Inspiration for a modern dining room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and wallpaper.

Design ideas for a country dining room in Brisbane with yellow walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

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.

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.

The Bromley

Dalecki Design

This is an example of a contemporary dining room in Perth with white walls, grey floor and brick walls.

Weather House

Mihaly Slocombe

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Cremorne Residence

Jodie Carter Design

Dining room featuring built in cabinetry and seating with storage. Great little reading nook. VJ panelling in Dulux Kimberley Tree
Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style open plan dining in Sydney with white walls, light hardwood floors and panelled walls.

Bay Pearl

Kirsten Johnstone Architecture

Inspiration for a large modern dining room in Melbourne with grey walls, porcelain floors, grey floor, wood and wood walls.

Grange House

Shane Marsh Architects

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury open plan dining in Brisbane with white walls, light hardwood floors, brown floor, timber and brick walls.

Rosanna Property Presentation

Larkspur Lane Design

Adding custom storage was a big part of the renovation of this 1950s home, including creating spaces to show off some quirky vintage accessories such as transistor radios, old cameras, homemade treasures and travel souvenirs (such as these little wooden camels from Morocco and London Black Cab).

Flinders , Sailors Whisk

Mermaid Bay Interiors

Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style kitchen/dining combo in Melbourne with light hardwood floors, white walls, a concrete fireplace surround and planked wall panelling.

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.

A classic family home, Hampton's style

My Beautiful Abode

With a strict instruction to avoid a coastal theme, the brief for this home was to create a classic style that is easy for family living.
Photo of a beach style dining room in Melbourne with white walls, light hardwood floors, beige floor and decorative wall panelling.

dining project

Inventory Interior

Photo of a contemporary dining room in Sydney with grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, beige floor and panelled walls.

Dining Room

Order & Grace

Inspiration for a large beach style kitchen/dining combo in Sydney with white walls, porcelain floors, grey floor, coffered and planked wall panelling.

Barkly Street

S&A Stairs

Where form meets class. This stunning contemporary stair features beautiful American Oak timbers contrasting with a striking steel balustrade with feature timber panelling underneath the flight. This elegant design takes up residence in Mazzei’s Royal Melbourne Hospital Lottery home.

Spring Valley New Construction

Nikole Starr Interiors

Photo of a transitional dining room in Houston with multi-coloured walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, recessed and wallpaper.

Greenbrae

User

Wallpaper - Abnormals Anonymous Head Chairs - Crate and Barrel Benches - World Market Console / Chandelier - Arteriors Home Sconces - Triple Seven Home

Harbor View

Kennedy Cole Interior Design

This is an example of a large transitional separate dining room in Orange County with grey walls, light hardwood floors, brown floor, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, exposed beam and decorative wall panelling.

South Orange NJ Residence

YZDA | Yoshida + Zanon Design Atrium

Inspiration for a large contemporary separate dining room in New York with grey walls, light hardwood floors, beige floor and wallpaper.

All Wall Treatments 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!