into a side table, a restored closet, etc. These are not easy pieces to find, but if you are lucky enough to have some, placing them in the dining room will be a fantastic idea to elevate the decor.
