5 Ways to add interest to a dining room

When someone says dining room, what picture appears in your mind?  Try  it.  List the elements.

For many of us these words conjure up a dining room set with everything matching, a chandelier and some sort of hutch or maybe buffet.  Probably a picture of some sort will be included.  I bet matching is the most obvious characteristic.

It doesn't have to be that way unless that's what you like.

 Here are 5 ways you can  make your dining space stand out a little.

Mix and match your chairs and table

The days of dining sets have moved behind us.  In many magazines you will see all sorts of mixing of styles, materials and colours. I love the look of upholstered chairs with a wood table. They soften the hard edges and provide some relief in the "wood" department. Some adventurous types will go for two different styles of chairs.

 Adore magazine

 Another option if you aren't too adventurous is to upholster each of your wooden chairs with a different, but co-ordinated fabric.  Note how this room sports more traditional chairs with a very simple table.

In the case of my own dining space, I painted my matching chairs charcoal  and upholstered them with a much lighter fabric to make them the centre of interest in  my sea of golden tones. I am trying to get up enough nerve to paint the solid ash buffets the same colour.   I'm not there yet.  It's difficult when your furniture is all hand made with love.

Look for a harmonious  buffet 

Forget about having a matching buffet (I wish I could!).  Look for one with the same undertone as your table  or chairs and similar lines if you like, or go for something painted or a different style entirely.  Some element of it should relate it to the room as a whole: wood tone, style, or colour of other objects in room.

Here are two I would choose for my space to work with my chairs.

They certainly harmonize with the darkness of the chairs, the style is mid centuryish like the table and I like the fact they are both raised off the floor.  This openness will give the illusion of space, always an added plus in a small room. 

Have at least one hand made/original item

 We live in a mass produced economy where the answer  to everything is in a big box store.  Not so.  Save your pennies, visit an antique shop, a fine craft store or gallery.  Look for something you love, made by the hand of an artist, and place it with pride knowing it's unique.  It doesn't have to be large.

This month I have a lovely pot on my buffet created by an artist friend, Anita Singh.  I love her work 

because it always relates to the natural world.  Barnacle is always a conversation piece.  It is also the perfect example of my next point.

Use a variety of textures

Textures make the most interesting addition to spaces, and it is the element that I see under-utilized  in homes. In my space I have silk drapes, lots of wood grain, a highly textured plant container made from ceramic, a white wavy vase, metal candlesticks with mother of pearl, and two plants.  I love texture!

Choose one unexpected element

Right now the pot my ferns are in is my an unexpected item.  It is so rough and worn looking and I have it paired with silk drapes. Other options could be your light fixture, a painting, something on your tabletop or a small piece of furniture in a corner.  Some would say it should have bling, but I'll leave that up to you.

What's your "interesting " score?

 This is a very arbitrary checklist, based on what is "current"  in my  decor reading and viewing.   Hardly scientific!

No my dining room isn't perfect but hopefully it is interesting.
Just because I write about design doesn't mean my space is perfect (whatever that means) or that it even lives up to what I know about the elements and principles of design.  There's the small matter of competing priorities including: budget, interest and energy, connections to objects and furniture, beliefs about your role consuming and junking, and the desire for good old predictability in your environment etc.

Accessories: A decorator's perspective

Part 2 of 5

Accessorizing a client's home

I'm often asked what is the most difficult job I do as a decorator.  Truthfully it is to accessorize a home.  Not because I can't create beautiful vignettes or select interesting objects, it's because I have a belief in individual expression in a home, and it is so difficult to feel this, and then try to create a look for someone else. The one thing I have as a decorator is an unbiased eye for someone else's space. That is helpful, and I often see new life in their discarded items.

How I do it 

With clients I spend a lot of time chatting and gathering information.  I ask them to pull out all kinds of objects they already have, even ones they think they don't want anymore, and look for things to integrate with newly purchased objects.  Check out this post to see one client's vignette.  I find out about their interests, travels, background etc.  I consider if they have children and what their interests are.  It is also worthwhile to look at children's art work for inspiration.  Another telling activity is to look at what is currently in a home and ask questions about its origins, etc.  When I ask how they want people to  feel/think when they come into their home, I usually get guidance for the overall look clients are going for.   Then I  put all the information together to come up with meaningful accessories that work for a particular  family.

