Clean and contemporary dining area with feature pendants
This is an example of a large contemporary dining room in Sydney with dark hardwood floors.

Flinders Flair

Let's Talk Kitchens & Interiors

A contemporary holiday home located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula featuring rammed earth walls, timber lined ceilings and flagstone floors. This home incorporates strong, natural elements and the joinery throughout features custom, stained oak timber cabinetry and natural limestone benchtops. With a nod to the mid century modern era and a balance of natural, warm elements this home displays a uniquely Australian design style. This home is a cocoon like sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation with all the modern conveniences one could wish for thoughtfully integrated.

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.

East Melbourne - Apartment

Logie Interiors

Photo of a large contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Melbourne with white walls, medium hardwood floors and grey floor.

Rosanna

DSdezines Interiors

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary dining room in Melbourne with white walls, laminate floors, brown floor, recessed and panelled walls.

Pittwater House

IOANNA LENNOX INTERIORS

Inspiration for a contemporary dining room in Sydney with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

Architectural Photography - Port Douglas

COCO + PALM PRODUCTIONS

Large contemporary dining room in Cairns with white walls and grey floor.

Camera Street House

Collins Pennington Architects

Respecting the street’s heritage, the charming gabled façade was retained. But beneath, behind and above, the four-bedroom residence is confidently contemporary. Chiselled out of sandstone, the subterranean strata has a garage, cellar, rumpus and laundry. While the mid-level hosts the bay-windowed master suite and expansive living areas oriented north toward a Jamie Durie-designed rear courtyard.

Kitchen/Dining

Drift Interiors

Design ideas for a large contemporary open plan dining in Wollongong with white walls, light hardwood floors and a two-sided fireplace.

Kitchen & Dining

Atlas Architects

Situated along the coastal foreshore of Inverloch surf beach, this 7.4 star energy efficient home represents a lifestyle change for our clients. ‘’The Nest’’, derived from its nestled-among-the-trees feel, is a peaceful dwelling integrated into the beautiful surrounding landscape. Inspired by the quintessential Australian landscape, we used rustic tones of natural wood, grey brickwork and deep eucalyptus in the external palette to create a symbiotic relationship between the built form and nature. The Nest is a home designed to be multi purpose and to facilitate the expansion and contraction of a family household. It integrates users with the external environment both visually and physically, to create a space fully embracive of nature.

Elsternwick Residence

Studio Esar

This stunning four-bedroom home effortlessly oozes fun and functionality with a transformation that honours colour, character and coming together. Enlisted to convert this modern Victorian into a home that marries heritage and hosting, architectural themes of period detailing and fluting feature throughout. Embarking on a colour journey of furniture, art selection, decor and soft furnishings, the finished product is a medley that accents the architectural backdrop of black and white with a line up of local furniture artisans, artists and international furniture designers that fills the home with a sense of flow and collaboration.

Chic Fishers Renovation: Living Room

Everything Home

This home renovation project transformed unused, unfinished spaces into vibrant living areas. Each exudes elegance and sophistication, offering personalized design for unforgettable family moments. In this living area, opulence meets functionality with luxurious furnishings, complemented by a central table and open shelves adorned with decor. In the breakfast area, a cozy ambience invites leisurely mornings. A charming table and chairs offer a perfect spot for enjoying breakfast or casual gatherings with loved ones. Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/fishers-chic-family-home-renovation/

Preston townhouse

Jasmine McClelland Design

A custom designed banquet bench seat features George Fethers Oak veneer, black laminex and a padded green leather back rest along side a steel table and Ross Gardam feature light.

Newport Home

Joanne Green Landscape & Interior

Joanne Green Landscape and Interior transformed a dated interior into a relaxed and fresh apartment that embraces the sunlit marine setting of Sydney's Barrenjoey peninsula. The client's brief was to create a layered aesthetic that captures the property's expansive view and amplifies the flow between the interior and exterior spaces. The project included updates to three bedrooms, an ensuite, a bathroom, a kitchen with a butler's pantry, a study nook, a dedicated laundry, and a generous dining and living area. By using thoughtful interior design, the finished space presents a unique, comfortable, and contemporary atmosphere to the waterfront home.

Macleod Abode

DSdezines Interiors

Formal dining and sitting area using neutral tones, timber and modern lighting.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary dining room in Melbourne with white walls, carpet and grey floor.

Essence of Japan, Ealing, London

Yoko Kloeden Design

Small asian open plan dining in London with light hardwood floors and panelled walls.

Belfort

Jessica Koltun Home

Interior Design By Designer and Broker Jessica Koltun Home | Selling Dallas Texas
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional dining room in Dallas with white walls, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Perfectly Polished

Endless Ideas Interiors Inc.

Mid-sized traditional separate dining room in Toronto with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, brown floor and panelled walls.

San Bruno Residence

Alexis Corrine Interiors

Breakfast nook with custom pillows fabricated by Umphred furniture in Berkeley and custom banquet bench. White and blue shaker cabinetry with a with countertop kitchen and stainless steel appliances.

Austin Dining Room Design

Browne House Interior Design

This relaxing space was filled with all new furnishings, décor, and lighting that allow comfortable dining. An antique upholstered settee adds a refined character to the space.

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!