The dining room is at the core of gatherings in the home: a place for family to catch up, for seasonal holidays to be celebrated with those you love, or even just a place for you to relax and reflect after a day of work. It’s a space where some of the most colourful memories live, and with so much time spent in the dining area, tailoring the space to your needs, comfort, and visual tastes can make a significant difference to your home. Whether you’re looking to create a cosy and personal space, or something grand and lively, we’ve gathered all the tips and advice you’ll need to get the best out of your dining area.
How To Make Your Dining Room The Beating Heart Of Your Home: A Guide To Furniture, Layout, and Decor
What is the most important part of the dining room?
Your dining table and chairs are the centre piece of your dining room, but the decor surrounding it can also play a significant part in highlighting its beauty and character. Accent chairs, cupboards, and artwork can be used in coordination with your dining table to pull the room together and give it its own charm; be it rustic and shabby-chic, or modern and minimalist. Over anything, you’ll want to select dining chairs and a table that are sturdy and durable, while still offering contemporary style.
What kinds of dining tables are there?
Most dining tables are circular, oval or rectangular in shape. The shape you chose may depend on the amount of people in your household, whether or not you regularly host guests, and the space you have available in your dining room. While small circular tables are perfect for couples, a long, rectangular table would be more suited to a family or those who love a get-together.
What kind of dining table is best for a family?
If you have a large or growing family, opting for a large dining table is best. You’ll want to select a table with a durable surface that is safe for children (and resistant to mess). While our tempered glass is typically safe for children to dine upon, we recommend opting for a different table top. Our Aria dining table comes in elegant and hardwearing, scratch resistant finishes including oak-effect and white marble effect melamine, blending warmth and natural charm in your dining room, while being family-safe. The table legs also have a stable ‘U’ shape design, which come in black metal or chrome. Large families with regular guests will benefit from an extendable table, like our Haydon design.
What kind of dining table is best for a couple?
An intimate, circular table is the perfect addition to the home of a couple. The Malvern round dining table has legs that are situated in the centre, allowing for more leg room and flexibility for where you like to sit – stretch out, or cosy up. If you often host friends and family, you may still want to opt for a larger, rectangular shape like the Aria table.
How much is a dining table?
Most average dining tables for the home cost between £200-£3,000, depending on its size and material. Our lowest dining table prices begin at just £199.99, with our more expensive offering, the Etta glass dining table, coming in at £299.99.
We’re proud of our competitive prices, and all of our tables are made with longevity and contemporary style in mind. You can also purchase our dining tables and chairs in sets to save you money and time – these start at £349.98.
What styles of dining chairs are there?
Dining chairs come in a range of styles, including sleek seats with a simple backrest, swivel chairs, or even seats with arm rests for a compact, armchair-like appearance. There are endless designs to choose from, but it’s important to measure the height of your table before you buy the chair, and be mindful of the space you have surrounding it. We offer dining chairs in a chic boucle fabric, a rich velvet, and many more.
How do I choose the best dining chair for my dining table?
A simple dining chair with a backrest and no armrests is more suited to a dining room with limited space, or where there need to be many seats surrounding the table at all times. For example, a large family of six probably won’t be able to fit any bulky chairs with arm rests around the table. Swivel chairs may also not be ideal for young children.
Dining chair material is also important to consider: do you want to opt for chairs that make a real statement, or keep things minimalistic? If you have a busy home with children, breathable and wipe-clean material is probably best. You may also want to avoid white or cream colours. For high-traffic homes with a high risk of spills, faux leather may be more suitable, as it is incredibly easy to wipe clean. Our technology fabric chairs are also wipe-clean and can be purchased in sets, with the largest set offering eight chairs for just over £500.
What is the most durable finish for a dining table?
Wood, metal, and stone are the most long-lasting finishes for your dining table top. However, a tempered glass table top can make your dining table a true statement piece. They’re more suited to couples, grown-up families, and homes where dining at the table is not an everyday occurrence. Furniture Online glass table tops are 10mm thick, so they are dense and reliable, while still delivering that classy, expensive look. Our dining table tops are made with hard-wearing melamine, with oak, white marble, concrete, and black oak-effect designs.
What colours suit a dining room best?
