Does your dining room need a makeover? There are lots of ways you can show your personal style while maintaining a room’s important functionality. If you’re looking for some decorating ideas for your dining room, here are some suggestions to help:
Follow the Architecture
The best place to begin is with the design of your home. Try choosing wood styles and fabrics that mimic the existing elements in the room. For example, bring out the color of your crown molding, complement the carpet color with upholstery and choose a table shape that follows the flow of the space.
Consider Scale
As with any room, it’s difficult to know what scale of furniture you should buy for your dining room. There are some measurement guides available for different tables depending on the size of the room and the amount of chairs you want to include. No matter what, keep the scale analogous to the room itself—avoid a small round table in a long, expansive room, for example.
Mix Furniture
While it’s common to buy dining room tables and chairs together in a set, consider mixing it up. One easy option is to use matching chairs but a different table. If you have a long, rectangular table, try matching the two seats at each end of the table. This is an especially good idea if you’re wanting to create an eclectic and comfortable vibe with your design.
Find the Perfect Rug
An area rug can make an enormous impact in your dining room. It’s crucial to find the right style, shape and size of rug to go with your table and chairs, however. The best general rule to follow is to use a rug large enough for the entire table and all the chairs to be on it. This will look more cohesive in the space and avoid the annoyance of trying to move chairs over the edges of the rug.
Don’t Forget Lighting
The dining room light fixture is the perfect finishing touch to your design. There are many styles of chandelier or pendant style fixtures you can choose from, no matter what your design preference might be. Opt for a fixture that creates generous ambient light without adding glare or causing a distraction. Try out multiple options in the space to see which makes the best focal point for your dining room.
The next time you want to give your dining room a stylish refresh, keep these tips in mind. Even minor changes can have a major impact on the entire space.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
