The Ultimate Buyers Guide To Dining Sets

A dining room is one of the most important rooms in your home, and as lockdown eases and we get back to socialising indoors, making sure your dining room is up to scratch could be a good move to make. 

Choosing furniture for a room where you will build great memories of shared meals, catch up on the day’s events or perhaps entertain or share a family celebration mean it’s vital to choose furniture that serves all the possibilities you may need. 

Whatever your budget, you want to make the right choice, so take a look at our guide of things to think about.

Size matters

 

Right at the start, you need to work out how much room you have, not only to help you decide on the size and shape of your table and chairs but to help with the decision of how many pieces you can add and where they might fit.  If you have room to store extra bits such as nice crockery, cutlery, and table décor that you don’t want on show all the time, then you will want to look at complementary furniture in addition to your table and chairs.  Allocating space and getting dimensions right is important to avoiding costly mistakes, where you have too much furniture and not enough room to get around it.

Must-haves

It’s a dining room you’re styling, so a stylish table and chairs as a must. Your lifestyle and needs should help determine exactly the size you need. Nowadays it’s not uncommon for a dining room to double as a home office or study, so whether you want to use your dining table or slip in a separate desk or bureau if there is space, getting the right furniture size is key.  Also having young children or teenagers using the dining room outside of mealtimes will perhaps influence your choice of what modern dining furniture or dining room suite you opt for.

Once you have an idea of the amount and type of furniture pieces you are looking for, it’s time to choose your style.

Dining table

The table is probably going to be the feature of the room, after all, it is where you dine and what makes it a dining room!  Tables are not just rectangular or round, and in some rooms, you may find that an oval table gives you a little more room for other furniture in the corners.  If you only have a small space perhaps you want a rectangular table, you can keep to one side of the room for everyday use and only bring it out for larger occasions or a bistro or bench table set. Luxury dining rooms often feature statement wood dining room furniture sets, combined with fabric chairs that set the tone for the room’s décor. Oak dining room furniture is certainly a long-lasting choice that wears well and tells a story as it ages. It is also highly versatile. There are extendable dining table sets that are perfect if you’re looking to cater for larger gatherings.

Adding a statement piece is as much about the material you choose as the style. This large teak root dining table will certainly be unique to you as you get to personally choose your root! If you are looking for dining room furniture in Kent that provides a great talking point as well as a style statement this could be the perfect choice for your dining room.

Chairs

 

Again this may need to be a choice led by practicality rather than the heart. You may feel forced to consider fabric that is easily wiped clean if you have children or messy eaters. However, it certainly doesn’t mean compromising on style. Finishes such as waxed oak, faux or real leather choices in many styles can fit the bill perfectly.

A modern industrial feel can work well in a contemporary dining room or where you combine office and dining room space. The great choice of steel frame chairs available with and without arms are great for creating the perfect look in a multi-purpose work and dining space. You can have a modern dining room and a functional office all within the same space, without compromising on style. In fact, with home working becoming increasingly popular in the longer term, it is certainly a style worth considering. If you don’t need a workspace, combining metal with wood or glass can create your fantastic dining space.

Extras

Whilst it won’t be any less of a dining room if you don’t have them, there are certainly some elements that can certainly add useful, decorative and stylish touches if you can fit them in. Extra furniture could be great to help fill larger spaces or provided much needed practical additions if planned for carefully in a smaller room. Again it comes back to the space, style and shape of the table and chairs you choose as to what you can fit in.

Sideboards, Dressers and Shelving

 

A sideboard or dresser can give you the freedom to store extra crockery, special cutlery or even your work files and laptop, the kid's craft stash or schoolbooks out of sight, but making it easily accessible. Shelving can give you some space to share family photos, ornaments or your book collection or extra lighting.

If you love a tipple and have space why not consider adding a wine cabinet, to your oak dining room furniture collection. This could be a great place to show off your vintages, with the bonus of useful draws and cupboards.

Lighting

Getting the right lighting must be a key consideration for a dining room, especially a multifunctional one. Having lighting that works when you are using it as an office or during the day, perhaps by an additional table light near your workspace, mean the chances are it will be too bright for evening or a dinner party, so consider lighting styles both above the table and in areas throughout the room that gives you options to mix it up to set the right tone for every occasion.

Rugs

Adding a rug to your dining room can be a great way to protect delicate flooring or add a splash of colour and style.  Changing a rug in a room can give it a whole new feel if you don’t want to completely redecorate.

Mirrors

You may not want to look at yourself constantly, but mirrors can do so much more for a room. Consider adding a mirror to make a small space appear larger, or to direct the eye to your stunning ornament or a focal point you want to show off.  A decorative mirror placed above a sideboard, fireplace or even on a long wall can be a work of art in itself.

Clocks

So many of our devices have ways to remind us what time of day it is, so you may think a clock is no longer needed, but a clock can be an impressive decorative piece on a wall in a dining room. Large Clocks make a thoroughly modern statement that shines in a dining room, doing far more than just telling the time.

A dining room can be stylish, functional, fun, modern, contemporary, warm, cool and most definitely unique to you. It’s well worth spending time choosing dining room sets and complementary pieces to create the perfect space for the most welcoming room in your house.