I love food and I love drama so with Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in both to great degrees! Coming up to this time of year, I always have people asking me how they might breathe some life into their dining rooms so they can host the perfect Christmas party.

 

I’m a huge fan of adding decorative drama into my home as I love being able to experiment with things like colourful paint, gothic mirrors, exposed brick and mood lighting. I love contrasting soft furnishing and hard wood, warm colours and bright paint; it makes decorating your home really fun. People are often opposed to creative décor at home because they worry that they will tire of it easily, but there is a solution, and the solution is subtlety!

 

Food and interior design have a lot of things in common, mainly the need to contrast hard and soft, hot and cold and therefore your dining room is a unique space in which contradiction is key. One of the most important things to consider when decorating your room is how often you use it. If the room is specifically reserved for family occasions and dinner parties then you can take advantage of this and be really adventurous.

 

One of the first things to consider is flooring, and if you are lucky enough to have original floorboards in good condition then stripping and re-varnishing them will do wonders. Sadolin Extra Durable Floor Varnish is a hard wearing, non-yellowing floor varnish that is easy to apply and provides extra protection. It comes in three different colours – and for a dining room, walnut is my favourite. It’s a rich, dark brown that will enhance the natural warmth and beauty of your dining room floor.

 

The colour of your walls should be your next decision, and if a feature wall is something you are considering then pick that colour first. Crown’s Indulgence range would suit a dining room very well as it has some rich shades that will add depth and life to your room. A gorgeous colour from this range is “Tempting” – literally! It would be beautiful on a feature wall and contrasted with Soft Velvet, Sweet Almond or Mascarpone makes it all the more scrumptious.

 

Furniture and seating is really important, especially if you entertain guests often. When choosing a table, check your available space and then consider how you like to entertain. A large dark wood table would be a beautiful addition to your room and could be the statement piece that your room needs. Take your time choosing the right dining chair too as these can really add to the overall ambience of the room. Depending on your budget, there are wonderful selections available. You want them to fit in with the room design and of course be comfortable so your guests will be relaxed. Comfortable upholstered chairs will create classic setting but you can easily update a set of dining room chairs by recovering the cushions with a stylish new fabric.

 

Lighting adds ambiance to any room so it is imperative that you get it just right. I’m a huge fan of dining in dimmed romantic lights but no one likes eating in the dark so be careful not to overdo it. Chandeliers are a great dining room accessory as they add a glamorous feel and faux versions can be picked up very reasonably priced these days.

 

I hope this post full of tips help you create your dream dining room and remember decorating should always be fun and a creative experience, so have fun with it and let your creative juices flow!

 

Happy Decorating!

Neville