Client inspiration board - organic references 

This inspiration board was created for clients who were interested in finishing their space with additional accessories to add to objects they purchased during their travels.  When I looked at what they already had, I could see strong contrasts,  elongated textural sculptures, and several vibrant colours.  I chose an earthy green, nature references and rounder shapes to work with the more elongated ones they already had.  I wanted to warm up the predominant " blackness" of their space and play into their obvious interest in geometric motifs and texture.  With the inspiration board in hand the clients chose to shop themselves over time to complete their space.  The flowers of course never happened!  Twigs were more their style.

A long term activity

Adding the final touches to your home can take a long time.  You many have certain things in mind and can't find them; you many have budget restraints after purchasing big ticket items; you may be just plain exhausted doing everything else, and have no energy left to deal with little things. Or you can be bored with what you have and want to start over.   No matter where you are on the accessorizing continuum, you need to have a plan in place to create an interesting, personal space.

Two ways to do it

Of course the easiest way is to hire a decorator!  An inspiration board like the one above is a very affordable solution, and you can purchase all the objects referenced online, or you can use it to shop your area.  When people want to purchase locally, the inspiration board would contain objects/furniture available in the city.  Most decorators also have rates for personal shopping for clients.

If you want to do it all yourself, I suggest the following:

• Look online (Pinterest, Houzz) and collect inspiration images looking for patterns,  objects, colours, textures that  resonate with you; look at how they are displayed/arranged;

I keep way too many files on Houzz and Pinterest to use as inspiration and reference when talking to clients about concepts. 

• Make a list of possible items for accessorizing from your inspiration images; have headings (e.g. art, table top vignette, pillow arrangements and styles etc. )
• Remove all the accessories in the space you are working on and put them in another room; 
• Check your storage areas  and other rooms to see  if you have things that might have a new life in a different space;
• Look at your collection and choose anything  that you love and think could work in the space;
• Bring them to the room you want to accessorize and place any that work; 

I went to my own storage area to see what extras I didn't have in use. Then I integrated some of them with arrangements I already had in my dining room to show you how many things can work and be changed around.  Obviously I care about these objects or they would have made their way to charity. 

 These two items on the right get used for all sorts of things.  The top is image shows a Boblen  vase that I wrote about here, and the plate is part of a set of 8 that I use for entertaining.  It also works as a candle holder or propped up on a small plate holder it becomes a graphic piece of art.

 The black mesh square tray was the base for a gift  I received last Christmas.  Black and square are two of my loves, when you add texture how could I let it go?  Anything hand made is alway a keeper especially when it has the beautiful form this vase does.  A few colourful berry branches the colour of the season can change the look completely.  Use your imagination about what additional seasonal objects you place in the basket/tray.

And on to the stone eggs my sister gave me years ago.  This hand crafted white  bowl has a beautiful irregular form and can be filled with all sorts of goodies. 

You get the idea.  Once you've found homes for the objects you love,  you can...

• Make a list of what else you will need;
• Record needs and the size/height/colour of objects; 
• Take pictures of the areas you want to accessorize;
• Go shopping (with your phone)! Don't forget to look in second hand stores, antique stores, dollar stores, craft studios, and on line second hand sales sites.  

Oh yes, trade with your friends and/or siblings!

Check back for Part 3 of my accessories posts where I visit a local home to explore how the owners went about adding the final touches to their new home.

Paint solves many problems

You know how it goes with decorating.  You get one thing to a point where you love it and that improvement only makes other things in the space look dismal.  And that is the point where we left off in the last post-  loving the chairs and not liking what is happening on top of the buffet.  

Almost but not quite

One problem area

Let's start with the lamp.  I've always loved this lamp and when  I recently moved it from the living room it needed a new home. I perched it on several books as a way to increase the height and  connect the dark chair colour to the buffet.

