Dining Area: The Heart of Our Home

By now, you most probably know and understand the essence of a functional dining room. The dining area is the part of the home where most families gather around to chit chat while having a decent meal and some refreshments, even after some time of separation. This is especially the case during important occasions and holidays. More often than not, this is where families gather for meals, tell stories and jokes, reconnect, and make fun of each other.

In most homes, however, it is not uncommon to find that the dining area has been neglected right from the architectural design to how often we’re utilizing the dining area. Most of us are spending too much time on gadgets and TV that we’ve completely forgotten the essence of a dining area. The traditional dining areas lacked so many things yet they were an integral part of the home. To make the dining area the heart of your home and as luxurious as you can, it is important to play a part in the selection of the home or alternatively contribute towards the designing of the dining area. For instance, if it’s a finished apartment or home, there are a few things that can be added to ensure that the dining area remains as functional as it possibly can. In this article, we’ll be sharing some ideas on improving the functionality of your dining area. Here’s how to make the dining area the heart of your home.

1. Décor

The decor is one of the most important aspects in a home. If your interior decor is lacking, your guests and neighbors will hardly compliment you. Additionally, the mood and liveliness in a dining area can be determined or impacted on by its furnishing and decoration. To make your dining area look like the center of all functionality and beauty in your home, you may only need to play around with a few accessories that will make it more lively and spruced up. When decorating your dining area, there are quite a number of factors needed to be considered: 

• Color – Color plays a vital role in defining the look and feel of the dining area. To make it more vibrant and lively, bright colors will absolutely do. Dark colors will only make the room appear dark and gloomy. Nevertheless, some dark colors will accentuate a rustic dining design. Mixing some colors and patterns creatively can also go a long way in fixing a boring dining area. Highlighting the architectural design and detailing with color will also help to spruce things up.

• Furniture – The dining furniture forms the integral part of the dining room as well as that of your home. This is where you’ll be entertaining your guests during birthday parties and festive celebrations with family and friends. You’ll, therefore, need to ensure that the table is of the right size and shape, made with durable materials and finish, and to add to this, the chairs need to be functional as well as match with the table. The article from Modern Digs on 14 Modern Dining Table Designs for 2019 explains the size, design, and color of your dining table will determine the overall look and feel of your dining area as well as its functionality. There are so many material options to choose from, including wood, plastic, metal, and synthetic options.

• Curtains – The dining table and chairs are not the only functional objects in a dining area. There are other accessories that help to accentuate the dining space such as curtains. If, for instance, your dining area has a window, it’s important that you invest the right curtains or drapes. These can help to soften your dining in a way that tables and chairs alone cannot. When choosing the right dining room curtains, you want to ensure that they will work for you. Depending on the size of the window, flowing curtains that plash on the floor will work for large windows. In addition to this, ensure that the fabrics and patterns match those of the interior décor. For instance, you will want your tablecloth and the color of the wall to be in harmony.

2. Functionality

It’s very important to consider how you want your dining area to be designed. Before you make your decision, however, it is important that you put functionality into consideration. There’s a huge difference between a formal dining room and a functional one. Formal dining rooms are fancier and well equipped while functional dining rooms are casual but will still serve the purpose. Between these two options, you’ll note that there is a distinctive difference in furniture, décor, lighting, and accessories. For instance, formal dining rooms are more conservative, darker, and contain hashed toned attire. While on the other hand, a functional dining room will be simplistic to include robust designs that serve the purpose of strength and comfort.

3. Size

The dimensions of your dining room will dictate so many things. This may include sitting capacity, size of furniture, size of dining rags, and size of the curtains to mention but a few.  In addition to this, you also need to leave some clearance to facilitate movement. There are other things that can have an impact on the size of the dining area, some of which may include: 

• Design elements

• Size of windows

• Fireplace

• Size of the ding table

• Door location

Once you’ve carefully considered these elements, they’ll help to determine the right size of the dining area your family needs.

4. Comfort

The dining area isn’t a place where meals are only shared. It’s the place where relationships are built, family and friendship ties are strengthened, and a place where your memories are created. This means that it should not only serve the purpose, but should also meet comfort needs. Deciding on what makes your dining area comfortable and luxurious may be somewhat challenging, especially considering the fact that there are so many things at play. It’s imperative to invest in comfy furniture (dining table and chairs), cool lighting, and an inviting ambiance. You also need to invest in dining room accessories that will not only accentuate the room, but form an attractive foundation of form and functionality, which may include the following: 

• Candlesticks

• Vases and bowls

• Placemats

• Serving trays

For you to achieve a dining space that is so dear and meaningful to you, it’s imperative to have every member contribute towards designing, furnishing, and decorating it. This way, everyone will have a part in the same as well as some memories to share in it all. Nonetheless, with the above tips, you’ll definitely make your dining area the heart of your home.