This is an example of a modern dining room in San Francisco with grey walls.

New window seat adds seating and storage to the space. We added thick new moldings for architectural interest; dark hardwood floors provide additional warmth. The vintage chandelier draws color from the nearby ocean and adds a spark of color and interest. Solid wood Parsons dining table and the Wishbone chairs provide an interesting mix of geometric shapes, styles and textures. The sisal rug grounds the area and adds another natural element. The window seat was added to create much-needed additional seating and extra storage space.

Dinning Room Leading To Outdoor Living Area

My House Design/Build/Team

This 40 year old Crescent Beach house, formerly a summer home, received a complete makeover & addition, to restore and enhance its distinctive ‘west coast’ architectural style. A ‘Lindal’ western red cedar window wall on the front and the back of the house add to the unique ‘West Coast’ character of the home. A glulam beam and glass roof canopy extends over the South and West corners of the house creating a covered entry and a sheltered area for outdoor living. The biggest change to the home’s formerly cramped interior was the relocation of the staircase. This change allowed for the creation of a spacious new open plan kitchen with a dynamically shaped island, perfect for entertaining. The living room features a contemporary gas fireplace finished in ‘faux’ concrete. Natural light flows in through the skylight over the stairs leading to a second floor master suite complete with walk-in-closet and luxurious steam shower in the Ensuite Bath.

Dining Room

Hoskins Interior Design

This is an example of a transitional dining room in Indianapolis with brown walls and dark hardwood floors.

Goleta Residence

Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design

Photos by Lepere Studio
Inspiration for a large traditional kitchen/dining combo in Santa Barbara with beige walls and medium hardwood floors.

Palmetto Bluff - Private Residence

Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

This lovely home sits in one of the most pristine and preserved places in the country - Palmetto Bluff, in Bluffton, SC. The natural beauty and richness of this area create an exceptional place to call home or to visit. The house lies along the river and fits in perfectly with its surroundings. 4,000 square feet - four bedrooms, four and one-half baths All photos taken by Rachael Boling Photography

Vintage Inspired Dining Room

Mackenzie Collier Interiors

Interior Design by Mackenzie Collier Interiors (Phoenix, AZ), Photography by Jaryd Niebauer Photography (Phoenix, AZ)
Photo of a mid-sized eclectic dining room in Phoenix with green walls and medium hardwood floors.

Modern Kitchen

User

Modern Kitchen with Trend Stone counters and clear VG Tamarack cabinets. Stained concrete floors Design by: Dan Schaafsma, Concept Builders, Inc.
Modern dining room in Seattle with green walls.

Traditional Dining Room

Photo of a traditional separate dining room in DC Metro with dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and beige walls.

Nichols Hills

Christopher Lee & Company Fine Homes

Christopher Lee & Company Fine Homes
Design ideas for a mediterranean dining room in Oklahoma City.

Formal Dining & Butler's Pantry

Highland Homes, Inc.

Formal Dining with Butler's Pantry that connects this space to the Kitchen beyond.
Inspiration for a mid-sized separate dining room in New Orleans with white walls, dark hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Two Creeks - Expansive Estate

Visbeen Architects

Reminiscent of gabled stone and shake houses found dotted across the picturesque countryside of The United Kingdom, Two Creeks brings the best of English Country style “across the pond,” and updates it for functionality. From the European courtyard at the front of the house, to the sweeping circular staircase found just inside the entrance, everything about Two Creeks speaks of the quality and style of the past. Designed on an efficient L-shape, and spreading out over more than 8,000 square feet on three levels, this distinctive home boasts a fashionable façade of low-maintenance stone and shake similar to those found on European manor homes. While the style is inspired by the past, the four-car garage is conveniently modern, with easy access to a circular front drive. Other exterior highlights include a grand walkway leading from the circular drive to a covered front entrance, and a variety of vintage-style windows, including transom, cameo and leaded glass. Shutters accompany many of the windows, and stone accents throughout the design add to the home’s sense of timeless European charm. Once inside, you’ll discover that the interior appeal equals that of the exterior. Intricate paneled doors and moldings give the feeling of age and elegance, while large rooms and open spaces keep it light-filled and contemporary. Floor plan highlights include a large entrance foyer containing a three-story spiral staircase, and a nearby open living area with a two-sided fireplace and circular dining room. Easily accessed from the dining space are the exquisite country-style kitchen and cozy hearth room, along with the home’s outdoor entertaining spaces, including a patio and screened porch. A first floor master suite adjacent to the study gives the feel of a private retreat, while three bedrooms and a second floor living room give children plenty of their own space to spread out. The lower level contains the family areas, including a home theater, billiards and exercise center.

Trickett Dining Room

Meredith Heron Design

photo courtesy: Paul Orenstein
Traditional dining room in Toronto with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Dinner Party

Grace Dumalac Design

Photo of a traditional dining room in San Francisco with beige walls, dark hardwood floors and a wood stove.

Urban Townhome Breakfast Room

LORRAINE G VALE, Allied ASID

This lovely breakfast room, overlooking the garden, is an inviting place to start your day lingering over Sunday morning coffee. I had the walls painted in a soft coral, contrasting with various wood tones in the armoire, table and shades. It is all tied together by keeping the chair covers and rug light in color. The crystal chandelier is an unexpected element in a breakfast room, yet, your not compelled to pull out the china and silver.

Dining Room Penthouse Condominium Scottsdale Waterfront

Lili Fleming-Nieri, ASID

Cowboy chic Dining Room in penthouse. Client has extensive collection of Western art and sculpture. High Res Media
Photo of a mid-sized country kitchen/dining combo in Phoenix with beige walls, ceramic floors and no fireplace.

Family Style

Terri Symington, ASID

Inspiration for a country kitchen/dining combo in Houston with a two-sided fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Skona hem

Margaret Everton

Inspiration for a dining room in Other with beige floor.

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.

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.

Red, Brown 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!