I love entertaining and frequently host dinner parties. I don’t have a dedicated dining room so it’s always been a casual affair but I have decided to transform an old office space into my new dining room. Now that the room is cleared it is very much a blank canvas and I would love to create a room that I enjoy inviting friends and family to. Can you suggest anything that would help me create a sophisticated and elegant dining room?

I recently fell in love with a dark oak table and chairs. I took the plunge and purchased the pieces thinking they would give my dining room a new lease of life. My dining room is currently painted terracotta and it captures a lot of natural light. However, once I moved the new furniture into my dining room it didn’t quite work. My room now looks small and dingy and not what I hoped. I still love the table and chairs but I’m wondering if I made a big mistake? Any tips you have to brighten my room would be much appreciated!

I love entertaining and frequently have dinner parties. I haven’t redecorated my dining room in a few years and really want to do something completely different with it. Can you suggest anything – it’s a 5m x 6m room. Thanks a mill.