Design ideas for an expansive country separate dining room in New York with green walls, slate floors, a hanging fireplace, black floor, timber and brick walls.

Beverly Hills Residence

lauri morrison studio

This is an example of an expansive traditional separate dining room in Los Angeles with white walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Hollywood with a Twist

MASSIMO interiors

Stu Morley
Design ideas for an expansive eclectic separate dining room in Melbourne with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and brown floor.

Tonal Harmony Dining Room

Drewett Works

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

A New Entry with Nostalgic Roots

Thompson Remodeling

The owners of this beautiful historic farmhouse had been painstakingly restoring it bit by bit. One of the last items on their list was to create a wrap-around front porch to create a more distinct and obvious entrance to the front of their home. Aside from the functional reasons for the new porch, our client also had very specific ideas for its design. She wanted to recreate her grandmother’s porch so that she could carry on the same wonderful traditions with her own grandchildren someday. Key requirements for this front porch remodel included: - Creating a seamless connection to the main house. - A floorplan with areas for dining, reading, having coffee and playing games. - Respecting and maintaining the historic details of the home and making sure the addition felt authentic. Upon entering, you will notice the authentic real pine porch decking. Real windows were used instead of three season porch windows which also have molding around them to match the existing home’s windows. The left wing of the porch includes a dining area and a game and craft space. Ceiling fans provide light and additional comfort in the summer months. Iron wall sconces supply additional lighting throughout. Exposed rafters with hidden fasteners were used in the ceiling. Handmade shiplap graces the walls. On the left side of the front porch, a reading area enjoys plenty of natural light from the windows. The new porch blends perfectly with the existing home much nicer front facade. There is a clear front entrance to the home, where previously guests weren’t sure where to enter. We successfully created a place for the client to enjoy with her future grandchildren that’s filled with nostalgic nods to the memories she made with her own grandmother. "We have had many people who asked us what changed on the house but did not know what we did. When we told them we put the porch on, all of them made the statement that they did not notice it was a new addition and fit into the house perfectly.” – Homeowner

Santa Fe Retreat

Overland Partners Architecture + Urban Design

Copyright © 2009 Robert Reck. All Rights Reserved.
Photo of an expansive separate dining room in Albuquerque with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, multi-coloured walls, brown floor and a stone fireplace surround.

French Chinoiserie

M Design & Consultation LLC

Photo of an expansive traditional separate dining room in New Orleans with blue walls.

Guitry

d.mesure - Elodie Sire

Stephen Clément
This is an example of an expansive eclectic separate dining room in Paris with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Holly Circle

Oak Hill Architects

Expansive traditional separate dining room in Boston with black walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Memorial Transitional

Frankel Design Build

Photo of an expansive contemporary separate dining room in Houston with white walls, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Parade of Homes Tri-Cities 2015

Pahlisch Homes, Inc.

Photo of an expansive contemporary separate dining room in Portland with grey walls, medium hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Stately Historic Seattle Home

Seattle Staged to Sell and Design LLC

TC Peterson Photography
Expansive traditional separate dining room in Seattle with beige walls, light hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Avenel Aglow

Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

Photography by Morgan Howarth
Expansive traditional separate dining room in DC Metro with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Greenwich Waterfront Shingle

VanderHorn Architects

This Dining Room continues the coastal aesthetic of the home with paneled walls and a projecting rectangular bay with access to the outdoor entertainment spaces beyond.

Villa P - Im Einklang mit der Natur

Philipp Architekten - Anna Philipp

Photo of an expansive modern separate dining room in Stuttgart with white walls, concrete floors, grey floor and no fireplace.

Project

Shmuel D. Flaum, Architect

Inspiration for an expansive modern separate dining room in New York with beige walls, marble floors, no fireplace and white floor.

Grand Homes by Fratantoni Interior Designers!

Fratantoni Interior Designers

World Renowned Interior Design Firm Fratantoni Interior Designers created this beautiful home! They design homes for families all over the world in any size and style. They also have in-house Architecture Firm Fratantoni Design and world class Luxury Home Building Firm Fratantoni Luxury Estates! Hire one or all three companies to design, build and or remodel your home!

Tudor Mansion

Interior Archaeology

This architecturally stunning formal dining room weaves together George III built in china closets, a wood-burning fireplace and meticulous original paneling into an exquisite and dreamy gathering place for formal meals. Photo credit: Bruce Buck

River Oaks Federal Colonial

Windham Builders

River Oaks, 2014 - Remodel and Additions
This is an example of an expansive transitional separate dining room in Houston with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Classic Transitional

JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction

Piston Design
Expansive mediterranean separate dining room in Houston with dark hardwood floors and black walls.

Expansive Separate 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!