Large and Small Dining Room Design Ideas with Light Hardwood Floors

Photo of a large contemporary open plan dining in Geelong with white walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace and brown floor.

Studio Uno is an unexpected sanctuary for our client Naomi, a full-time carer and mother. Lying behind an established Brunswick terrace, it takes the shape of a meticulously designed Dependent Persons Unit. Naomi lives with her adult daughter, who has very high support needs. The nature of their circumstances means that living together under one roof isn’t always feasible. Naomi needed a certified DPU that met a simple brief: a dismantlable but quality retreat with warm, robust materials and a calming ambience. We’ve packed as much enduring quality and thoughtful design as possible into a compact footprint. Carefully engineered, the dwelling’s lightweight structure and internal linings enable it to be readily disassembled, transported and rebuilt elsewhere. It replaces the fence at the site’s rear, with its upper mass leaning into one corner to minimise impact on the neighbours’ skyscape. Inside, blackbutt timber and hoop pine plywood dominate the palette to create a warm, low-contrast and relaxing environment. The ground floor features dual sliding doors connecting to the courtyard and laneway, with a versatile living area between for retreat, Naomi’s art practice and above all, peacefulness. Lining the wall is a simple kitchenette, cabinetry, and a clever door concealing the bathroom. A staircase leads to the loft bedroom above, made deliberately cosy and secluded by the dwelling’s tapered form. It’s punctured only by a small window to the lane and a skylight above, offering light and ventilation without compromising privacy.

A kitchen designed to breathe ? Expansive windows and doors open the space to the breeze, the pool, and the national park beyond - blurring the line between inside and out in the most effortless way. Every detail in this space was considered with calm in mind - from the custom solid timber joinery that anchors the room with warmth and texture, to a colour palette that moves with the natural light throughout the day. A considered lighting plan layers ambient, task and accent light to ensure the space feels as beautiful at 7am as it does at 7pm. Nothing harsh, nothing accidental. The kitchen flows seamlessly into a butler’s pantry and the laundry beyond - a deliberate sequencing of spaces ensures the space works as beautifully as it looks. Calm, considered, and made for living in ✨ Interiors + styling: @tennysonanddaley Build: @alykbuilding Images: @andymacpherson.studio

This is an example of a large contemporary dining room in Other with light hardwood floors.

This is an example of a large contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Madrid with light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Open plan kitchen living area in a log cabin on the outskirts of London. This is the designer's own home. All of the furniture has been sourced from high street retailers, car boot sales, ebay, handed down and upcycled. The dining table was free from a pub clearance (lovingly and sweatily sanded down through 10 layers of thick, black paint, and waxed). The benches are IKEA. The painting is by Pia. Design by Pia Pelkonen Photography by Richard Chivers

This is an example of a large contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Other with grey walls, no fireplace, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Photo of a large scandinavian separate dining room in Lyon with white walls, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

meero
This is an example of a large transitional dining room in Paris with grey walls, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Large country open plan dining in Christchurch with beige walls, light hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Inspiration for a large scandinavian open plan dining in London with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Photo of a small beach style kitchen/dining combo in Other with light hardwood floors, white walls and beige floor.

Damien Rigondeaud
Photo of a small contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Paris with blue walls, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

We built a large banquette seating area in the open plan dining area of the broken plan kitchen our Wandsworth Common Family Home. We also added sliding Crittal style aluminium doors, oak parquet flooring and dramatic wall lights.

This is an example of a small contemporary dining room in London with grey walls and light hardwood floors.

Fotograf: Benjamin A. Monn, München
Large scandinavian dining room in Munich with white walls, light hardwood floors and no fireplace.

La zona giorno è stata pensata per essere molto ampia, suddivisa in due aree distinte ma armoniose: da una parte la cucina, dall'altra il salotto. In cucina, abbiamo scelto la praticità di un pavimento in gres, che si interrompe elegantemente proprio in corrispondenza dell'isola centrale. L'arredo si sviluppa a "U", con una comoda zona snack posizionata strategicamente alle spalle della zona pranzo. Un tocco di modernità è dato dagli elettrodomestici neri, che creano un voluto e bellissimo contrasto con i toni chiari della cucina stessa. Nella zona pranzo, spicca un tavolo con un top in ceramica che richiama la raffinata texture del marmo Emperador. Accanto, un mobile contenitore che funge anche da libreria e, per ottimizzare ogni spazio, abbiamo ricavato un piccolo ripostiglio, sempre utile. Un elemento di design interessante è un altro mobile contenitore che, per la sua forma, ricorda quasi un pilastro, aggiungendo un tocco scultoreo. Il soggiorno è un invito al relax serale, dominato da una carta da parati che evoca le suggestive stampe dei disegni giapponesi antichi. Il tutto è completato da un divano estremamente spazioso, perfetto per godersi momenti di tranquillità. Foto di Simone Marulli

Large contemporary open plan dining in Milan with light hardwood floors.

Photo of a small scandinavian dining room in Frankfurt with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.