Dining rooms can end up feeling a bit forgotten a lot of the time. After all, they’re not quite as busy as the kitchen, they’re not as relaxing as the living room, and they can very often just become a space where nothing really happens (unless you count people dumping things in there).
The good news is, it doesn’t take much to make a dining room feel more interesting, and with that in mind, here are some tips for making it a place people want to spend more time in.
Start With The Lighting
Lighting is one of the quickest ways to change the mood of a dining room. What have you got in there at the moment? If it’s just one single overhead bulb, that could be part of the problem because that makes rooms feel flat and boring, giving you more shadows and less comfort than you’ll be looking for.
That’s why it’s a good idea to layer your lighting. You can still have an overhead light – a statement pendant can often work wonders – but add in some wall lights or some softer lamps as well to make the space feel more relaxed and welcoming. If you’re updating the finishing touches as well, it’s worth looking at options that feel timeless and carefully considered, and you can shop Corston online store for lighting, switches, and sockets to bring all those details together.
Bring In Art Or A Feature Wall
A dining room is a great place to be a bit bolder with your decor, and things like artwork, framed prints, and even a darker paint colour can give you a room that’s different but still good to be in.
Something that can work really well is a feature wall behind a useful sideboard or the table, for example – it makes the room really interesting and draws the eye, but it won’t overwhelm it so it’s not somewhere people want to spend their time. This is actually the perfect chance to show some personality rather than just keeping everything neutral.
Style The Table Even When It’s Not In Use
The dining table is the centre of the room, so styling it makes a big difference, and it’s worth doing that even if you’re not planning to use it.
Things like a vase of flowers, a bowl of fruit, candles, or a stack of books can be ideal because they’re another way to show off who you are a bit, and they’ll make the room (and specifically the table) feel a lot less bare.
Mix Old And New Pieces
The most interesting dining rooms tend to include a good mix of styles, like a modern table with vintage chairs, a classic sideboard with modern lighting, or some pieces you inherited sitting alongside some new items you found.
The contrast of old and new gives the room a lovely character, and it’s fun to put together.
Final Thoughts
Making your dining room more interesting is usually about the details, so you might not have to do a full redesign – just do enough to make it somewhere you’ll use more often, and you’ll have done a good job.