General Contractor: Irontree Construction; Photographer: Camil Tang
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional kitchen/dining combo in Montreal with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Park Lane | Fair Haven, NJ

S.O.M.E. Architects, P.C.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional separate dining room in New York with grey walls and light hardwood floors.

Dining room remodel

Designing Works

Design ideas for a small traditional kitchen/dining combo in Milwaukee with grey walls and light hardwood floors.

Project Photos

Laurie's Flooring, Blinds & Designs

This is an example of a large beach style separate dining room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Oakland Modern

Knock Architecture and Design

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury open plan dining in San Francisco with white walls, concrete floors and no fireplace.

Houston kitchen, living room, patio remodel with Restoration Hardware products

InnovationLand

This Houston kitchen remodel turned an outdated bachelor pad into a contemporary dream fit for newlyweds. The client wanted a contemporary, somewhat commercial look, but also something homey with a comfy, family feel. And they couldn't go too contemporary, since the style of the home is so traditional. The clean, contemporary, white-black-and-grey color scheme is just the beginning of this transformation from the previous kitchen, The revamped 20-by-15-foot kitchen and adjoining dining area also features new stainless steel appliances by Maytag, lighting and furnishings by Restoration Hardware and countertops in white Carrara marble and Absolute Black honed granite. The paneled oak cabinets are now painted a crisp, bright white and finished off with polished nickel pulls. The center island is now a cool grey a few shades darker than the warm grey on the walls. On top of the grey on the new sheetrock, previously covered in a camel-colored textured paint, is Sherwin Williams' Faux Impressions sparkly "Striae Quartz Stone." Ho-hum 12-inch ceramic floor tiles with a western motif border have been replaced with grey tile "planks" resembling distressed wood. An oak-paneled flush-mount light fixture has given way to recessed lights and barn pendant lamps in oil rubbed bronze from Restoration Hardware. And the section housing clunky upper and lower banks of cabinets between the kitchen an dining area now has a sleek counter-turned-table with custom-milled legs. At first, the client wanted to open up that section altogether, but then realized they needed more counter space. The table - a continuation of the granite countertop - was the perfect solution. Plus, it offered space for extra seating. The black, high-back and low-back bar stools are also from Restoration Hardware - as is the new round chandelier and the dining table over which it hangs. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston also took out a wall between the kitchen and living room and remodeled the adjoining living room as well. A decorative cedar beam stained Minwax Jacobean now spans the ceiling where the wall once stood. The oak paneling and stairway railings in the living room, meanwhile, also got a coat of white paint and new window treatments and light fixtures from Restoration Hardware. Staining the top handrailing with the same Jacobean dark stain, however, boosted the new contemporary look even more. The outdoor living space also got a revamp, with a new patio ceiling also stained Jacobean and new outdoor furniture and outdoor area rug from Restoration Hardware. The furniture is from the Klismos collection, in weathered zinc, with Sunbrella fabric in the color "Smoke."

SF Spanish Mediterranean

Hearth Design

photo credit: www.davidduncanlivingston.com
Photo of a small transitional kitchen/dining combo in San Francisco with grey walls and medium hardwood floors.

Lulu Caesarstone Customisable Dining Table

Moss Furniture

Lulu Caesarstone Custom made Dining table - shown here in Pure White, square with Stainless Steel Bench seat. Table can be custom made to suit your specifications.

Noosa Apartment Fitout

nielsen workshop

Alicia Taylor Photography
Design ideas for a small scandinavian dining room in Sunshine Coast with white walls, marble floors and no fireplace.

NYC - Jersey City

Build Now NYC

Photo of a mid-sized industrial open plan dining in New York with brown walls, dark hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Cape Cod Coastal

The Red Shutters - Marina Case

Mid-sized transitional kitchen/dining combo in New York with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Trabajos Interiorismo

Joan Altés

Mid-sized scandinavian open plan dining in Barcelona with medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and white walls.

Naples Dining Room

User

From Plain to Fabulous A great thing about building a new home is that you are starting fresh. Being a Florida decorator, many of our clients are moving from the Northern or Mid-West states. We advise them to leave their often dark, large pieces of traditional furniture behind and just bring pieces that have value to them whether sentimental or monetary. This dining room was a pleasure because it was a clean slate with large windows letting in the morning sun. The floors are hand-scraped engineered wood in Brazilian walnut which give the entire home a warm feel to counteract the stark white walls. The home owners have a large art collection and specifically chose the white paint so that the paintings can be seen at their best and moved around the home easily. The owners host many dinner parties throughout the year and wanted a table that was virtually indestructible, and that visitors didn’t have to be careful with. This long Mango wood trestle table comfortably seats between eight and ten and has an antique grey, distressed look that is similar to driftwood. We alternated turquoise and light blue dining chairs for some contrast. An outstanding centerpiece for the room is a dazzling grey chandelier with an outstanding display of brilliant graphite crystals. Hundreds of faceted crystals are suspended from ten fluted glass arms. Wall sconces in chrome with grey linen shades were added and all the lighting is on dimmers for a choice of bright or mood lighting depending on the required ambience. To control the harsh Florida sunlight that can leech color out of furnishings within weeks, we installed light grey Silhouette window shades which keep approximately 97% of harmful UV rays out but still let in light even when fully closed. Traversing draperies were installed floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall providing a spectacular color wall of cream, green, purple and turquoise. The hardware is hidden behind the crown moulding for a clean, modern look. The best part of this design story lies in the large-scale artwork. The home owner had been given the painting years ago when she lived in Philadelphia but the colors didn’t suit her Northern palette. The painting was hidden in the attic but during the move was crated and sent to Florida. After not seeing it for sixteen years she had forgotten what it looked like and when she saw the crate about to be off-loaded asked the removal crew to take it away. At the last minute she decided to look in the crate and was surprised and delighted to find the perfect artwork for her dining room! Lastly, hand-torn wallpaper was installed in a custom color in the tray ceiling. As this room is used for dinner parties, games and even casual dining we decided not to install a rug for ease of use and movement around the table. Photographer: Rolando Diaz

Maine Coast Home

Penelope Daborn Ltd.

The interior details are simple, elegant, and are understated to display fine craftsmanship throughout the home. The design and finishes are not pretentious - but exactly what you would expect to find in an accomplished Maine artist’s home. Each piece of artwork carefully informed the selections that would highlight the art and contribute to the personality of each space. © Darren Setlow Photography

Summit Signature Homes, Inc.

Beechen & Dill Homes

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional dining room in Chicago with grey walls and dark hardwood floors.

Get Inspired - Transitional

Tango Design Studio

Photo of a small transitional dining room in Toronto with beige walls and light hardwood floors.

South Austin Eclectic

Jameson Design Group

Designer: Jameson Interiors Contractor: A.R. Lucas Construction Tile installation: Paul Adams Photography: Andrea Calo
Photo of a mid-sized eclectic kitchen/dining combo in Austin with blue walls, medium hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Downtown Historic Transform - Northville

Emery Design | Build

phoenix photographic
Photo of a large traditional kitchen/dining combo in Detroit with medium hardwood floors.

Brintons Carpets - Dining Rooms

Brintons Carpets

Timorous Beasties Collection by Brintons - Platinum Grain Du Bois Carpet
Design ideas for a transitional dining room in London with white walls, carpet and no fireplace.

Valley Village - Hesby Ave

Bennett Lerner Interiors

www.erikabiermanphotography.com
Inspiration for a small traditional dining room in Los Angeles with beige walls, no fireplace and dark hardwood floors.

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!