ShareThis"Shall we dine?" "Dinner is served." "Your table is waiting."
Sounds elegant, doesn't it?
"Come and get it." "Let's eat." "Chow time."
Conjures up a different image, wouldn't you say? Then again ..."There's leftover spaghetti in the fridge. Nuke it for 2 minutes on high. Love you. Gotta go."
Just like other areas in your home, the dining room should reflect your lifestyle. If you have a formal dining room and a kitchen eating area, sometimes called the breakfast room, you have the opportunity to set two moods: elegant and casual. If one eating area is all you have, a happy medium needs to be struck.
Let's tackle the formal-dining-room scenario. What ambiance will appeal to you? Think of your favorite restaurant and the mood it puts you in. Is it sleek and formal? Is it cozy and warm? Does eclecticism whet your appetite?
Sleek and formal can be accomplished with a mirrored wall accompanied by a glass-on-glass or glass-on-brass table surrounded with fully upholstered chairs. Another formal look would be an interesting wood table base and glass top, flanked with elegantly carved wood chairs. Host and hostess chairs at the heads of the table complemented by smaller chairs on the sides also present a formal setting.
For a cozy, warm atmosphere, a dado treatment on the walls would be a good start. You might have heard this called wainscoting. Cutting through the fancy terminology, the terms mean the lower 3 or 4 feet of wall space treated differently from the rest (upper part) of the wall. The two sections are usually divided by a horizontal molding. The top could be stucco, with the lower portion paneled in wood.
You might paint the top and paper the bottom or use complementary papers, one above and the other below the molding. Warmth in your choice of colors and texture for tactile appeal should be considered. In this setting, a wood table with wood chairs softened by loose- or tight-fitting seat cushions would complete the mood.
An eclectic look could be fun to put together, but be careful you don't end up with a mismatched, messy look. An ornate wood table could look very distinguished with contemporary chairs around it. A favorite is the glass table surrounded by Queen Anne or Chippendale chairs.
Regardless of the degree of formality, comfort is an important factor. To provide enough elbowroom, chairs should not be any closer than 30 inches apart when measuring from center to center. That is minimum. Take note of the table base. No one wants to sit straddling a table leg. If the base is a center pedestal, the top should extend 14 inches beyond the base for knee room -- more if you have "tall" knees.
Storage needs should be considered. If you like an innovative look, or if your dining room shares space with your living room, a bookcase a la china cabinet might be your answer. Use it for a collection of china, crystal and books. If the bottom section is closed, use it for linen storage. An armoire could be an attractive variance to the standard china and hutch. If you have decorative stemware, you might want to leave the armoire doors open for display. If storage is your main concern, the closed armoire will be an attractive and useful piece of furniture.
(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color." Contact her at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com.)
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