  I left it for several days, but I knew what would happen.  Every time I passed by I had the same thought

 ( that shade is way too white).  Problem arising... what were the chances I would find this type of lamp shade in St. John's?  NIL  What was left?  Paint it or cover it with fabric or paper.  I chose paint knowing if I totally messed  it up I could use fabric or paper to cover it. 

What colour? 

 The lamp had to relate to the drapes without overmatching, I trotted to my studio to see what I had there and chose  BM floral white OC29 left over from painting  frames for an dart show.

Benjamin Moore Floral White OC 29 

This  is a dirty white with the faintest hint of warmth without looking too yellow. Perfect in my book. Some bloggers recommend it as a good white for cabinets if you have white appliances.

How to?

 I watered down the paint by half  and brushed it on with a 2 inch art brush -synthetic soft hair for acrylic paint.  It's a  messy business so have something to catch the drips. If you are careful you only need one coat.   It worked like a charm with no buckling or patchy areas.  You definitely have to water down  the paint or it will look too solid and not be absorbed into the fabric. 

  Some references I consulted said to use a fabric medium with the paint but I didn't.  From my art experience I think you could add acrylic matte medium to replace the fabric medium if you so desired. 

Problem two

Once I used  red as an accent on the buffet and in my living room, my beautiful landscape by Carolyne Honey Harrison started to remind me of a Christmas tree.  The green frame (which hubby made for it) had to be changed. I have a terrible aversion  to "seasonal" colour connections.

What colour?

 First I  painted the frame BM Black panther, a soft black I use for art frames, but it was too harsh for this particular  artwork and space.  All you could see was the frame.  I prefer the art to show and the frame to support it.

Benjamin Moore Black Panther 2125-10

Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain  2134-30

Next try was  BM Iron Mountain left over from painting my Media unit (see here). Worked like a charm.  It brought more dark to that side of the room and played off the chair colour without matching perfectly.   My daughter joked that everything in my house would soon be some form of charcoal.  Possibly!

The reveal 

Almost but not quite

Subtle changes make a difference 

And you might think this room is now complete.   I wish!  More problems and solutions to come.
Is paint a solution in your home decor?  I'd love to hear what you've done with it.  

Dining room solutions

In January during a blackout our pipes broke resulting in water damage to a number of rooms in our home. What was a bit of a disaster turned into a positive for me because it finally got me moving to do something about  one of my biggest decorating problems.  That would be my dining room.... See my complaints in this  post .  It's quite a list. 

Too much of a good thing

This is how it all looked  in early 2000 .....

Wood, wood and more wood

Problem lines  

Wood everywhere isn't the only problem.  Note the all the horizontal lines from the buffets to the railing,  a light hung too high and a window that has a view of the window next door.   Below is my first attempt to solve some of the highlighted problems.

 A different orientation solves some problems

Rearrange and add

I liked the changes and that satisfied me for a short time.  The new light was a good height and the roundness worked well against all the rectangles.  I also added longer (very temporary and too short) drapes to break some of the horizontal lines.    I moved the art work from  the living room to dining room,  and created some height and brightness on the dining table.  Still seriously problematic in my book because I did nothing to alleviate the wood issue, but it was improved but sorely lacking  pizazz.

Enter 2014... 

The power of paint and fabric

One of the cheapest updates you can make to any space is to paint something.  I don't care if it is furniture, accessories or walls, it works every time. Since we had to repaint all the walls (BM Glacier white) I continued on to paint quite a few things which I will reveal over the next several posts.  

 Bringing  it into 2014

To break up the wood and the set,  I was determined to sell all the dining chairs and buy new ones. I still don't know how I got hubby to agree to selling 8 hand made solid ash chairs because they were too matched. He was probably fed up listening to complaints!

After an extensive search,  I realized the chairs that looked best with the table  were the ones my husband made for it. I don't like sets, but in this case I had to concede.  So ... after much discussion with sister and daughter and varying opinions, I found a fabric I loved and then choose spray paint to work with it. 

