The dining room is usually the heart of every home - a cosy space to share meals with family, catch up with friends over coffee, and entertain guests.

We love a beautifully designed dining room, but there are definitely some things to keep in mind to ensure your dining space works for your home. From choosing the right dining table and dining chair combination, to making a small dining space look more spacious, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to share with you below!

If you’re currently searching for some dining room inspiration, keeping reading for some of our favourite styling ideas and practical advice to keep in mind.

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Consider the right shape & width

Choosing the right dining table will be instrumental to the functionality of your dining room space. After all, your dining table will be the focal feature of your dining room, so it’s important to find a table that fits the space you have available.

When it comes to choosing the perfect dining table, think first about the layout of your dining room. Do you have plenty of room to fill, or is it a smaller space with tighter corners?

If you’re working with a smaller space such as a unit or townhouse, a round dining table will probably be the most functional choice, taking up less room while still allowing for traffic flow in and out. Whereas for bigger dining areas, a long rectangular dining table can make a beautiful statement.

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You’ll also want to think about how you plan to use the space. For example, if you love entertaining friends and sharing meals across the table, you’ll want to consider a wider dining table to accommodate for this.

Remember to allow enough space between your table and chairs and the surrounding walls and furniture, too. You might want to measure up the space you have available in your home, and keep these dimensions handy when shopping for your dining table setting.

Another tip: if your home has an outdoor dining setting, it can be worth choosing indoor and outdoor tables that are similar in height and width - this will allow you to push them together for any special occasions you might host like family barbecues and holiday lunches.

Choose materials to complement your home

Does your dining room low directly through to your kitchen or living room? If so, you’ll need to keep these surrounding areas in mind when choosing dining room furniture, to ensure it will compliment the existing aesthetic of your home.

Think about the kind of colours, textures and finishes you’ve used in the areas closest to your dining room (such as bar stools, bench tops, cabinetry and living room furniture) and try to replicate or compliment this with the pieces you choose for your dining space. For a Hampton-inspired home, a white timber table with classic cross back chairs would be a great fit, whereas something more modern with raw materials, leather, wire or metal would work better for an industrial-inspired design.

Keep it comfortable

If you and your family spend a lot of time at the dining table, you’ll want to choose comfortable dining chairs that will stand the test of time! Comfy, sturdy dining chairs are a worthwhile investment, so take some time to test out different chairs in person. An upholstered dining chair or something with a padded seat are great choices if comfort is a high priority for your dining setting. You can see, touch and feel our dining chair designs in-store at our Tweed Heads showroom.

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Maximise the available space

Working with a small dining area? There are some clever tricks to keep in mind if you’d like to make your dining room look and feel more spacious. As mentioned above, a round dining table can help to make a smaller space feel bigger. But you can also opt for a dining table with a glass top which will reflect natural light, choose sheer drapes for your dining room, or add a mirror or two into the space!

Frame your setting

Framing your dining area with a hero artwork, buffet table or statement pendant lights will help to make the room look complete. This can be especially helpful for an open-plan home as it will “define” the dining area as a seperate zone.

Statement artworks can also be a great talking point when entertaining guests and welcoming visitors into your home, while pendant lights can create a warm ambience and atmosphere for evening dinners.

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Add accessories

Make your dining room feel homely by adding potted plants, floral arrangements, candles, coasters, table runners and statement tableware. You don’t need to go overboard with styling details, but a simple mix of accessories and tableware that you love and use time and time again will create an interesting, inviting space for the whole home to enjoy!

You can shop our full range of dining room furniture including dining tables, dining chairs, homewares, artworks and more online or in-store at our Tweed Heads showroom (with AfterPay available). We also offer in-home and pre-build interior design consultations, giving you peace of mind while our qualified interior designers create the perfect space to suit your requirements. Get in touch for more information on our interior design services!