When it comes to designing interiors, dining rooms are probably the most straightforward to create. At least they are the ones with the least number of rules you need to follow.
Here are the guidelines we recommend if you are trying to figure out how to design and decorate your dining room.
And remember, like all rules, these rules too are meant to be broken. But first, you need to know what the rules are.
If there is one rule I ask you to follow for dining rooms, then it is this.
Rule: Please, please, please don’t buy matching table and chairs. There’s nothing that screams boring than this.
How to Choose a Dining Table
Dining Tables come in a variety of sizes and shapes. How do you decide what shape and size of a dining table is right for you?
Let’s start with the shape of the dining table first. They come in rectangular, square, round and oval.
If your space is more or less a square, where the length and the width of the room is about the same, then choose a square or a round table.
If your dining space is more of a rectangular space, then opt for a rectangular or oval dining table.
The size of your table will depend on the actual dimensions of the space you have.
Rule: You need at least 24 inches around the dining table to have proper flow in the room. If you can get 30 to 36 inches it’s even better.
Ask yourself this. When you have guests over, can someone sitting at the middle of the table get up, walk around the dining table and go to the kitchen?
Choosing Your Dining Chairs
How many people you can sit around your table, will be based on the size of your table. The diagrams above and below show the number of chairs for each size and shape table you could have.
Rule: Give each person at the table about 24 inches of space to eat comfortably.
This may not always be possible on occasions such as Thanksgiving or the Holidays when we try to fit a lot of people around the table.
Rule: Chairs should be able to slide under the table even when they have arms. When you slide a chair under the table, it should not bump into the base of the table or get tangled up on the legs of the other chairs.
The back of the chair should be about 2-3” higher than the top of the table but not much higher unless you’re making a style statement. For example, if your table height is standard, don’t choose a chair that has a 4 foot back, unless you’re recreating a very 80s vibe. You remember those chairs, right?
Let’s look at how comfortable we want the guest to be on their chairs.
Rule: On average there should be about 10-12 inches between the table top and the height of the chair seat.
In addition to making sure the scale of your chairs are appropriate for the size of the table and the room, make sure the style of the chairs go with the style of the table too.
Want to mix up your style? Use a combo of chairs and a bench, if you want to go with a more casual feel for your dining room.
Size of Chandelier That Works in Your Room
Lighting is like the jewellery to an outfit, when you are designing interiors, right?
Like everything else when it comes to decorating a home, the scale of the light over your dining table is important.
For round and square tables, choose a round light fixture and for a rectangle or an oval table, choose a rectangular or elongated light fixture.
Here’s one designer trick we often use to figure out the size of the light fixture we need for a room. Add the sides of the room together and that should give you the diameter in inches of the overhead light fixture for the room. For example, if your dining room is 10’x15’, then you would need a chandelier with a diameter of 25”.
Ideally for rectangular tables, your light fixture should be around half to two thirds of the length of your dining table. Rule: Never, ever should you have a light fixture that extends beyond the length of the table.
Rule: Your chandelier should also be centered based on the dining table and not the room. If you’re in a condo where you’re not able to move your light, opt for a chain that will help you swag the light fixture over the center of the table.
Rule: Your light fixture should hang at a height where it doesn’t block the vision and the conversation at the table. Usually, 30-36 inches above the table should give you the clearance you need.
A Rug as the Foundation
Rugs aren’t always top of mind for a lot of people when it comes to their dining room design. The truth is a rug gives the room a more finished look than when the room is without one.
The biggest concern we hear is the challenge of keeping a rug clean in a dining room. Valid concern given that food and drinks will surely spill on the rug at some point.
Choose a rug that has a low pile or is a flatweave and synthetic to allow you to clean it easily. We often use indoor/outdoor rugs in a dining space for exactly this reason.
Rule: You should have about 30-36 inches of the rug around the table. This should allow your guests to push the chair back without leaving the rug.
Also make sure there is a perimeter around the room without the rug. We typically leave about a foot between the wall and the rug.
To Sideboard or Not to Sideboard
Sideboards are a wonderful addition to a dining room. They not only provide a place to store table and server ware, but they also provide a great place to style beautifully and show off your treasured decor pieces.
A good sideboard should be a little bit higher than the dining table. Rule: Leave about 24-36” inches between your sideboard and the table.
Similarly to the dining chairs, you’ll want to make sure that your sideboard works with the style of the dining table and the chairs.
Finishing Touches with Decor
Finally, your dining room design will come together beautifully when you accessorize and decorate your space. Don’t forget to incorporate art, mirrors and window coverings in your space.
Sideboards and the dining table are great places to show off your style game. Choose a centerpiece that works for everyday use on top of the dining table and you can choose to do something a little bit more interesting on your sideboard.
We’ll be updating our blog with a post on how to style a sideboard in the coming weeks. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter, if you haven’t already.
