Traditional separate dining room in San Francisco with purple walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic separate dining room in New York with purple walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and wallpaper.

High Ridge RoadHigh Ridge Road, Hartsdale, NY Contemporary

Domus Constructors, LLC.

“Compelling.” That’s how one of our judges characterized this stair, which manages to embody both reassuring solidity and airy weightlessness. Architect Mahdad Saniee specified beefy maple treads—each laminated from two boards, to resist twisting and cupping—and supported them at the wall with hidden steel hangers. “We wanted to make them look like they are floating,” he says, “so they sit away from the wall by about half an inch.” The stainless steel rods that seem to pierce the treads’ opposite ends are, in fact, joined by threaded couplings hidden within the thickness of the wood. The result is an assembly whose stiffness underfoot defies expectation, Saniee says. “It feels very solid, much more solid than average stairs.” With the rods working in tension from above and compression below, “it’s very hard for those pieces of wood to move.” The interplay of wood and steel makes abstract reference to a Steinway concert grand, Saniee notes. “It’s taking elements of a piano and playing with them.” A gently curved soffit in the ceiling reinforces the visual rhyme. The jury admired the effect but was equally impressed with the technical acumen required to achieve it. “The rhythm established by the vertical rods sets up a rigorous discipline that works with the intricacies of stair dimensions,” observed one judge. “That’s really hard to do.”

Bold Garrison House

Robin Gannon Interiors

Michael J. Lee Photography
Inspiration for a transitional separate dining room in Boston with purple walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Urban Oasis

Interior Inspirations

Mid-sized traditional separate dining room in Calgary with a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, purple walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Glencoe Family Home

Cari Giannoulias Design

Photo of an expansive transitional open plan dining in Chicago with purple walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Burlesque Dining Room

Timothy James Interiors

BURLESQUE DINING ROOM We designed this extraordinary room as part of a large interior design project in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Our client asked us to create for him a Moulin Rouge themed dining room to enchant his guests in the evenings – and to house his prized collection of fine wines. The palette of deep hues, rich dark wood tones and accents of opulent brass create a warm, luxurious and magical backdrop for poker nights and unforgettable dinner parties. CLIMATE CONTROLLED WINE STORAGE The biggest wow factor in this room is undoubtedly the luxury wine cabinet, which was custom designed and made for us by Spiral Cellars. Standing proud in the centre of the back wall, it maintains a constant temperature for our client’s collection of well over a hundred bottles. As a nice finishing touch, our audio-visuals engineer found a way to connect it to the room’s Q–Motion mood lighting system, integrating it perfectly within the room at all times of day. POKER NIGHTS AND UNFORGETTABLE DINNER PARTIES We always love to work with a quirky and OTT brief! This room encapsulates the drama and mystery we are so passionate about creating for our clients. The wallpaper – a cool, midnight blue grasscloth – envelopes you in the depths of night; the warmer oranges and pinks advancing powerfully out of this shadowy background. The antique dining table in the centre of the room was brought from another of our client’s properties, and carefully integrated into this design. Another existing piece was the Chesterfield which we had stripped and reupholstered in sumptuous blue leather. On this project we delivered our full interior design service, which includes concept design visuals, a rigorous technical design package and full project coordination and installation service.

The Adamick Residence

Adamick Architecture

Double parlor with chandeliers and royal purple walls (IMOTO Photo)
Photo of a small traditional open plan dining in New Orleans with purple walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Traditional Dining Room

Photo of a traditional separate dining room in New York with purple walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Los Robles, Pasadena

Current Designed

This is an example of a mid-sized arts and crafts separate dining room in Los Angeles with purple walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Colorful Contemporary | San Francisco

Domus Design Group

Small contemporary kitchen/dining combo in San Francisco with purple walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Charming French Country Renovation

By Design Interiors, Inc.

The majestic dining room is filled with hints of gold, fine crystal, velvet, and silk. It's adorned with a shimmery floral wallcovering, velvets, crystal, and an intricate built-in wine glass cabinet. It even has a secret room to house the homeowner’s finest china. (Open View)

Lake Norman Remodel

Chic By Design, LLC

Dramatic color is the star of the show in this dining room inspired by the fabric on the chairs. Table and credenza by ST2, chairs by Hurtado, rug by Roya Rugs. John Richards buffet lamps flank original reproduction artwork by Chic By Design in the style of Picasso. Chandelier by Aerin for Visual Comfort.

Modern Craftsman

Sogno Design Group

Michele Lee Wilson
Inspiration for a mid-sized arts and crafts separate dining room in San Francisco with purple walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Seasonal Los Altos Hills Sophisticated Chic

Spectrum Interior Design, Inc.

Mid-sized traditional open plan dining in San Francisco with purple walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Sutton Lane

Juliet Murphy Photography

Photo of a mid-sized open plan dining in London with purple walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Full Home -Transitional Refresh

Twilly and Fig

This transitional violet and grey dining room is sophisticated, bright, and airy! The room features a geometric, violet wallpaper paired with neutral, transitional furnishings. A round heather grey dining table and neutral, upholstered armchairs provide the perfect intimate setting. An unexpected modern chandelier is the finishing touch to this space.

Glencoe Family Home

Cari Giannoulias Design

Inspiration for an expansive transitional open plan dining in Chicago with purple walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Harwich Port Jewel Box

Shorebird Interiors, LLC

This dining room is an alcove off of the living room but needed to read as a distinct, separate space. We inverted the palette of the living room to achieve this and saturated the walls in a dark eggplant color. We tied the spaced together by treating the ceiling of the dining room in the wall color of the living room.

Craftsman style new construction

Single Source Builders

Craftsman style mud room with heated tile floor, natural wood bench, open storage above and below and plenty of hooks for all the gear for the changing New England seasons.

Dining Room Design Ideas with Purple Walls and Brown Floor

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!