Mid-sized midcentury open plan dining in San Francisco with white walls, carpet, no fireplace and grey floor.

Decorating Den Interiors - Bromberek Design Team

Photographic Design Ltd.
Inspiration for a small traditional separate dining room in Chicago with beige walls, carpet and no fireplace.

StarMark Cabinetry Dining Room in Cherry

StarMark Cabinetry

The cabinets in this dining room were created with StarMark Cabinetry's Tempo door style in Cherry finished in a cabinet color called Chestnut. This dining room is part of the Pettengill Penthouse, an extensive renovation of a history building in downtown Sioux Falls. The fourth floor was turned into a residential loft.

West Palm Beach Clubhouse & Model Unit

Allure Design Studio

Photo of a mid-sized transitional kitchen/dining combo in Miami with grey walls and carpet.

Wasilla Dining Collection

Weaver Furniture Sales

A blend of elegance and strength marks the Wasilla Dining Set. It combines a traditional trestle table with a touch of modern in its angled base making this set a great fit for any home decor. Contact Weaver Furniture Sales to customize this solid wood dining set.

Mapleton Guest House

WORKSHOP8 architecture planning design

Daniel O'Connor
Transitional dining room in Denver with grey walls and carpet.

Transitional Buckhead Mansion

Robert Brown Interior Design

Robert Brown balances the extravagant architecture in this grand dining room with a muted color palette, contemporary artwork, and clean-lined furniture.

Lachlan Base | Modin Rigid LVP Collection Farmhouse Customer Space | SC

Flooret

Influenced by classic Nordic design. Surprisingly flexible with furnishings. Amplify by continuing the clean modern aesthetic, or punctuate with statement pieces. With the Modin Collection, we have raised the bar on luxury vinyl plank. The result is a new standard in resilient flooring. Modin offers true embossed in register texture, a low sheen level, a rigid SPC core, an industry-leading wear layer, and so much more.

Barton Creek III

Butter Lutz Interiors, LLC

A warm-toned dining room area complete with a statement light fixture and modern round dining table with custom seating.
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional kitchen/dining combo in Austin with white walls, carpet and no fireplace.

A Beachy Basement Design Perfect for Entertaining

Amazing Spaces

We started with a blank slate on this basement project where our only obstacles were exposed steel support columns, existing plumbing risers from the concrete slab, and dropped soffits concealing ductwork on the ceiling. It had the advantage of tall ceilings, an existing egress window, and a sliding door leading to a newly constructed patio. This family of five loves the beach and frequents summer beach resorts in the Northeast. Bringing that aesthetic home to enjoy all year long was the inspiration for the décor, as well as creating a family-friendly space for entertaining. Wish list items included room for a billiard table, wet bar, game table, family room, guest bedroom, full bathroom, space for a treadmill and closed storage. The existing structural elements helped to define how best to organize the basement. For instance, we knew we wanted to connect the bar area and billiards table with the patio in order to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space. It made sense to use the egress window for the guest bedroom for both safety and natural light. The bedroom also would be adjacent to the plumbing risers for easy access to the new bathroom. Since the primary focus of the family room would be for TV viewing, natural light did not need to filter into that space. We made sure to hide the columns inside of newly constructed walls and dropped additional soffits where needed to make the ceiling mechanicals feel less random. In addition to the beach vibe, the homeowner has valuable sports memorabilia that was to be prominently displayed including two seats from the original Yankee stadium. For a coastal feel, shiplap is used on two walls of the family room area. In the bathroom shiplap is used again in a more creative way using wood grain white porcelain tile as the horizontal shiplap “wood”. We connected the tile horizontally with vertical white grout joints and mimicked the horizontal shadow line with dark grey grout. At first glance it looks like we wrapped the shower with real wood shiplap. Materials including a blue and white patterned floor, blue penny tiles and a natural wood vanity checked the list for that seaside feel. A large reclaimed wood door on an exposed sliding barn track separates the family room from the game room where reclaimed beams are punctuated with cable lighting. Cabinetry and a beverage refrigerator are tucked behind the rolling bar cabinet (that doubles as a Blackjack table!). A TV and upright video arcade machine round-out the entertainment in the room. Bar stools, two rotating club chairs, and large square poufs along with the Yankee Stadium seats provide fun places to sit while having a drink, watching billiards or a game on the TV. Signed baseballs can be found behind the bar, adjacent to the billiard table, and on specially designed display shelves next to the poker table in the family room. Thoughtful touches like the surfboards, signage, photographs and accessories make a visitor feel like they are on vacation at a well-appointed beach resort without being cliché.

Home Staging

Hidden Gem Staging & Design

Inspiration for a mid-sized country kitchen/dining combo in Columbus with grey walls, vinyl floors and brown floor.

Edmonton Southeast Industrial - Private Bar, Lounge, & Poker Room

Four Elements Construction

A close friend of one of our owners asked for some help, inspiration, and advice in developing an area in the mezzanine level of their commercial office/shop so that they could entertain friends, family, and guests. They wanted a bar area, a poker area, and seating area in a large open lounge space. So although this was not a full-fledged Four Elements project, it involved a Four Elements owner's design ideas and handiwork, a few Four Elements sub-trades, and a lot of personal time to help bring it to fruition. You will recognize similar design themes as used in the Four Elements office like barn-board features, live edge wood counter-tops, and specialty LED lighting seen in many of our projects. And check out the custom poker table and beautiful rope/beam light fixture constructed by our very own Peter Russell. What a beautiful and cozy space!

Midcentury Mod Dining Room

Rachel Dunham Design

Jourieh Hage
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury kitchen/dining combo in Boston with beige walls and carpet.

Mediterranean Dining Room

Design ideas for a mid-sized mediterranean separate dining room in Orange County with white walls, carpet, no fireplace and beige floor.

Beachside Condo

Robyn Branch Design

Michael Coats
Inspiration for a small beach style open plan dining in Jacksonville with beige walls, carpet and beige floor.

Mid-Century Fabulous Kitchen

Tricia Hauser Tidemann

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury open plan dining in Minneapolis with vinyl floors, grey walls and grey floor.

Miami Beach Penthouse

DLT Interiors-Debbie Travin

Complete Gut and Renovation in this Penthouse located in Miami Beach Dining Room Accessories and Staging
Photo of a large beach style kitchen/dining combo in Miami with beige walls, vinyl floors, no fireplace, brown floor and wallpaper.

Armstrong-Vivero

Carpet Hut by McDrake

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional kitchen/dining combo in Orange County with white walls, vinyl floors and no fireplace.

Contemporary Dining Room

Design ideas for a contemporary open plan dining in Brisbane with white walls and carpet.

DIY Concrete Dining Table

Sprucing Up Mamahood

How to Make a DIY Concrete Dining Table Top
Photo of an eclectic dining room in Denver with yellow walls, vinyl floors, beige floor and wallpaper.

Dining Room Design Ideas with Vinyl Floors and Carpet

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!