Going Big: How to Decorate a Small Dining Room
Posted On January 4, 2023Decorating a small dining area may be a challenge as a shortage in space can create restrictions. But you can still make your small dining room visually appealing without sacrificing comfort and function. Whether you’re going for a modern look or a minimalist design, your options are endless.
We’ve listed down a few design tips and tricks to help you maximize every square footage and make a big impression with your small space.
13 Decorating Ideas for Small Dining Rooms
1. Plain and clean-cut furniture
If you’re decorating a small dining area, choose simple furniture. A straightforward table and chairs with exposed legs, for instance, will create a spacious segment. You can also opt for high wooden stools to further strip the furniture to its bare minimum. You can also use a circular table with a round base to save more space.
2. Take advantage of windows
Situate your dining area next to the windows. The outside view will create the illusion of a bigger space, while the natural light will make your dining area look more airy and welcoming. Whether it’s gloomy or sunny outside, you can always enjoy your coffee and breakfast as you sit by your window-side dining table.
3. Use neutral colors
Neutral colors like frost or alabaster are great choices for the walls around your small dining room. Both will work well with natural light streaming through the window and reflect them around the small area.
You can go for muted shades like teal or current if you want to put your own spin on a minimalist design. Muted colors also work great under natural light, especially if your dining room already has lots of windows.
4. Hang mirrors
Speaking of reflections, you can also use mirrors to make the area brighter. The mirrors will reflect spaces around the area and produce a wider perspective. This will also create the illusion of a bigger space, giving you more options for decor that can complement your current layout.
5. Sectional bench
To further save space, you can place a sectional bench around the walls of your dining area. This eliminates half the chairs needed to complete your dining room setup while making the setting more intimate.
What’s more, it can act as a workstation or study area since it has all the space you need whenever you’re not using it for meals.
6. Creating sections between two distinct spaces
Another trick you can use to decorate your small dining room is to orient it between the kitchen and living room. You can use different furniture arrangements instead of adding more decor to define these spaces.
You can add a hanging pendant lamp or similar light fixtures to separate these areas further. The overhead lights are a simple way to define your dining room with the rest of the sections in your space.
7. Use a folding shoji screen
You can also use room dividers like a folding shoji screen to act as barriers between spaces. These screens are versatile options since you can move them easily and fold them away when not in use.
Whether you want a good view of your living room while eating dinner or keep your dining area enclosed for a more intimate setting, folding screens are always a great choice for creating that much-needed visual divide and partition.
8. Dining nook
Another design trick you can use is to position your dining area in a small, cozy nook. That could either be near the living room or the kitchen.
Use the elements mentioned above to save as much space as you can. Mirrors, overhead light fixtures, slim furniture, and neutral colors will help you design a cozy dining nook.
9. Add rugs to your dining area
You can also utilize area rugs to add more dimension to your dining space. You can use small round rugs to anchor and support your dining table and chairs and give your space a more cozy vibe. Avoid using large area rugs, as these can make your room look small and cramped.
If you want more style and patterns, wine or lemon round area rugs are also great alternatives. The warm and lively colors will make you and your guests feel hungrier. You can also place them near your windows so that they can reflect more natural light and make the room appear brighter.
10. Hang paintings and other art on the wall
Artworks are great for adding personality to the space. You can keep it simple and have landscape or still-life paintings on the walls of your dining room. It all depends on what type of art you want. Paintings and similar wall decor are also great conversation starters as you and your guests eat delicious meals.
11. Floating shelves
Adding floating shelves to your dining area is another ingenious way of saving space and making the space look stylish. These floating shelves use up space that you’ll otherwise waste if you go for conventional cabinets and similar installations. You can place recipe books, plants, speakers, or other memorabilia on these shelves to add more character to your dining room.
12. Sliding Doors
If you’ve chosen to place your small dining room near a kitchen door, you’d want to switch that door to a sliding one. That way, you’re eliminating another element that consumes space. These doors function the same way as folding screens since they don’t use that much space and can slide or fold away if you don’t need them.
13. Vertical and horizontal lines
You can use different lines to make your room appear more spacious. Vertical lines going up the wall can make your ceiling and the whole room look taller. On the other hand, horizontal lines do the opposite and make the room appear wider. Use these lines on specific spots around your dining area so you can make particular areas in the space feel roomy.
Combine using these lines with round area rugs and tiles with similar patterns, and you’ll produce an expanded perspective for the rest of the room.
Get Ingenious when Decorating Small Dining Rooms
Our dining experience plays an important role in making our day a bit brighter. As such, it’s always a good idea to put extra effort into making our eating space cozier and more inviting, whether or not we have a big or a small space.
Using all these tricks – lighting, linear illusions, visual cohesions – will help you achieve this. And by adding your unique spin to them, you’ll be able to refine your home to a warmer corner of your existence.
For more interior design tips and inspiration, visit the Cyrus Artisan Rugs blog today.
