Life as we know it is so fast moving that people rarely have time to sit at a dining table and enjoy a meal. The need to check our phones or multitask while grabbing a quick bite is constantly holding us back from enjoying a meal and unwinding together with family and friends, which should be one of the best times of the day. After a long day at work, the couch in front of the tv always seems to be more tempting than the dining table which is why more and more people opt for the former rather than the latter.
Change things up by putting in a little bit of effort towards creating a warm and inviting dining room or dining area that you and your family will want to enjoy meals and conversations in. We’re here to help you achieve just that! Here are a few tips on how you can make a really cozy dining space where you can spend some quality time with your family.
Set the mood with colors
Designing a dining room from the scratch means you will have to decide what type of color scheme and décor style you want to go for. Color scheme can play a big role while designing a dining space because colors have a certain amount of influence on our moods. For example, if there are young children residing in the house, it is important to have some amount of bright colors in a room to keep them interested long enough to have a meal. But if you are looking for a more cozy and soothing setting, earthy tones or neutral monochromatic colors might work for you. It really just depends on what type of ambience you find more welcoming. Similarly, it is important to identify what type of interior design aesthetic one identifies with.
Create an impression with Dining Sets
The most important aspect of any dining room is obviously the dining set. Starting with the dining table, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider before 
buying a new dining table.
How much space you have and how many people you need to accommodate: if you have a rather big family or you enjoy playing the host to parties or get-togethers with friends often, you might want to invest in a large wooden dining table. This will however depend on how much space you have dedicated to dining. Extendable dining tables are a great choice for more dining space in smaller spaces. Extendable dining tables can accommodate more people and require less space. If you are looking to make a small dining area for less people, in your kitchen or living room, you could opt for smaller 4-seater dining table sets that could fit in a nice corner. Round tables are also a great choice for smaller spaces. There’s something extra chic about a pretty round table that adds to the cozy inviting feel.
The comfort level and durability: always make sure to check if you and everyone in the family agree on the comfort level of the chairs and table. If someone is not physically comfortable while eating at a table they wouldn’t want to sit at the table again. Consider factors like who is going to sit at the table and how often. We recommend chairs designed to offer maximum comfort as this is the space you’ll want to enjoy a relaxed meal in and engage in good dinner conversation. Wooden chairs with cushioned fabric upholstered seats are a perfect choice. If you have small children who happen to be clumsy, first of all, don’t worry, all children are clumsy. Secondly, you might want to opt for a glass/marble slab dining table because it is much easier to clean. Dark colored dining tables are also a great option as it helps avoid excessive staining and minor stains can easily go unnoticed.
The color and design: if you are making a separate dining room, choose a theme for
the room beforehand, this will make it easier to pick out a dining table set. As much as we love an eclectic style, when making a conjoined dining area with your living room, you need to keep in mind the design style and color scheme of the rest of the room so that you don’t mismatch and end up with 2 completely different styles in the same room. There should be design elements that look cohesive in such set ups to create a well put together space that’s not distracting.
If nothing seems to work out, just know that a classic wooden table can be used in a variety of home designs. Be it modern, vintage, boho or contemporary, a wooden table can be paired with a number of dining chairs to create different looks; a new style that has been trending is to pair a very simple table with several different styles of chairs and settee that are all of the same height. This gives the look of a very chic and modern, yet laid-back style. So, if you are unable to find the right dining table set, you can always buy a separate table and use your creative side to match it with a combination of quirky dining chairs. We also love the dining sets that feature a bench on one side and chairs on the other. This gives an almost café like feel to the space while being extremely cozy, warm and inviting.
A place for everything, with Hutch Cabinets
Shelves are a good way to add variety of decor to your dining room. Hutch cabinets usually have glass door or an open top which can be used to display fancy dinner sets, silverware or champagne glasses. Cabinets or shelves in the dining room can also be used as storage for extra cookware so they are a very resourceful addition to the room. They are also a great way to show off your personality with your unique style of décor pieces or collectibles that you wish to proudly showcase for all to see. These cabinets do a wonderful job of bringing emphasis to the dining room and look very elegant to boot.
Sprinkle some personality with Wall Decor 
In a dining room the main focus is the dining table so it is a good idea to keep the decor of the rest of the room low-key so that it does not look cluttered with unnecessary items. Opt for wall décor instead of placing objects on the floor. Wall décor makes a room look spacious and big. Another way to make a room look big is to place a mirror on the wall next to the dining table. Mirrors add depth to a room and give the illusion that the space is bigger than it actually is. Plus, according to feng shui, the best place to install a mirror in a house is the dining room because it represents wealth and is said to always bless the table with food.
You could also place a nice wall painting on the wall perpendicular to the dining table. When buying wall paintings or any other type of wall hanging, keep in mind that it is for a place where people sit to relax and eat. So, do not overpower the dining room with strong, adrenaline pumping images but instead find something that is soothing and relaxing; food related art also works really well in the dining room.
Break the monotony with area rugs
Placing a rug right below the dining table is another way to make the area look spacious. A rug can be risky when it comes to dining rooms especially if you are a clumsy person. If your floor is a dark color and you’ve chosen a dining set that’s also a dark color, placing a slightly light toned rug below the dining set is a great way to create contrast and make the space look more attractive. If the furniture in your home is of a lighter color and so is your floor, a dark color rug is a great way to break the flow. When it comes to rugs in your dining area, be sure to opt for a material that is easy to clean.
Styling things up with Table Accessories
Don’t forget to place decorative accessories on top of the table so as to not leave it bland since it is the focal point of the room. Depending on the lighting of the room, you could place a bunch of candles on the table or opt for a vase with fresh flowers. There is no wrong way around the table so you can really mix and match accessories of your choice to find what you like on the table. For homes, with little ones, a table linen that’s easy to clean is a great choice to keep your table looking spick and span. Table linens and runners are always a delightful way to make the space more inviting and homely. To keep your table looking great, make sure you use coasters for cups and placemats for plates.
Enhance your dining experience with Light fixtures
Lighting is the key component of any interior design; it really is the sole element that 
determines how the room looks. As much as lighting is about ambience, in a functional space like a dining room, good lighting is a necessity as no one wants to eat food without seeing what they’re eating. It is always a good idea to install a pendant chandelier right on top of the dining table. Symmetry is very important when it comes to chandeliers because distorted asymmetrical lighting can really ruin the overall look of you room. Pendant lights are a great option for smaller dining area settings especially on top of round tables. However, a single one might run small for a large dining room. If you are keen on pendant lights, you could align several pendant lights symmetrically on top of a rectangular table to bring light to the whole table. It would also be a good idea to add mood lighting to the room like table lamps or floor lamps.