Expert Eye: A Kitchen Designer's Pick of Dining Spaces on Houzz
These 5 unique and cleverly set-up dining spaces show there is more than meets the eye with good design
When I sat down to choose my favourite dining spaces on Houzz, I underestimated how difficult it would be to narrow the list down to just five. Every dining area has its own attributes and special features, each unique to the homes they are set in and to the occupants that use them.
Here, I have selected five of my favourite spaces and detailed the reasons why I love each, along with some ideas that you can take away from these beautiful spaces to try out in your own home.
Here, I have selected five of my favourite spaces and detailed the reasons why I love each, along with some ideas that you can take away from these beautiful spaces to try out in your own home.
A glass table top is a great way to make a dining space feel light and bright. It is much less dominant than a table with a solid wood top would be, for example.
Tip: When using a glass-top dining table remember that everything below the table top, in particular the dining chairs, becomes much more visible. Select a chair that complements the simplicity of the glass and isn’t too loud in colour or chunky in appearance.
Tip: When using a glass-top dining table remember that everything below the table top, in particular the dining chairs, becomes much more visible. Select a chair that complements the simplicity of the glass and isn’t too loud in colour or chunky in appearance.
2. Comfy seating
This is the kind of dining area that I can imagine myself never wanting to leave. The curved-side fabric-covered chairs instantly invite guests to take a seat and linger over a glass of wine – or two – after dinner. A comfortable dining chair will make dinner guests feel relaxed and at home. This entire space exudes elegance without being fussy. The soft rug underfoot combined with the comfortable dining chairs and fabric window dressings create a cosy and welcoming sense.
When choosing dining chairs, test them out as you would a new mattress or sofa. Take time to sit in them for a while. Sit on the chairs at a dining table in the same manner that you would if you were sitting down to eat. Notice if they feel too low or too high in relation to the table, or if the backs make you sit too straight, or slouch back too far.
The seat of a fabric dining chair should be soft and comfortable, but still remain firm when you sit on it. Lastly, consider the weight of the chair and how easy it is to move in and out from the table when you are sitting down.
Tip: Approximately 26 to 30 centimetres is the perfect distance between a tabletop and the seat of a dining chair to provide sufficient and comfortable leg room.
Browse traditional dining rooms
This is the kind of dining area that I can imagine myself never wanting to leave. The curved-side fabric-covered chairs instantly invite guests to take a seat and linger over a glass of wine – or two – after dinner. A comfortable dining chair will make dinner guests feel relaxed and at home. This entire space exudes elegance without being fussy. The soft rug underfoot combined with the comfortable dining chairs and fabric window dressings create a cosy and welcoming sense.
When choosing dining chairs, test them out as you would a new mattress or sofa. Take time to sit in them for a while. Sit on the chairs at a dining table in the same manner that you would if you were sitting down to eat. Notice if they feel too low or too high in relation to the table, or if the backs make you sit too straight, or slouch back too far.
The seat of a fabric dining chair should be soft and comfortable, but still remain firm when you sit on it. Lastly, consider the weight of the chair and how easy it is to move in and out from the table when you are sitting down.
Tip: Approximately 26 to 30 centimetres is the perfect distance between a tabletop and the seat of a dining chair to provide sufficient and comfortable leg room.
Browse traditional dining rooms
3. Intimate lighting
The warm and intimate lighting is what instantly draws me to this dining space. Lighting is one of the greatest tools that can be used to create any manner of moods in an interior space, from bright and functional to dim and intimate. In a dining space, try to strike a balance between ambient and accent lighting. Ambient light is the main lighting that is used for the general illumination of a space, for example the pendant light here.
Ensure that the shade allows enough light to shine on the table, so that diners can easily see everything on the table, and each other, without being blinded. Consider putting pendant lights on a dimmer switch so that you can lower the level of light during meals and then turn it up to its brightest when it’s time to clean up at the end of the evening.
Use warm accent lighting in the form of floor, table and wall- mounted lamps to create interesting soft pools of light around the room. Employ wall lights to accentuate artwork or sculptural pieces, and use table lamps to illuminate an area where drinks and glasses are kept. As with comfortable dining chairs, casual, soft lighting will make dinner guests feel relaxed and encourage them to linger in the space for longer.
The warm and intimate lighting is what instantly draws me to this dining space. Lighting is one of the greatest tools that can be used to create any manner of moods in an interior space, from bright and functional to dim and intimate. In a dining space, try to strike a balance between ambient and accent lighting. Ambient light is the main lighting that is used for the general illumination of a space, for example the pendant light here.
Ensure that the shade allows enough light to shine on the table, so that diners can easily see everything on the table, and each other, without being blinded. Consider putting pendant lights on a dimmer switch so that you can lower the level of light during meals and then turn it up to its brightest when it’s time to clean up at the end of the evening.
