I worked alongside Base Architecture on this contemporary new home in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Manly for a young family. I assisted with the selection of finishes, colours and materials such as kitchen design, flooring and tiles. I also furnished the home in a contemporary and relaxed style. The clients incorporated some of their mid century modern pieces. The result was a home with casual elegance that is unpretentious, comfortable and inviting.

Northgate Residence

Room By Room

Living Room Void
This is an example of a large contemporary dining room in Brisbane with white walls and concrete floors.

Timber-Lantern House

Mcmahon and Nerlich

View to double-height dining room
Inspiration for a large contemporary open plan dining in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor, exposed beam and panelled walls.

Brunswick Parlour

Mihaly Slocombe

Brunswick Parlour transforms a Victorian cottage into a hard-working, personalised home for a family of four. Our clients loved the character of their Brunswick terrace home, but not its inefficient floor plan and poor year-round thermal control. They didn't need more space, they just needed their space to work harder. The front bedrooms remain largely untouched, retaining their Victorian features and only introducing new cabinetry. Meanwhile, the main bedroom’s previously pokey en suite and wardrobe have been expanded, adorned with custom cabinetry and illuminated via a generous skylight. At the rear of the house, we reimagined the floor plan to establish shared spaces suited to the family’s lifestyle. Flanked by the dining and living rooms, the kitchen has been reoriented into a more efficient layout and features custom cabinetry that uses every available inch. In the dining room, the Swiss Army Knife of utility cabinets unfolds to reveal a laundry, more custom cabinetry, and a craft station with a retractable desk. Beautiful materiality throughout infuses the home with warmth and personality, featuring Blackbutt timber flooring and cabinetry, and selective pops of green and pink tones. The house now works hard in a thermal sense too. Insulation and glazing were updated to best practice standard, and we’ve introduced several temperature control tools. Hydronic heating installed throughout the house is complemented by an evaporative cooling system and operable skylight. The result is a lush, tactile home that increases the effectiveness of every existing inch to enhance daily life for our clients, proving that good design doesn’t need to add space to add value.

Elizabeth St, Five Dock

Hatch Constructions Group

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open plan dining in Sydney with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Brianne's Condo

Wow Great Place

This condo was a blank slate. All new furnishings and decor. And how fun is it to get light fixtures installed into a stretched ceiling? I think the electrician is still cursing at us.

Arcadia Classic Ranch

Arcadia Builders LLC

Mid-sized traditional open plan dining in Phoenix with medium hardwood floors.

Luxe Mansion Dining Room

Maraya Interior Design

Long Black dining table with Baccarat lighting and ornate moldings. Comfortable custom chairs in cream upholstery. White, gold and almost black are used in this very large, traditional remodel of an original Landry Group Home, filled with contemporary furniture, modern art and decor. White painted moldings on walls and ceilings, combined with black stained wide plank wood flooring. Very grand spaces, including living room, family room, dining room and music room feature hand knotted rugs in modern light grey, gold and black free form styles. All large rooms, including the master suite, feature white painted fireplace surrounds in carved moldings. Music room is stunning in black venetian plaster and carved white details on the ceiling with burgandy velvet upholstered chairs and a burgandy accented Baccarat Crystal chandelier. All lighting throughout the home, including the stairwell and extra large dining room hold Baccarat lighting fixtures. Master suite is composed of his and her baths, a sitting room divided from the master bedroom by beautiful carved white doors. Guest house shows arched white french doors, ornate gold mirror, and carved crown moldings. All the spaces are comfortable and cozy with warm, soft textures throughout. Project Location: Lake Sherwood, Westlake, California. Project designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu and Calabasas, across the tri-county area of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills.

Tidal Mill Place

Delpino Custom Homes

Patrick Brickman
Design ideas for a large country separate dining room in Charleston with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and no fireplace.

Contemporary Dining Room

Design ideas for an expansive contemporary open plan dining in Salt Lake City with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace and a metal fireplace surround.

Dining Room Addition

Dibello Architects, PLLC

We used 11’ tall steel windows and doors separated by slender stone piers for the exterior walls of this addition. With all of its glazing, the new dining room opens the family room to views of Comal Springs and brings natural light deep into the house. The floor is waxed brick, and the ceiling is pecky cypress. The stone piers support the second floor sitting porch at the master bedroom. Photography by Travis Keas

Modern Frontier- Texas Ranch House

Mary Anne Smiley Interiors

Danny Piassick
Photo of an expansive midcentury kitchen/dining combo in Austin with beige walls, a stone fireplace surround and light hardwood floors.

