Family prayer, playing board games, completing puzzles, legos, and celebrating holidays....where do all these family activities happen? That’s right…the dining room! The dining room serves so many purposes, but having a functional space for your family and friends to gather is the main reason.
Today we are going to give 6 helpful tips on how to create a beautiful and practical dining space for your family.
Your Lighting Makes an Impact
To keep your dining room welcoming and charming, we suggest having a variety of lighting. A grand chandelier makes such a bold statement and shows personal style. A simple update to your chandelier can make a major impact on the room. You can also purchase dimmers for your dining room lights. We recommend dimmers to help with creating the mood for numerous events. Nothing is better than attending a light and bright brunch or an intimate dinner party! Both of these moods are created solely by light.
It Doesn’t All Have to be Formal
Obviously, your table and chairs play a major role in your dining room! However, dining rooms don’t have to be over the top formal if that is not your style. In fact, we do not have anything match in our dining room, and that is just the way we like it. We have a wood table, black chairs, a distressed bench, and to finish it off two linen end chairs. It’s okay to not have everything match!
Furthermore, many people inherit formal dining room tables from family. If you want to make these tables a bit more casual just change the chairs out. We think an eclectic look in the dining room gives great character.
Make Your Décor Functional Too
Your home is supposed to be filled with items you love, right? Well, in your dining rooms it’s no different. Instead of spending tons of money on home décor, just use dining pieces that we already have. We love collecting white serving ware. Where do we store these amazing items? We display these items in our buffet. We also have accents that family has given us over the years. This gives a personal touch to your buffet and makes for a great conversation starter at parties. It’s a sweet way to honor your family’s history and the things that represent what you love.
Make Your Dining Rooms Functional for Your Family
Many homes have two dining spaces; however, don’t be scared to use one of them for a different purpose. When our kiddos were small, we transformed the formal dining room into a playroom. It was more functional for our family at the time. It worked out perfectly, and when our boys got older, we changed it back to a formal dining room. You could also use one of your dining rooms for an office, sitting room, or craft room. If you ever need some extra space at this point in your life, don’t be scared to transition one dining space.
Additionally, we love a beautiful table setting. It makes our hearts go pitter-patter. As much as anyone wants a magazine-worthy dining room, make sure your dining room is functional for your family too. We would love to have the table set at all times, but if that doesn’t exist in your homes that’s okay. Use your dining space for building legos, family game nights, and completing homework. The dining room is about gathering and having conversations with your family…not just about eating. BUT… Let’s be honest… We all love the eating part too.
A Quick Entertaining Tip
When entertaining be mindful of your centerpieces. Who doesn’t love a large centerpiece? Even though we love a grand centerpiece especially for photos on Instagram, having a large vase that doesn’t allow you to see the guests across from you isn’t going to make for the greatest dinner conversation. When you are hosting, it’s best to keep your centerpieces and flowers at a level that allows your guests to see across the table.
Buffet Décor Idea:
Buffets can be a challenge to decorate. In case you don’t know how to go about decorating your buffets, we have a visual for you. Every item is serving ware we already had!
We hope this post has given you some quick, helpful tips on how to make your dining room beautiful but also functional for your family. We would love to see your dining rooms! Please send us pictures on Instagram @theoldrivenest.com.
Blessings,
Amber & Brooke
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