In a time when many families are foregoing formal dining rooms, a traditional dining room can feel stuffy or boring. Update your dining room and make it one of your favorite places to gather. Read on to find out how to make your traditional dining room more interesting.
1. Mix and Match the Chairs
Homeowners who love casual dining spaces often add carefree charm with colorful, mismatched chairs. But this creative approach to seating isn’t only for a dine-in kitchen or breakfast nook.
One important thing to consider when mixing and matching dining room chairs is to have cohesive elements for a more put-together look. For example, rather than having each chair in a different color and style, consider keeping most of the chairs in a neutral color and having a few in an accent color. If you mix seating types, such as benches and chairs, keep the colors similar and choose pieces in the same design style.
Mixing up seating options in this way makes your traditional dining space look more modern and fun. But by limiting how much you vary, you hold onto the feeling of familiarity that people love about traditional spaces.
2. Painted Walls and Furniture
Another way to make your traditional dining room more interesting is to freshen it up with paint. The Pantone color system includes over a thousand options that standardize colors in printing industries. But the Pantone Color Matching System is also a great tool for homeowners who want to understand trends, find inspiration, and understand how to combine colors to create the ideal mood.
Painting the walls or furniture is one of the best ways to transform the room. If you have dark furniture or mismatched shades of wood between furniture pieces, painting one piece can brighten the room and make it feel more put-together.
3. Change the Lighting
Replacing the lighting fixture above your dining room table is one of the fastest switches you can make. But you can create a more dynamic experience with other lighting styles that add drama and give you diverse ways to showcase the room.
The central light fixture should evenly light the whole table, so hang the fixture at the correct height for an optimal glow, generally 30–36 inches above the table.
Additional light sources throughout the room add ambience and depth. Consider lighting up a decorative display, such as your china cabinet, or using LED tealight candles on sideboards.