I would like to say that cleaning and spray painting 8 chairs was exciting.  Not so.... But I got to use my favourite motif (circles) and my favourite colour gray. What could be better!   Part 2 coming soon... new problems and solutions. Hint:  Look at the vignettes on the buffet and table.

What do you think?  

One simple move

 In my last post I presented my problem dining  room. I feel I've put the space on the road to salvation.  Here's the update so far.  I have more ideas, but they require a lot of elbow grease and won't happen before Christmas.  I think it's looking more spacious and welcoming.

Before

 After

 I moved  the furniture, placing the  buffets along the kitchen wall. and set the table up vertically in the space.   That allowed me to hang floor length draperies; these are temporary until  my custom ones are ready. My new ones will be off white and hung higher.  Yes, I do know these are too short! 

 The strong vertical of the draperies plays nicely against the railing and breaks up the horizontal lines.  I have a new light fixture which is larger in scale and hung a little lower, but not so low that  my tall family will bang into it! I still want to see the art work over the buffets while seated in the living room. I always choose function over anything else.

I also like the fact you can't look directly into the buffets from the front porch!  I'm  thinking about stripping the natural finish on the furniture and doing a gray wash to change the colour and make it stand out from the floor.  I'd love new chairs, lamps for the buffet,  something more interesting in the corner by the railing.....  We'll see......

What do you think?

Do you have a problem room?

We all have them, those rooms that defy all you know about design, and just continue to go about their merry way creating problems no matter what you do with them. I managed to create a monster a quarter of a century ago right  in the middle of my house because  my mind was focused on other things at the time. I've spent the intervening  years trying to make my dining room "right" by my standards - I haven't achieved that yet. 

No one has ever walked into my house and said "OMG, what a mess this dining room is."  So what's wrong with it  in my eyes?

Location:  When you're standing in my entry  you look directly into the dining room.  The archway frames the table and the window.  It is also a walk through space from the living room  on the right  to the kitchen which is to the left.

 

There is an alternate hallway beside the stairs, but we never go that way. My dining room is the room in the middle with no identity. Because the walkway needs to be maintained  only half the room is really accessible for  the table - problem #1.

I noticed another problem when I looked at this photo but it was easily fixed. Can you spot the fix?

Across from the table looking  toward the front porch. 

Top art work by Angela Antle and bottom by Anita Singh

A second artwork was added to connect with the chair below it. Doesn't that look better?

Furniture: The dining room buffets, table, and chairs were handcrafted, especially for me, by my man who can do anything.  The set has that "casual contemporary with a nod toward mid -century modern look" that I love.    The scale and style fits the room and the buffets are nicely tucked away behind the table.  Have you noticed problem #2 yet?

A rather dark  view  from the living room.  Thankfully the railings aren't that orange!

You're right! The furniture is the same height as the railing causing your eye to run along the lines and never go anywhere else. I've used all my tricks to make it otherwise, with minimal success. Note all the verticals - floor lamp, tall twigs, candle sticks, vertical artwork, accentuated vertical windows in living room.  The strength of the horizontal lines and the preponderance of wood wins out every time.

Flooring and railing
Problem #3
The aged oak is so orange- my least favourite tone in wood. Because I can't rip it all up or throw away the furniture, I've decided to embrace the orange  and pick it up in interesting art works that also have lots of purples and blues to tame down the orange.  

Problem #4 

Because the furniture is in one half of the room, there isn't enough space  for an area rug which would keep the furniture from blending into the floor.  If I wanted to use an area rug I would have to cover most of the floor, but that would mean vacuuming;  I would rather use a dust mop! 

Problem #5

I have a love/ hate relationship with the railing.  It is solid wood, has a good design and fits with the age of the house and our design aesthetic. I have strong feelings about maintaining "period "architectural detailing and the railing is necessary because the living room is sunken.  But it is soooo difficult to ignore that orangey railing..  It didn't look like this in 1986.  Time ages wood to either orange or yellow especially when treated with oil based products.  

