For a dream dining nook

In our fast paced lives, dinner is the only meal of the day we enjoy having at home with our family. In modern homes, dining spaces have assumed more significance than ever before. Separate dining rooms are no longer designed, as they are considered to be wasted bits of space. With TV dinners becoming the order of the day in most houses, a living room with a corner reserved for dining is a regular feature in city homes. With a wee bit of creativity, such dining nooks can be made spectacular and inviting for the family to dine together.

At the very outset, it is best to decide on the style we want our dining space to be designed in. Be it contemporary, traditional, or simplistic, choose the furnishing accordingly.

From tables and table cloth to crockery and wall colours, each and every aspect adds that much-needed dash of glam to our dining area.
More often than not, when we think of dining areas, the first thing that comes to our mind is a rectangular table with six to eight chairs arranged around it. Well! It’s high time we exercised our creative cells a bit and focused on fashioning a captivating dining area.
A casual stroll in the furniture market is just enough to acquaint us with the many new designs of dining tables.

Round, oval, square or rectangle, the table that occupies the pride of place in the dining nook should complement the overall furnishing of the living room. Come to think of it, round dining tables with elegant chairs and glass tops are a rage now.
But, if you already own an old-fashioned rectangular-shaped dining table, don’t fret. Just cover it with a lacy table cloth or, better still, with square white table cloths by placing a square at each end and then placing the third one at an angle in the middle to cover the gap. It sure looks elegant. And, of course, not to forget stylish mats and coasters to top the table and lend the dining area a welcome look.

Chair styles, upholstery
Diverse dining chair styles and upholstery too add to the beauty of the dining area. Fortunately for us, when it comes to choosing dining chairs, there’s a wide variety on offer. While wooden chairs lend that much-wanted rustic appeal, elegantly designed steel chairs with cushions for the back and seat go a long way in making the dining area gleam. It also pays to lend a serious thought to the colour of the chair upholstery. It is best to see that it is as contrasting in colour to the living room furniture as possible.
Though the dining space is just an extension of the living room, there should be some provision for the storage of cutlery, crockery, and the like.
For such purposes, wall cabinets, racks, shelves and China cupboards can be elegantly fitted into a corner close to the table.

If these cabinets and shelves are an after-thought and are jutting out of the wall, then place an elegant vase full of your choicest blooms to lend the dining nook a refreshing look.

In fact, these cabinet tops can even double up as buffet tables when you have a lot of guests for dinner and your cozy table is not able to hold all the delicacies you have painstakingly dished out for the special occasion.
Lighting plays a key role
When it comes to creating the right ambience, can the role of lighting be discounted? A soft dining lamp that is fitted into the ceiling and the length of which is adjustable, does the trick.

And, for hot summer night dinners, it is best to have wall-mount fans near the dining nook to make the dining experience pleasurable. Creating an atmosphere just ideal for family dinners is impossible without appropriate wall colours. According to experts in colour therapy, bright colours stimulate conversation around the dinner table and red whets appetite! Rich colours on the dining nook walls are also believed to add depth to the space, making it look opulent.
However, choose the colour that blends well with the living room and be sure to match it with your dining table and its chairs.

If desirous of making the dining nook seem larger, then go in for mirrors. They work wonders in making the dining space seem roomy and also enhance light during the day.
Another element that’s of prime importance in making the dining space as comfortable as possible is the flooring. It is best to cover the dining space with a rug that’s comforting to our tired soles. While choosing the rug for the dining space, it is best to go in for one that’s easy to clean. For, spills and food crumbs are unavoidable in the dining space.
It is generally said that a family that eats together, stays together. So, let’s transform our dining spaces and create an atmosphere that’s perfect for intimate family dinners.