Revitalizing Your Dining Room

Photo Courtesy: Elle Decor and Joshua McHugh

As we move out of the holiday season with all of our family gatherings, you may have found yourself needing an update in your dining room. Maybe you would like to revamp the space with a little more color or introduce new lighting and a beautiful new rug. Let’s take a look at some options that you may want to consider when you begin your research of what you would like your new dining room to look like.

First of all the most economical solution is to paint. As you have probably remembered me mentioning in past newsletters, if you want the most bang for your buck and desire a new fresh look for a space, it would be to paint. There are so many fresh new colors to consider. You can select a beautiful neutral or take it up a notch and be bold with your color selection. It’s really up to you and the best thing about it is it’s just paint! If you find you want to change it in a couple years, you can select a new color to appeal to your senses.

A lot of creativity can be captured in the dining room as well. Think about contrasting the walls and the ceiling by painting the ceiling a different color or texture. This brings me to wallpaper. A beautiful wallpaper is always a plus, but consider using wallpaper in a creative way… on the ceiling! We love to use wallpaper for that WOW effect and what better place to use it than on the ceiling? The dining room is usually one of the first rooms seen upon entering a home. Add some pizzaz to make a statement as people walk into your home.

Photo Courtesy: Lamps Plus

Photo Courtesy: Elle Decor and Simon Upton

Lighting: A beautiful chandelier is a great focal point for a dining room. Whether you like some bling with hanging crystals and polished finishes or you prefer a more subtle, minimalistic approach, a beautiful light fixture will definitely set the mood. Ambient or general lighting can be in the form of small, recessed fixtures in the ceiling, and you can even add some beautiful sconces for accent lighting. At right and above, I share some great examples of beautiful light fixtures.

Another way to add color and texture to give your dining room a revamp is adding art. There is an abundance of resources for artwork. Selections on canvas, framed, prints or original art can add another layer of visual interest to your space. Canvas works of art are nice because you can really see the depth and texture of the piece. I realize not everyone can afford original artwork, but that does not mean your selections are diminished. There are many websites that offer beautiful pieces at every price point. A few that we like are art.com, greatbigcanvas.com and for original art saatchiart.com is a great site to browse.

Below is a photograph of a dining room from one of our favorite clients with a great piece of art and the vibrant front door that’s quite eye-catching. The light fixture above the dining room is both functional and pleasing to the eyes.

Décor by Pamela Hope Designs

I touched a bit on the ceiling and the walls, so let’s move to the floor. A beautiful rug beneath your dining table is a great way to add a pop of color, pattern and texture to your dining room.

Décor by Pamela Hope Designs

Décor by Pamela Hope Designs

We typically like to select a rug that is in proportion to the space in the room and one that is also appropriate for your dining table and chairs to fit on. If you select a rug that is too small and your chairs do not fit fully on the rug, it could cause a tripping hazard. Generally, if you have a dining table that seats six people, you can use a rug that is 8-feet x 10-feet. If you have the ability to sit eight people for dining, a rug that is one size up as 9-feet x 12-feet should work well. A rug selection with good texture is also great for someone that does not want a lot of patterns. If you really want to spice up your dining room, select a rug with a bold geometric pattern or an abstract design. Either way, you will enhance the mood in your space.

Last but not least, we have the furniture. Dining rooms can cost a pretty penny to furnish. Your dining table should be considered the “show piece” and then you have multiple chairs to purchase. Six, eight, ten or even twelve chairs can become costly. More often than not, you will spend a lot more on the chairs than the dining table itself! It’s crazy, I know. Still, a beautiful dining table deserves an attractive chair. I would budget at least $500 each unless you select a very casual chair. Mixing and matching might be an option and a simpler chair design could save some money if the style works well. Some of the most beautiful chairs are definitely higher priced, but with a luxury fabric, beautiful lines and a solid frame, you should have a dining chair you can use for years to come.

So the next time you’re preparing to revitalize your dining room, start thinking about painting the walls first. Then maybe lighting, a new rug and new furniture are next on the list. Dining rooms are a focal point in the home. With the right style, you can make your home feel like a showplace!