 

Lighting 
Problem #6

The light fixture was an impulse buy  because I liked the lines,  but its scale is too small, and it is hung too high in my efforts to make sure you could see the painting at the end of the room.   As an artist, art always takes precedent over every other design  decision in my house.  This often leads me into hot water.

Wall colour 
Problem # 7

You may be thinking at this point why doesn't she have the walls pained a cooler neutral.  Can't happen because the living room, where most of the light comes from, is north facing and the house next door blocks off any light in the dining room.  Both rooms are dull and cold.  The living room is  Elephant Tusk OC 8 Benjamin Moore and the dining room is Light Khaki  BM 2148-40.

Window treatment
Problem #8 
I love these back tab drapes for the subtle design and their softness,  but the necessity to crop them to allow for the buffet further emphasizes all the horizontal lines. I also think I should have a window treatment that covers the window in some way so you can't see the wall of the next house with is very close to the window and certainly not interesting.

Matching set 
Problem # 9
I have an aversion to matched sets of furniture and here I am living with just that. Matching always looks so uninspired in my eyes and gives the appearance of laziness.  Like you couldn't be bothered to put the room together.  Yes I like a curated room and I have a bundled set!

I'm sure if I really tried I could find a Problem 10.  Many of you may feel it is the lack of cove mouldings, but that again is not part of the architectural details of the original house. 

 Well that about explains the problems. Who knew there was so much wrong with my dining room?  Most of my friends would be very surprised by this analysis!  In the next post I'll look at some possible solutions.  If you have anything to suggest that might help with my design dilemmas, I'd love to hear from you.

Hot seats

Dining rooms have a tendency to be formal affairs with matching table and chairs. but that doesn't mean they have to be. You can shake it up with unique styles and colours.    Here are some of my favourite Wow dining "sets" from my Pinterest collection. 

Make it  patterned

These luxurious chairs invite you to cozy up to the table. I'm a sucker for texture, and I would totally enjoy having a meal at this table.  Think of how soft the fabric would be!   I like the fact that the chairs  are patterned on the back and  plain on the opposite side.  The tufting supports the more traditional design and the high back chairs at the ends work well with the size of the space and the curves of the other chairs. The  hobbled roman shade is is a soft but clean window treatment in this room.  Lots of ideas to steal in this set up.

Repeated curves

 Lately I'm very attracted to everything aqua. Doesn't this colour look great with dark wood?  Curves abound in this room - in the draperies, the stairs, the chair arms, the vines in the carpet and in the light fixture. A soothing room all around with an unconventional chair colour.

 Popping yellow

Who could ignore these canary yellow chairs? I love the way everything else in the room plays second fiddle to the chairs and allows them to be the star. I want to whisk those red flowers away though. Don't we all have our opinions about what looks best.

Serene colour scheme

This room is different in every way from the one above. I love the clean lines of the benches and chairs . Remember that you need a central leg or an X leg if you want to move easily to and from a bench style seat. Armless banquettes are the most versatile.   The texture on the front of the buffet;  the circular ceramic vases with  twigs, and the rounded edges of the table add interesting lines and some complexity to the room. The colour and lines of the light fixture work well with everything else.  Doesn't this room look serene?

 Repetition of curves

More  banquettes, but this time paired with patterned chairs and a curvy table. The four leg table design will make getting into the banquette a little more difficult.The arms will add to the problem.    The chair  shape is repeated in the  mirror and the doors of the buffet.   An interesting mix.

There's nothing formal about this room! It will definitely appeal to the colour and texture lovers out there. I want to see a more substantial table with all this colour, but that's just me.

How do you feel about chairs and tables not matching?

Feng Shui Dining Room Tips

Use these feng shui dining room tips to improve the energy and atmosphere of your dining area. Feng shui dining room techniques support the ideals of unity within family life, and the dining room is a place where we strengthen our social and family bonds, through communication and nourishment, of our physical, mental, and spiritual selves.

