Designs on the Dining Room

by Adrian How

The dining area is usually where families, busy as they are, come together for meals. It is a place where families converse about the events of the day, happenings at work, discussions about school, and perhaps the occasional (perhaps frequent) banter about one of the Premier League’s top four clubs.

Many yearn to have the dining hall separate from the living area and this is usually achieved in medium to large sized landed properties rather than small to medium sized apartments. However, even in apartments, I’ve seen folks convert an unused bedroom into the dining area to great effect. Done well, it can create a wonderful sense of privacy, a very cozy feel coupled with possibly a great view. If you’re planning to convert a room into a dining space, consider using large wall mirrors to provide additional spatial sense thus making the dining feel larger than it actually is. Large horizontally stretched mirrors, ideally not much longer than the length of the dining table is ideal. However, if space becomes a constraint, a mirror hung vertically can create a desired effect as well. A classy cutlery cabinet is always a nice addition and makes preparation a lot more convenient too.

Finding the right dining set

Before wading through seas of furniture, you need to be able to identify with the theme of your dining room. As with anything in life, decision making is less complicated when you know WHAT it is you want – in this case, having a rough inkling of that helps to greatly narrow down your options when you step into furniture outlets. The dining hall is a place where families and their guests get together to eat, drink and be merry hence it is critical that the furniture you choose for it reflects your personality which in turn connects with a theme you might have in your head. For a classy look, cherry or dark wood finishing with a tempered glass top is always going to work in most any home. If your dining hall is generally painted or littered with items of a dark shade of colour, a light coloured dining table will draw attention to it.

Gone are the days where wood is the choice material for dining tables. Today, many modern homes opt for glass, metal or synthetic fiber sets which add a modern contemporary feel. Smooth, beveled, rounded-off edges seem to be in fashion at this moment – a plus point is that it reduces the need to further childproofing if you’ve got little ones running around the home like we do. A trend that I particularly like is the ‘pick and mix’ method where instead of buying an entire five or seven piece set – table and chairs – one purchases the items individually to create a shabby chic outcome. A nice wooden table can easily be complemented with modern chairs on metal legs or even a set of the iconic Panton chairs. The limits are endless but the key thing to note is to ensure that the height of the chairs purchased separately is adequate in order not to make the dining experience an uncomfortable one.

Size and shape of the dining table is another key factor or determinant. Ensure that the shape and size of the dining table that you select does not overwhelm the space that you will put it in. Why buy a large set if you have a small family? Why buy a small set if you’ve got a large space? Try not to overwhelm but avoid underwhelming the dining space as well. The size of the dining table must be proportionate to the size of the dining area. There must be adequate space between the chairs and the walls to prevent discomfort. A good space saving tip would be to put the dining table against the wall if the extra seating is not required and only draw it out when you have guests to host. I personally like rectangular dining tables for small to medium sized spaces because they can easily be shifted and fitted against walls and corners to free up more space.

Table setting

Most people seldom pay attention to this until they have guests arriving. Should you decide to decorate and set up the dining table everyday for your family or only when you are hosting a dinner, here are a few simple tips to impress:

A centrepiece is key – the traditional favourite would be to house a bouquet of artificial flowers. This method is rather dated. Upscale by putting a piece of modern contemporary art such as a bust, an artsy tray, a decorative accent, large assorted sized scented candles, small modern sculptures. This brings immediate focus and attention to the dining table and can be a conversational item between you and your guests. Modern tall vases or short and broad ones with fresh flowers work pretty well too
Table setting – leather placemats are the rage these days. Bright placemats against dark table tops work extremely well. Plain coloured woven placemats can be affordably purchased from IKEA to add a modern look to any dated table. Runners down the middle of the table can add character as well
Crockery and cutlery – it doesn’t hurt to pay a little extra for a good set of cutlery as it is likely to remain in good condition for many years. A very nice way to set your table is to have feature plates placed on each placemat. Liven up the dining experience by getting artistic plates or oddly shaped ones.
Accesories – it never hurts to have napkins on the table. A nice set of salt and pepper shakers can add a nice finishing touch as well. I got mine for quite a steal during a trip to Bali some years ago – modern contemporary salt and pepper shakers for RM6!

For the DIY in you

I subscribe to the school of thought that you don’t always need to purchase furniture if you can’t find the right one. You can always turn what’s existing into a favourable item. The folks at Canton-i got creative and used Chinese wooden doors, complete with large brass knockers as the base for the table, with an elevated glass top as the surface. You can do the same with an old door by perhaps painting it creatively and cutting a piece of glass to fit above it.

Tiling a table top or creating a cool mosaic is another viable option to turn old tables into designer looking ones in no time. A great idea to convert old dated glass top tables would be to apply modern decals on it to literally transform it into an attractive boutique furniture item. For chairs, adding custom seat covers with modern eclectic print can be an option to spice up the dining area. The boundaries to what you can do to transform your dining room into a cosy, desirable space are limitless, bound only by the borders of your imagination.

originally written for and published by the news straits times