Use warm accent lighting in the form of floor, table and wall- mounted lamps to create interesting soft pools of light around the room. Employ wall lights to accentuate artwork or sculptural pieces, and use table lamps to illuminate an area where drinks and glasses are kept. As with comfortable dining chairs, casual, soft lighting will make dinner guests feel relaxed and encourage them to linger in the space for longer.
4. Space saver
I love how the kitchen and dining spaces are effortlessly adjoined in this open-plan area. This is a great space-saving idea without compromising on the comfort of diners. In a time when our interiors are focused on open-plan and social spaces, connection between dinner guests and the cook is welcomed and encouraged. What better way to stay connected with diners than to have them sit in the very space in which their meal is being prepared.
This dining area doubles as a breakfast bar-type space for casual dining, and a more formal dining space. Setting the surface at table height as opposed to kitchen-bench height differentiates it from the kitchen and makes it its own space. It also makes it more suitable for formal dining than sitting on high bar stools. The dining table ties itself into the space by matching the colour of the overhead cabinetry, while setting itself apart from the crisp white island bench that it attaches to.
Tip: Around 76 centimetres is the perfect measurement from the floor to the top of a dining table. Allow 61 to 66 centimetres of space for each diner at a table. This is an ‘elbow to elbow’ measurement that allows diners to eat comfortably without rubbing shoulders or bumping elbows.
It’s time to make way for a (dining) nook
I love how the kitchen and dining spaces are effortlessly adjoined in this open-plan area. This is a great space-saving idea without compromising on the comfort of diners. In a time when our interiors are focused on open-plan and social spaces, connection between dinner guests and the cook is welcomed and encouraged. What better way to stay connected with diners than to have them sit in the very space in which their meal is being prepared.
This dining area doubles as a breakfast bar-type space for casual dining, and a more formal dining space. Setting the surface at table height as opposed to kitchen-bench height differentiates it from the kitchen and makes it its own space. It also makes it more suitable for formal dining than sitting on high bar stools. The dining table ties itself into the space by matching the colour of the overhead cabinetry, while setting itself apart from the crisp white island bench that it attaches to.
Tip: Around 76 centimetres is the perfect measurement from the floor to the top of a dining table. Allow 61 to 66 centimetres of space for each diner at a table. This is an ‘elbow to elbow’ measurement that allows diners to eat comfortably without rubbing shoulders or bumping elbows.
It’s time to make way for a (dining) nook
5. Multi-functional
This is such a clever space. Not only are the colour scheme and styling of the area interesting and inviting, but the multi-functional use of the space is a great example of how living in a small house or apartment doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort, functionality or on style. The long bench seat, which is set at dining-chair height and layered with cosy cushions, can be used as a dining bench seat while fellow diners gather around on separate dining chairs as required.
After meals, the table can be moved to the side and used as somewhere to rest a cup of tea while relaxing against the cushions with a good book, or as somewhere to work on a laptop while other occupants of the house use the bench seat to relax.
This is such a clever space. Not only are the colour scheme and styling of the area interesting and inviting, but the multi-functional use of the space is a great example of how living in a small house or apartment doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort, functionality or on style. The long bench seat, which is set at dining-chair height and layered with cosy cushions, can be used as a dining bench seat while fellow diners gather around on separate dining chairs as required.
After meals, the table can be moved to the side and used as somewhere to rest a cup of tea while relaxing against the cushions with a good book, or as somewhere to work on a laptop while other occupants of the house use the bench seat to relax.
In a small apartment where there is insufficient space for separate dining and living areas, the bench seat can be used as a sofa to cosy up on and watch TV while the table is moved to one side. The inclusion of individual dining chairs ensures that there is always enough seating space for unexpected guests, regardless of whether they are staying for dinner or just catching up over a glass of wine.
Your say
Enjoy this story? Tell us in the Comments section below, or simply like, share or bookmark it. Join the conversation!
More
Browse more eat-in kitchens
Your say
Enjoy this story? Tell us in the Comments section below, or simply like, share or bookmark it. Join the conversation!
More
Browse more eat-in kitchens
Every time this dining area pops up in my searches on Houzz it grabs my attention. It’s not dramatic or attention seeking in any way, it’s more its simplicity and freshness that draws me in. The light and bright colour scheme enhances the natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, while the delicate window dressings add a soft and feminine feel to the area.
The glass table is the real hero piece of this dining area though. Chunky legs are offset by a slim glass top that almost disappears in the bright space. As the mother of a toddler, I cringe at the idea of a glass-top dining table (imagine the fingerprints and constant cleaning!), so I will leave this one to the more sophisticated house-proud Houzz readers for the moment…
Get your dining room ready to (dinner) party