What you wear reflects your personality, and your style at home can be similarly telling. The colours, the textures, the lines of the furniture, and even the things you choose to display all say something about the people who live in the house.
The Sociable Dining Room
A dining room that is used to entertaining and host dinner parties will have plenty of chairs, and it will look ready for the next event at a moment’s notice. Expect to see several sets of crockery on display and perhaps even a cloth on the table. If there is family silver, expect it to be polished. This type of dining room probably hosts family meals and more formal gatherings. There will be lots of storage in this room to hold the tableware, all of which is used regularly.
Special Occasions Only
If there is a single set of “good” dishes and cutlery saved only for the best occasions, chances are the room is used occasionally for birthdays and Christmas. The family sees themselves as informal, but they view the room as a formal space so they normally eat in the kitchen or the living room. Any silver might look a little tarnished because polishing it is not part of the normal cleaning routine.
The Unloved Room
Beyond the “special occasions” room, there is the dining room that is used so infrequently that it becomes little more than a dumping ground for stuff that doesn’t quite fit into another room. It might also be used for teenagers’ homework, crafts or hobbies.
Many studies nowadays stress the importance of family mealtimes, so it’s worth spending a little time on the dining room. Make it a stylish room you will want to show off. An easy, inexpensive way to change the look of the room is through the crockery and serving dishes. There are some really stylish pieces of reproduction designer furniture out there that won’t break the bank, and items such as Pash Living designer chairs take their inspiration from designers without charging you designer prices.
For more ideas on beautiful designer dining rooms, check out sites such as House Beautiful or Country Living.
Whatever you choose, take your time and make sure your dining room reflects the personalities of every member of your family.