There was as time when large dining rooms were the desire of many homeowners because they offered the ability to formally entertain large groups of family and friends. While a may limit your options for a formal dining experience, it equally opens up creative opportunities to make the eating space fun and inviting. By default, a room lacking in square footage provides a blank canvas for intimacy.
Evaluate Yor Space
Take note of the design of your dining room:
How much space do you have? Don't focus on how much space you don't have, but instead center around what you can do with the space you do have.
Where are your windows located? Small spaces can feel larger if you they are lighter. Therefore, it is important not to block any natural light you may have available--no matter how little there may be.
Where are your access points? Take note of where your doorways, hallways and walking areas are. You want to make sure they remain exposed and avoid furniture placement that would result in obstructing the natural path. This makes a room feel uncluttered and more significant.
Where are your electrical outlets located? If you plan to add lamp lighting to a room, you want to consider placement of these items based on the availability of power. Stretching extension cords across the room or under rugs creates an environment that suggests clutter or misplacement.
What is the paint color of your room? Dark colors absorb light while lighter colors reflect light. The goal is to reflect as much light as you can in a small space, while creating interest.
View your room as a blank canvas and plan based on what you have. Measuring your room and sketching the floor plan on paper will help you to two-dimensionally identify each of the aspects listed above. You can then make photocopies of the base plan to produce many drafts on paper before actually implementing a design into a room. This can save you time and cost.
Creative juices
This is the fun part. Start scanning magazines, Internet pages or home improvement channels to develop an idea of what you want your room to feel like. Always keep in mind that the bigger the furniture you place in a room, the smaller your room will feel; therefore, it is best to select designs that make use of petite furnishings while still creating an interest in the room. Here are some examples of unique designs that can be easily and cost-effectively applied:
• Asian theme: What a better way to design for a small space than to reproduce a room that uses clean lines and meager furnishings? A long, rectangular coffee table can easily be repainted or stained and centered in the room. Instead of chairs, you can furnish each seating space with a 16x16-inch or larger colorful pillow. The pillows can all match or not, as long as they all complement each other and are overstuffed to allow for wear. If additional lighting is to be used in the room, hang a lantern style lamp that hangs low and centered over the table. Another option for lighting is to wall mount sconces that reflect the light upward toward the ceiling. You can demand more attention to the room by painting the two shorter walls a lighter color than the longer walls to make the room appear more square. You may also choose a semi-gloss paint to help reflect that lighting. Window treatments should be simple and flexible. If the window is very narrow, then hang the rod so it overextends the width of the window. Using sheer panels will not only pass the light through, but will also make the window appear wider when they are opened and pushed to the side. The inside hems of the panel should align with the width of the window. Avoid placing larger pieces of furniture in the room such as buffets and china cabinets. Keep it simple and clean. Ideally, you would have an area rug under the table and cushions to define the eating area, but do not extend all the way to any wall. Decorate your table with colorful square dishes to keep your lines clean, and harmonize your walls with subtly small bamboo prints, or scenery prints that fit the theme.
• Bistro theme: Making use of a tall bistro table can also create an intimate setting. If you have the space to set the table toward a corner, try it to create more of an open space within the room. You can tuck a floor lamp behind the table (if electrical outlets allow) to initiate a warm, personal space. You don't want to impede any lighting source, so consider hanging just a valance over the window. Again, hang it so that the bottom of the valance barely covers the top edge of the window to give the appearance of a larger window. In the open space, you can put a narrow table or tea cart that may hold your coffee pot, cups, creamer, sugar, etc. This gives a dual purpose of making a useful breakfast nook area as well as a dining room. Because the bistro table is tall, you can use taller artwork on opposite walls to create a balance within the room. Something with a café or French flair works well. Do not use an area rug in this instance since the bistro table set already defines the eating space. Table decorations should be kept simple and uncluttered.
• Whimsical theme: If you're looking for fun and color, then let your imagination run wild. Center a round table in the room with four unmatching chairs. Feel free to use paint, and color each one differently. You might even want to paint the top of the table with a chalkboard paint (two coats at least), then personalize using a paint pen to write inspirational quotes around the edge--or even the name of the family member who sits in that spot. Beaded curtains add charm and need to be hung only to the width of the window, but hang them above the window from just below the ceiling. Steer clear of adding lamps or furniture on the floor since the table set is usually a little bigger in this scenario, so instead look to your walls for opportunities to decorate. Place a hanging plant inside an old painted birdcage and affix it from the ceiling in one of the corners, use vinyl lettering to rub fun passages on the wall, hand-paint a garden fence about 30 inches from the floor that circles the walls of the room (or paint and staple actual fence pickets).
Summary
The objective is to create something inspiring and different in your small dining room space, all while not breaking the bank. Seek out yard sales and consignment shops for furniture you can easily paint or refinish. Look outdoors for things you can clean up and bring inside. Look in other rooms for items you can bring into your small space. Only bring items into the space if it adds value to your theme and avoid bringing in items just because they have always been there before. And finally, think outside the box and have fun with it.
Tags: your room, small space, bistro table, space have, width window