Decorating a dining room
By Dr Tasnova Amin
Dining room is the place where family and friends gather for everyday meals, great conversations and celebration of all sorts of occasions. Nice and comfortable dining table and chairs, lighting, storage units, floor rugs _ all these piece together to make a dining room cozy and stylish.
Hopefully, the ideas below will help you decorate your dining room according to your taste!
Size is crucial
The size of the room will determine the dimensions and number of furniture you put in.
- Dining table and chairs: While choosing the dining table, the most important thing is whether it is the right size for your family. It should also be comfortable, unique and appealing to your taste. The table should be large enough for each person to claim a wide enough space to sit and eat comfortably. If the room is small, place the table in the centre _ a round table works nicely in a small space or square room. But if the room is very large, the table can be placed closer to one wall for coziness. A rectangular or oval table is well suited to large or long and narrow spaces.
For chairs, if possible, allow at least a two-foot gap between the wall and the backs of pulled-out chairs. You can change the look of the dining room by simply changing the fabric or colour of chairs.
Centerpieces are great for dcor, but too many objects look cluttered, so try to keep it minimal.
- Other furniture: Include furniture that provides lots of storage options, as well as display and food serving areas. Buffet and sideboards provide a flat top holding area with storage space below. Glass cabinets are also a good option to display and store crockery and show pieces.
- Lighting: Good lighting is extremely important. Sometimes you may prefer a romantic candlelight dinner, while another time you may need strong lighting. Bright lighting is essential when serving meals. A chandelier over the dining table and table lamps near the sideboard or buffet emphasise each spaces unique purpose. A chandeliers lowest point should be 36 inches above the centre of the table to avoid blocking anyones view.
- Rug: A nice area rug under the table defines the dining space. The rug should extend at least 2 feet beyond a tables sides to accommodate occupied chairs.
- Other accessories: Decorate the dining space with less clutter, but certain little things make the dining area pretty. Hang some paintings on the wall. If the paintings are small in size, frame them in similar style. Introduce graceful table cloths, art work, vases and framed mirrors to make your dining room unique in style.
The writer is a doctor and a freelance public health specialist.