Custom Dining room niche

An Original, Inc.

11' half Gothic Arch bookcases. Contrasting . Photo by Karl Baumgart.
Large traditional separate dining room in Phoenix with beige walls and travertine floors.

Bayview Project, Kona, Hawai'i

Greg Putman Construction

dining room overlooking lanai, pool and ocean view
Large tropical kitchen/dining combo in Hawaii with beige walls, travertine floors and no fireplace.

Whistler Ridge, Whistler, BC

Raveninside

Kristen Mcgaughey
Inspiration for a mid-sized country kitchen/dining combo in Vancouver with white walls, medium hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Custom Panels and Ceiling

J. Calpin Custom Interiors, Inc.

Design ideas for a large arts and crafts kitchen/dining combo in New York with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround.

Modern Ranch

Kyle Hunt & Partners, Incorporated

James Kruger, LandMark Photography, Peter Eskuche, AIA, Eskuche Design, Sharon Seitz, HISTORIC studio, Interior Design
Expansive country open plan dining in Minneapolis with beige walls and medium hardwood floors.

Greenwich, CT

Valerie Grant Interiors

Peter Rymwid
This is an example of a large traditional separate dining room in New York with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Modern Villa - Dining

Risinger Homes

Casey Dunn Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary dining room in Austin with white walls and dark hardwood floors.

Modern Tuscan

Diamante Custom Homes

This is an example of an expansive traditional open plan dining in Austin with beige walls, ceramic floors, no fireplace and multi-coloured floor.

Brown Dining Room Design Ideas

A dining room can be used for casual dining, integrated into an open plan and connected to the living and kitchen areas; or as a formal space reserved solely for entertaining. While it may not be used frequently, it is a great focal point in the home, and requires little furnishings. Here's what you need to consider before you start planning a new dining room...

How will you use your dining room?

First, consider how frequently you will use the space. If you plan on using your dining room on a daily basis, a casual dining set-up with sturdy, long-lasting furniture is best. As for where you position it – well, any unused space in the home can be converted into a casual dining space, whether it be at the end of a kitchen island, or at the bottom of the stairs. A formal dining room, on the other hand, is more suited to a dedicated space, which is more common in heritage homes where space originally wasn’t at a premium. Perhaps you want your dining room to multi-task and accommodate everyday meals, homework sessions and grown-up dinner parties… If that’s the case, furniture is key. Look for versatile dining tables in either Australian or New Zealand hardwood or weathered timber for a more rustic look. These won’t show up sticky fingerprints as much and can be dressed up for guests.

What size and shape should your dining table be?

Your dining table should be able to seat all family members with some room for additional guests – each person should have at least 60 centimetres of space at the table. The right size, however, also depends on how much room you have. A general rule of thumb is to leave no less than 1 metre from the dining table to the wall or any additional furniture, so people have enough room to comfortably move around the space. Rectangular dining tables are versatile and can work in a variety of settings, while oval dining tables are more traditional and can turn any meal into an occasion. If you have a tight space to work in, a round dining table is best, and also a great option if you want to encourage conversation. A square dining table can be a dramatic addition to a dining room, but only if you have the space. It allows everyone at the table to see each other, but the bigger the table, the harder it will be able to hold a conversation with someone at the other end.

What type of dining chairs should you choose?

Once you’ve decided on a dining table, look for dining chairs that share a common design element. If your dining table legs are curved, for example, try to match them with dining chairs that have a similar curve, either in the legs or back. Next, consider the dimensions of the chair. The height of your dining chairs should allow at least 30 centimetres between the top of the seat and the top of the table. And to keep your tush happy, avoid dining chairs narrower than 45 centimetres.

How can you decorate your dining room?

Dining rooms are relatively minimal spaces, but that makes them a great place to splash a little colour through artwork, especially if yours is a formal dining room. If your dining room is lacking warmth, consider painting the walls a deep shade of red or blue, or go contemporary with black or grey. A cosy rug will make the space feel more intimate, while a sideboard or cabinet of curiosities will further personalise the space. Often overlooked, dining room lighting can also drastically alter the mood of a room, creating drama, spurring romance or encouraging conversation. Opt for soft lighting in the dining area with dimmer switches, and choose oversized pendants in large, open spaces or to make the dining area more of a focal point. Finally, add some table settings, such as a lace tablecloth for a whimsy feel, or a more basic table runner for a chic look. If you need some help designing your dining room, consider checking the Houzz directory of interior designers, home stylists, cabinet makers and more!