Elegant dining

Whether you have a separate dining room or a dedicated space for dining, the eating area in a home enjoys frequent gathering of family and friends as they share a meal. It therefore helps to decorate it in a way that gives a sense of occasion so that the family enjoys it just as much as when they are entertaining special guests. Consider the following:

Furniture

The style of furniture you select will be determined by the decorating theme in the rest of the house. Depending on the size of the room, a rectangular table will suffice. Find a dining table that you enjoy looking at even without the tablecloth.

The current trend, at least for wooden furniture, is to have high-backed seats. Seat pads should be comfortable so that your guests do not have to rush through their meals due to an uncomfortably hard seat.

If your dining area is small, you can go for a round table which fits well into tighter spaces. Oval tables look a little less rigid and formal than rectangular tables. Allow for adequate space between chairs and between the table and the wall.

Side cabinet

The dining room should be as functional as possible. If space allows, put a side cabinet in the dining area to provide practical and easily accessible storage for table lines, candle holders, cutlery and crockery. The cabinet worktop should be slightly higher than the table to serve as additional space to place dishes and deserts. Rather than overcrowd a tight dining area, you could also place the side-cabinet in a nearby location. Add elegance to the dining table by placing elongated silver candle stands to glam up a casual lunch or formal dinner.

Lighting

Setting the right mood will make or break the ambience in the dining room. A series of small pendant lights running down the centre of the ceiling can look stunning. Use wall bracket lights to illuminate the edges of the table so you do not have people at the edge of the table struggling to see what they are eating.

Regular bulbs will work better if the space is used for multiple functions such as children doing homework. Clear the area of any books and school bags before setting the table for dinner so that when guests look up from their food they do not see a pile of cluttered books or schoolbags.

Paintings

Rather than leave your guests staring at a blank wall, an appropriate painting will add character to your dining space and provide a pleasant picture for your guests to look at. Beware of the visual effect the painting could have on those who view it.

A picture of a bowl of fruit could stimulate appetite for healthy food while one of cakes and wine could create craving for sweet foods and promote alcohol intake.

If you are lucky, the dining area may have a window overlooking a garden where one can enjoy the view at they eat.

Accessories

Classy accessories like place mats, table cloths, table runners and unique fruit bowls, will set the mood when hosting an elegant dinner and can be used as decorative props when not in use.