Dining room tables provide an important gathering place.
The dining room often serves as the heart of the home. This room is used not only for eating meals, but for gathering and sharing as well. An unattractive, cluttered space may encourage family members to take their meals elsewhere to dine, but a well-decorated dining table will bring everyone together in a warm and inviting area.
Layout
The layout of your dining area will play a large part in the decorating options available to you. A dining table situated in the kitchen should match the decor and style of that room. A rustic wooden table will look out of place next to modern chrome kitchen appliances, while a glass table with metal will look right at home. If you have an unobstructed corner for your dining space, benches or a built-in booth along one or two walls may provide a cozy alternative to traditional dining chairs. An expansive dining room separate from the kitchen allows for a large elegant table that will become the focal point of the entire room.
Style
The style of your dining table will set the mood for the entire room. A rough-hewn wooden table is well-suited to country decorating. A distressed antique piece will go well with French country or Tuscan decor. Clean-lined modern pieces with stainless-steel legs will enhance a room with contemporary features. Lightweight wrought iron will make the room feel like a casual bistro. For a colorful touch, lay ceramic tiles on top of the dining-room table to create a personalized one-of-a-kind piece.
Linen
Good linens can transform even the most ordinary table into a work of art. Imperfect pieces can be easily masked with a tablecloth. Classic white never fails. Layer a runner and place mats onto the table as well for color. These pieces can reflect seasonal themes as they are easy to change from one month to the next. Use pastel florals in spring, bright colors and bold patterns in summer, rustic orange, yellow and red hues in autumn and festive red, silver, green and gold around the winter holidays. For a year-round set of table linens, use colors and styles that enhance your decor such as hand-woven place mats for a country look or all-white linen for a formal affair.
Centerpieces
Centerpieces serve many purposes on a dining-room table. Some pieces are purely decorative, such as fresh-cut flowers, an arrangement of candles or a favorite sculpture. Others are functional as well, like a bowl of fruit, a cake stand of desserts, a basket of bread or an assortment of flavored olive oils. If your dining room table is clutter-prone and often serves as a dumping place for mail, homework and other items passing through, try deterring this with the pieces on the table. Set the table with rolls of silverware in cloth napkins or even full place-settings with dinner plates and soup bowls. These items are attractive and useful at meal time, while taking up enough space to keep unwanted items away.
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