I recently helped a client make some updates in her dining room.
Th dining room was stuck in 90’s land…formal, mahogany, and booooring.
So many people end up choosing their dining decor
based on two words: convenience and formal.
It is so much easier to walk into a big name furniture store and pick up the dining room package:
table + chairs = china cabinet
And the room is called the formal dining room so it obviously has to be formal, right??
Wrong!
One of the easiest ways to make your home more personalized and functional is to make your formal dining room more inviting and suitable to your family’s lifestyle.
It should not be a room that just sits there all pristine getting no use.
This does not mean that you have to toss the current furniture you own.
Simply update it with a couple of quick tweaks.
#1 Change out hardware
Traditional china cabinets and sideboards tend to have boring hardware (i.e., brass, ornate).
One of the easiest ways to bring them up to date is to switch out drawer pulls and knobs with unique hardware. With my recent client we took her traditional cabinet from ho-hum to cool with these knobs and pulls from Anthropologie:
I have also had luck at home improvement stores, Pier 1 Imports, and Hobby Lobby.
#2 Mix and Match chairs
Nothing says “dining-room-in-a-box” like a table with a set of matching chairs.
SNOOZE-FEST!
Try mixing it up by adding different chairs or a variety of chairs.
Try to use contrasting materials such as woven chairs with a farmhouse table or metal tub chairs with a sleek wooden table.
#3 Personalize with lighting
Think of it as your centerpiece, the light fixture should tell your guests what you are all about.
Fun with a touch of glam…
Cool and casual…
Funky and fresh…
All images via Pinterest