Image Courtesy: Jheffry Swid
A dining room is a wonderful resource and is great for entertaining guests. Too many people’s dining rooms end up as places to store clutter and so when people come round, it’s too full of junk to be of any use. Bring your dining room to life and you’ll improve your social life too – you’ll be dying to entertain so you can show off the room!
Make a pledge to de-clutter your dining room and then follow our helpful tips on how to give it a complete revamp:
Light Colours are the Way Forward
Photo Courtesy: Alicia Lee
Light colours make a small room look a lot larger. Use warm tones such as magnolia or a very light purple or pink to make the room look cosy – pure white can be a bit stark. Use one contrasting dark colour to paint one wall if you want to make it look a bit more unique, but only paint one wall or it’ll start to feel smaller. Keep carpets light and throw a rug down for extra coziness.
Lighting is Illuminating
A dining room needs soft lighting, so find some standard lamps with low wattage bulbs. Dimmer switches are great too so you can turn the lights up or down to suit the occasion. Candlelight is perhaps the best light of all, so invest in some stylish candlesticks and tea light holders. Make sure the windows are clean so that the most daylight possible is being allowed in, and make sure the curtains can be fully opened so as not to block the light. Upward lighting is a great idea – it’s much less harsh than normal room lights.
Mirror Mirror…
Mirrors throw a room wide open – they give the impression of lots more space. Install a large mirror immediately opposite the doorway to see what we mean! Pick a mirror with a good quality frame. For a really magical effect, angle smaller mirrors to reflect the sparkle of silverware and glasses.
The Furniture
Choose a stylish dining room table that extends for when you have more guests. Pick matching chairs with high backs and cushions for extra comfort. Some people like to choose a style theme like French Renaissance or Provincial for example, and others like to make it a bit more ‘mix and match’.
An Elegant Dining Room – Photo Courtesy: Andrew Malone
Whatever your preferences, reflect them in your furniture. Choose a beautiful tablecloth to go over the table and invest in some good quality tableware such as cutlery and crockery. You want to make your dinner an occasion after all – so it’s well worth splashing out on some luxuries.
A spirit cupboard or a bar is the perfect thing to finish off your dining room. There is nothing nicer than relaxing with a gin and tonic after a large meal, so have your glasses and mixers ready. Cut crystal glasses add an extra layer of sophistication to any drinks cabinet, as do beautiful decanters.
Make your dining room beautiful enough for a banquet and you’ll be so proud of it that you’ll find yourself hosting very regularly indeed. Better brush up on some mouth-watering recipes then!
Jenny Wadlow is a freelance blogger. She has keen interest in home improvement issues and writes articles highlighting its various facets. She finds french homewares extremely classy and has turned her house into a mini Paris of sorts.
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