How to Decorate Your Dining Room Ready For Hosting
Oh, the joys of hosting – gathering around the table with your loved ones, exchanging heartfelt words, and even heartier food – is there anything more fulfilling? Well, you could make those moments so much better by investing in relaxing, soothing, mood-setting dining room decor.
So, let us show you the best dining room inspiration ideas to truly wow your guests and create the dining room decor that reflects your personality!
Continue reading, below, for our top four dining room design ideas to get your space ready for hosting.
1. Choose the staple piece
When it comes to dining room decor ideas, it only makes sense to start with the centrepiece of the room: the dining table.
Whether you’re after a modern rounded marble tabletop or a classic rectangular wood table, it’s important to take style and shape into account. And lucky for you, we’ve got loads of dining room ideas to share with you! So, let’s start with materials.
For a warm and homely dining room design, wood and oak are ideal, bringing cottage-chic into the heart of your dining area.
And of course, we have glass tables, a clean and classic option for any dining room decor.
The shape and size of your table can work wonders on perfecting your dining room design too. For example, a circle table encourages conversation, so all you need to do is keep the food flowing. And square tables are perfect for popping in corners, meaning you have more space in your dining area for the likes of drink trolleys or sideboards.
Extendable tables are another dining room idea for smaller spaces. Simply keep the table tucked away when not in use - and then when guests are over, all you need to do is fold out the ends to seat everyone comfortably.
2. Serve the food in style
So, now you’ve got the table sorted, you’ll want some fancy crockery to serve meals on.
If you fell in love with the idea of a marble table, then a simple white dining set will complement this modern style best. And to really elevate the dining room design, a set with gold or silver edging brings a touch of glamour to this back-to-basics design.
Then there’s the simplistic beauty of a wood or oak table, which suits so many different dining room ideas. You could go colourful with a sage green dining set, but if you prefer darker tones, a deep ocean blue shade will work well too. Or, for a more maximalist dining room design that goes all out on cottage-chic, go for some vintage floral printed crockery. Who says everything has to match?!
Lastly, if a glass table is for you, then you could really lean into the clean aesthetic and go for glass dining sets as well. Alternatively, add a touch of personality with some hand-crafted crockery in baby pink or soft stone shades – which will really pop against the glass table!
Of course, you’ll want to keep your crockery and dining table in tip top condition, so don’t forget coasters and place mats when dreaming up your perfect dining room design.
3. Don’t forget the storage
Fed up of constantly moving back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room to serve more drinks and nibbles? Well, by investing in some storage dining room furniture, you can keep all the essentials to hand and not miss a moment with your guests.
A simple trick is to pick up a drinks trolley. Instead of having to nip back to the kitchen every time someone wants a top up, you can simply store glasses and drinks on this and keep it close by - keeping the bubbly flowing for you and everyone else!
Since we’ve just gone over some lovely dining room inspiration for plates, you’ll want somewhere to keep these safe, accessible, and on display - and a sideboard is perfect for this! You can keep the fancy guest plates stored away in a convenient place to grab when needed.
4. Set the mood with lighting
Now you’ve got all your essential dining room ideas sorted, it’s time to put together the finishing touches with some dining area decor ideas.
After all, hosting is all about creating the right atmosphere to get people feeling comfortable and the conversation flowing. The best way to do this is to set up mood lighting. And whether you’re going for soft and intimate pendant light or a grandiose chandelier, you’ll want soft and warm toned light bulbs to keep the space feeling cosy.
In terms of light shades, pendant lights help to bathe the table and guests in a warm glow, while leaving the background darker. This is great to really draw the focus to the table and the people surrounding you. However, having loved ones round is a celebration - and nothing says celebration more succinctly than a chandelier. Hang this just above the dining table, and let the delicate, stylish, draped jewels do the rest.
To really set the mood, a great dining design idea is to install a dimmer switch for your lights. This means you can control how harsh or soft the light is, letting you keep it brighter so people can see what they’re eating, or tone it down to a soft glow for the after dinner conversations.
Ready to bring your dining room idea to life? Start shopping for dining tables, dining chairs, and dining sets in our luxurious collections. Or if you’d like more décor advice on bedrooms, living rooms, or dining rooms, head over to the DFS inspiration page.
