Decoding 15 Dining Room Design Ideas With An Expert

The only thing we keep in mind for the dining room is the table, and nothing else. Krsnaa recommends opting for a contemporary design and do away with a traditional table so you can layer it with exotic dinnerware and other elements. A clean contemporary table with a unique table runner does the trick on most days. 

If you like different chairs and designs but stop yourself from getting them just because they don't match, let us introduce you to mismatched seating. Mismatched Seating gives your home a lived in, quirky character. Do away with traditional matching chairs and get some in different designs. 

You can change up your soft furnishings to match the weather and the mood that comes with it, says Krsnaa. While warmer colours like maroons and deep rani pinks feel cosier during winters, opt for cool tones like turquoise and teal to give a freshly washed, clean look during the monsoons since the outdoors reflect the pristine look too. 

While using table runners or napkins in solid colours, one can layer the dining room design with exotic, more vibrant coloured tableware and serve ware and vice versa. You can do a variety of table settings that are suitable and appropriate for different occasions as well. 

While adding prints and colours to your dining hall design can seem super fun, the key is to not overdo it. Krsnaa tells us that a ratio to work with is to keep it to a sixty-forty ratio of using prints and solid colours in any part of the room. Likewise, using a combination of bigger bowls with muted plates and quarter plates works well too. 

Speaking of mismatched seating, Krsnaa recommends using a well-designed bench in the place of two or three chairs to create an asymmetrical look at your dining table. This adds some variety, and you could also use your bench in other spaces, when you have extra guests at home. 

We're a big fan of adding fresh blooms to your spaces to instantly make them come alive. Flowers are an excellent pick-me-up, even for yourself, when you're not expecting company. We'd suggest picking a vase that looks great by itself even when you don't have fresh blooms in it.  

Do away with ceiling lights first, Krsnaa tells us categorically. Lighting in the dining room needs to be mood centric, and can be layered with multiple sources at various spots in the room. Invest in a bunch of chargeable warm lights that you can place at various spots in the room including the table's centrepiece, and for every alternate guest to create a cosy ambience. 

Using contemporary elements in a traditional dining room and vice versa breaks monotony giving you an interesting canvas to play with every day, says Krsnaa. If you have a traditional dining table and other furniture in the dining room, you can offset it with contemporary seating, rugs or shelving units to create a seamless blend of both worlds. 

To create a lived-in character in the dining room, you can get seating or elements that are each upholstered in a different fabric to create a story of each piece, Krsnaa tells us. Further, chairs, benches or ottomans can be picked in materials that can easily be reupholstered or refurbished to give them a new look every once in a while easily. Think rose wood chairs with cushions that can be reupholstered or metal chairs with a distressed look to keep the novelty of your dining room going. 

Wallpaper is a more affordable alternative to creating an accent wall in your dining room. Create a statement wall using a print that best suits your personality. Think botanicals or more thematic wallpapers like a vintage one, says Krsnaa. A good rule to keep in mind is again the 60-40 rule, that lets you play with both prints and solids keeping a balance of both. 

While a lot of art pieces make a bold statement, keep those pieces away from the dining room. Avoid dramatic art, art with loud looking faces or anything that could conjure up conversations about debatable topics, says the designer. Dining is a happy experience and using pleasant art only enhances the vibe. 

Being one of the rooms in your home that constantly experiences activity, keep the setting of the room flexible to accommodate guests and loved ones easily. You can do this by not using up the entire space for one main furniture piece. You should be able to move around most of the elements and furniture in the room so it doesn't feel constricted. 
Krsnaa's Tip: Use ottomans, single seater chairs and benches to your advantage in the dining room to create additional seating.

A bar set up looks pristine in your dining space, especially if you host often. Keep a couple of bottles of wine handy for special occasions, and stack up the bar with a variety of glasses. This is both utilitarian, and looks super interesting in your dining space too. If you can cop one, get a vintage bar shelving unit to add to the charm. 

Here's where soft furnishings shine. Get textures you love like a soft yet hardy rug that can be placed under the table to create a space of its own. This works especially well if your dining room also shares a space with the kitchen or living room.