The colour of your dining room walls can really set off the decor and the all-important dining table within it. The dining room should look clean and fresh, yet not stark. You’ll want to retain warmth and charisma for when loved ones get together. You might want to opt for:
● Royal navy blue
● Earthy green
● Matcha green
● Blushing pink
● Terracotta
● Clean white with pops of bright colour
When adding pops of colour to your dining room, a cheerful yellow can add a happy, family feel to the dining space. You could also opt for hues of pink or plum, to add a dash of femininity and elegance. While our dining tables come in neutral colours, you can get more playful with the accompanying dining chairs: stick with simple white, black or brown, or get vibrant with rich shades of blue, green, and mustard yellow.
Where should I put my dining table?
If you have a large dining space, placing the dining table in the centre of the room will give it a grand look – perfect for dinner parties and events. If you’d prefer a more intimate setting or have limited room, opting for a circular table that can be nestled in a corner or surrounded by cosy seating and furnishings will work better. Ultimately, the choice is up to you. It’s worth baring in mind how natural light enters the space too to avoid any glare, and make sure there is plenty of space for people to get by and exit or enter through the available doors.
How much space should I leave around my dining table?
It is recommended that you leave at least 90cm of space between the dining table and any surrounding walls or doors. You may need slightly more if your dining chairs are particularly large.
Should I put a sofa or accent chair in my dining room?
If you have enough space in your dining room, an accent chair or sofa can offer a comfortable place to retreat to after a filling meal. You may want to put one or two accent chairs together in a corner, and place them near a window, a music player, or even a book shelf. Our Althorpe recliner chair has a traditional aesthetic (and over 150 five star reviews), but if you’re looking for something more modern, check out the Vera accent chair with an accompanying footstool – these come in a wide range of vivid colours.
How do I lay a dining table?
How you choose to lay your dining table will depend on the occasion. Generally, you may want to start by placing a runner or a table cloth over the table, though it is optional. For a standard table layout, a placemat can help protect the surface of your dining table but also elevate its appearance and add colour. Add the plate on top, and place a napkin at the left side of the placemat. Here you can place a dinner fork, and on the right hand side place a knife with the blade facing towards the plate. If starting with a soup course, add a soup bowl on top of the plate, and a spoon to the right of the knife. You may want to coordinate or contrast the colours of your tableware with the colours present within your dining room.
Tips for Christmas: How to prepare your dining table for Christmas dinner
With social media ramping up the pressure to style a gloriously festive table for Christmas dinner, sometimes the pressure can ruin the fun of it all. Laying your table for the big day shouldn’t feel like a chore, and there are ways you can make it look stunning using little decor, or things you may already have in the home.
For large tables, you might want to run a festive garland down the centre, or for simple round tables, a vase of wintery flowers and foliage can really set the room off. You may also want to opt for candles, which are easy to arrange and purchase for a low cost when on a tight budget, or use some spare fairy lights to run down the centre in place of a large garland. Make sure you leave some room in the centre for side dishes and extras like cranberry sauce. And don’t forget – no Christmas dinner is complete with a cracker for all guests!
Tips for birthday dining
When preparing for a birthday dinner party you’ll want to customise the theme around whose birthday it is, and the guests they’re bringing along. For children’s birthday parties, it’s best to avoid using a table runner or cloth, as it may get pulled from the table or stained. Stick to place mats, sturdy tableware, and plastic cups if possible. Children love colourful themes and finger food, so think bright decor, bite-sized sandwiches, and cupcakes. Be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand!
How to remove stains from dining chairs
Accidents and spills happen, but there are lots of hacks to get them out of your furniture. If your dining chairs get marked with food or drink, make sure you dab – not rub – at the mark with warm water. You can also use a mild detergent. Our technology fabric chairs can be wiped clean, but fabric furnishing will require a little more care to keep clean. For this reason, we also offer a Fabric Care Kit to keep it pristine.
How to keep your dining room clean
To keep your dining area clean, always wipe down the dining table after every use with a cleaning spray and a clean cloth. Remove any stains and spills from your dining chairs immediately, using a care kit or mild detergent in the home. Dining rooms may require extra vacuum cleaning to get rid of any crumbs that may have fallen from the table, and hard floors will also require mopping. You should mop your dining room every other week if it’s used regularly. For adults, you may want to prepare a seating arrangement, or remove the dining chairs from the table completely for a buffet-style event. If staying seated, placing themed napkins and a colour-coordinating runner can make the table feel extra special. Leave room in the centre to place some balloons and/or flowers, and make sure there’s space for when the cake comes out! When it comes to food, think: what would the guest of honour love most? Would it be a rustic pizza night? Or perhaps a classic roast chicken dinner? Thinking of their tastes and interests will show that you’ve gone the extra mile to think about the food they love. Don’t forget to check if any of your guests have special dietary needs.