The atmosphere of your dining room will have a significant impact on how you feel while you are eating. Looking at this room from the perspective of Feng Shui, some of the factors that will contribute greatly to your digestive system, the overall health of your body, and your social interaction include:

Location

Most experts agree that the dining room should not be located too close to the front door or people will want to eat and run. To remedy this place a screen or beaded curtain to obstruct the view of the door from sight. Even a crystal ball can be hung to provide an energetic symbolic curtain. If the view from the windows is distracting one can also put up half curtains or reversible window blinds to block the distraction and bring the focus back.

Walls

It is ideal to have four walls surrounding the table. This creates a very relaxed, safe dining experience and encourages healthy conversations as there are no distractions. Also, if you are relaxed and feel safe, you will eat more slowly and your digestive system will be healthy and supportive.

Lighting

Your table should have adequate light that is centered over the table. This is to highlight what is important, because without it we may lose focus. If it is not possible to install a lamp over the table directly, you can mount a spot on a nearby wall to shine onto the table, or bring in a standing lamp, or my favorite, candlelight, to soften and improve the mood and chi at the table.

Art and Accessories

The focus should be the table and not the other objects in the room. Therefore it is very important to keep your table as well as dining area free of clutter. Evaluate your Art and decorations making sure they reflect and support your overall goals and focus.

Shape of Your Table

The most ideal table shapes for a feng shui dining room are a square, round or oval. A rectangle is good as well if it is not too long. Dining room tables that are missing corners are considered unlucky except for the octagon which is considered to be an auspicious shape. It is also important that the dining room table is not too cramped in a space. This allows the chi and people to move freely and easily around the table.

Finding the Right Dining Room Tables Size

Picking the dining room tables which are the right size for your home doesn't need to be difficult. But of course, with over hundreds of viable options available, selecting the right one wouldn't be that simple either. However, if you are certain with your space and size requirements, it would be much easier for you to narrow down your options. Of all the considerations that you have to make, the table size and the available dining room space are perhaps the most crucial. You certainly wouldn't want to take home a newly purchased dining table, only to find out that it won't fit in your dining area. Therefore, to avoid this, you have to stringently sift through the available choices to avoid wasting your time, effort and money.

It is vital that you take precise measurements of the available dining room space and then list it down in a clean sheet of paper for easy reference. Acquiring the actual dining room dimension will allow you to ensure that you will pick the table with the perfect size. Moreover, you also have to estimate the place settings that you require. Make sure to also record it along with the measurements of your dining area.

To get the appropriate length of table that you need, you should multiply 24 inches on the number of place settings that you have recorded earlier. As for the table's width, the size of the room will be its determining factor. As a rule of thumb, the width of the table must be at around 36 inches but not more than 42 inches to ensure easy food placement.

Do not forget to maintain at least 36 inches distance from the edge of the table to the wall or existing furniture. This is extremely important to ascertain that there will be enough space to move around.

Apart from that, try to visualize the dining room setup that you will need when you throw parties or special family dinners. Do you think the table would be able to provide enough legroom for a comfortable seating or will it be able to accommodate more people than the usual? These questions will help you determine the appropriate table size to purchase. However, never forget to take into account your space requirements since everything will be put to waste if it can't fit the designated space anyway.

Make sure to carefully evaluate all of these important buying points to ensure that you procure the dining room tables that will perfectly complement your existing space requirements.

Used Dining Room Furniture

Most homes, restaurants, hotels and offices require dining room furniture. They are placed in a dining area and facilitate eating, serving and seating. They include a wide range of dining tables, chairs, storage cabinets, serving trolleys and side tables. Dining room furniture is found in many wood and metal combinations and it is buyers that need to evaluate their utility before finalizing a purchase. An increase in demand for dining room furniture has subsequently increased the demand for used dining room furniture. The latter are restored and polished thoroughly before being put up for resale. As a result, used dining furniture looks as good as new and cost much less.

Since dining room furniture are essential purchases, people can't eliminate their need. For this reason, a number of people opt to purchase used desks as they are offered at lower prices as compared to new desks. Trading used desks is profitable for buyers and sellers. Unlike other used goods that may breakdown or malfunction, used dining room furniture remains functional for a long time if purchased from an authentic source. They may even require sanding, polish and varnish to retain their beauty after purchase. The perception that used dining furniture is meant for poor consumers is no longer true. Used desks are a financially viable option in redoing hotel setups, students, home-based restaurant owners and small hotel startups that consider efficiency rather than attractiveness of used desks.

A number of brands specialize in selling used dining room furniture. They undertake upkeep and maintenance of used dining room furniture before they are sold a second time. Prior to buying, people should enquire about after sales terms and conditions. Most local and Internet retailers provide adequate information regarding used dining room furniture and after sales procedures. A major shortcoming when purchasing used desks is limited choice. This is because used dining room furniture is available as and when they are put up for sale and people may not find an extended range as compared to new desks.

Dining Room Buffets

Nowadays, there is a piece of furniture becoming more and more popular. Everyone who pays attention to newest trends knows that we are talking about dining room buffets. That is an essential item that you must have in your dining room. It enhances the overall look of your home and it is very handy.

Dining room buffets are available in all different styles ranging from contemporary and modern all the way to traditional. There is no excuse for not buying one that goes well along other furniture and home decor ideas in your room and your whole house. If you dig deep enough, you will for sure find at least one buffet that fits to your home perfectly, especially your dining room light, furniture and ambiance.

What is so special about dining room buffets?

Dining room buffets are special because of their functionality. People recognized that, and therefore are making use of it. Most people can't imagine their home without one because of it's functionality.

Buffets can be used in every occasion. If you are preparing lunch or dinner you, buffet can be used to store glasses, dishes, silverware, place mats... If you are preparing a party, buffet can be used to store extra glasses just in case there are more needed. Also, if there is lack of space on the table, you could serve drinks on the top of the buffet. On the other hand, when there is nothing going on in your home, you could simply put various pictures or statues on it for decoration.

With their growing popularity, you should definitely buy at least one buffet for your home. Except for being interestingly designed, it is also very functional and it definitely will upgrade the look of your home.

Since they are welcome in every situation (from being storage cabinet to an extra table top), you will soon begin to wonder how you ever got along without one. 

5 Style Tips For Decorating Your Dining Room

If you walk into your dining room and all you see is dull and boring, then maybe it's time to decorate it with more style. There are plenty of things that you can do to your dining room to liven up the room and make it more stylish and put together. Here are some great style tips for any home.

1. Add an area rug to the dining room to pull together the colors of the room. The rug should be large enough to fit under the table and chairs even when the chairs are pulled out. Don't make the area rug too big though, as there should be some flooring showing between the area rug and the walls. Your best bet for measuring for an area rug is measure the length and width of the table and then add another four feet in all directions. If you really want a new style in your dining room, then you can pick a totally different area rug and redecorate your dining room off of that rug.
2. Add a centerpiece to your dining table. A flower arrangement is a great way to add some color to the room. Decorative candles can bring some light into the room, while a glass bowl or vase with fruit adds more of an earthly touch to the room. Get creative with your centerpieces. Change them often depending on the season or just the mood that you are in.
3. Buy a piece of artwork or a set of shelves to add some style to the room. Look around your dining area and see if you have nothing on the walls. You can look for one bigger piece of artwork or two or three pieces that you can hang on the walls that ties them all together. Your other option may be one or two shelves that you can hang on the wall and put pictures, candles or other décor items on for some decoration.
4. Set the dining table to add some style to your dining room. When you set out a nice set of china along with placemats or an elegant tablecloth, you add a finished look to the room. It helps the room appear more inviting rather than cold and uninviting to guests. To change things up a bit, you can change your place settings on the table for the different seasons and holidays, and then you still have your main setting so you never grow tired of what the table looks like.
5. A new light fixture is a sure way to add some new style to a room. Chandeliers look great above dining room tables and you can also add some more lighting into the room with tall standing lamps in the corners. Choose a chandelier that goes with the style of the room. You can adjust it to the perfect height to give you the right amount of light for the room.