From traditional to modern farmhouse and more.
Your dining room is one of the most special spaces in your home to make memories with the people you love. It's a luxurious alternative to your cozy breakfast nook, kitchen island, or takeout on the couch. As comfortable as you may be eating off a plate with your favorite movie playing in the background, some meals deserve to be elevated and appreciated in style. But don't worry, a dining room doesn't have to look or feel stuffy. If yours is long overdue for a refresh, take a look at these stunning designer dining room ideas. They'll give you all the inspiration you need to tackle the project like a pro. Vintage Industrial Bar Stool
Whether you're hoping to impress your in-laws or take charge of hosting friends and family for the holidays, the ideas you grab from these designer-approved dining rooms will earn their admiration. Swap an outdated light fixture for an intricate chandelier that brings the glamour or cover the walls in a scene-stealing repeating wallpaper that transports you to a dream vacation destination. You'll find dining areas for every design style from farmhouse to modern to Japandi to eclectic and many more. We also made sure to include dining rooms of different sizes and dimensions. (Who says you can't host a dinner party in a studio apartment?) To create the perfect backdrop and atmosphere for any occasion, check out the ideas below. You'll be crowned the hostess of the year.
Cut to the ultimate center of attention: this circular four-seater tête-à-tête between two dining tables. "Having two tables allows a bit more coziness and intimacy," says Jenna Gross of Colordrunk Designs, who designed this space for House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home. "In a room this size, it could get stuffy really fast."
Jenn Feldman of Jenn Feldman Designs proves that a pared-down look can deliver major impact through shapes and sculptural pieces. This living room makes a statement from every angle, from the geometric pendant light to the round table and arch chairs.
Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon of Brownstone Boys built a modern design into this 1899 brownstone in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The white dining room brightens up the space tremendously and allows the original molding to shine. "It's got some of the most ornate, gorgeous plaster medallions and molding that we've seen," Bordelon says.
Farmhouse lovers, this dining room is storybook ready! Designer Marshall Watson uses a traditional plate rack to showcase everyday dishes as wall art in this Swedish home. A vintage table and chairs with a blue gingham seat cushion add a touch of country charm.
In a West Hollywood townhouse that gets tons of light, Tamara Honey, the principal and creative director behind House Of Honey, designed a space that invites guests to hang out. This dining room is meant to be enjoyed not just at mealtime. "This space is used more for game night than formal dinner parties," she explains. "We love that it feels sophisticated without being fussy."
The gentle color palette of this dining room designed by Gillian Segal of Gillian Segal Interior Design gets an edge from black accents and contrasting textures. From the chain links of the chandelier to vintage table bases made of solid coral, each detail brings something unique to the space.
Next Wave designer Hilary Matt of Hilary Matt Interiors created a dining room that every color-obsessed homeowner will love. A bold cobalt de Gournay wallpaper fills the space inside the arch molding in this dining room. Paired with mustard velvet chairs, it gives a glamorous yet approachable invitation to sit down at the table.
In an open concept floor plan, a grasscloth wallcovering can "help define the dining space as its own," says Julee Wray, lead designer and founder of Truss Interiors, who overhauled this Denver penthouse. The client purchased the dining table in Italy. Inside the console, hidden freezer drawers offer more food storage.
Jenna Gross of Colordrunk Designs dressed this dining room in the guest quarters of House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home in head to toe coral, blue, and green. The custom pedestal table by Aronson Woodworks functions as a card table, home office, and spot for meals. The four velvet swivel chairs by Coley Home tuck under the table when the party is over.
Brit Epperson, founder of the design firm Studio Plow, took on the challenge of giving this historic San Francisco townhouse a makeover in just five weeks. With minimalist but high-end touches of black and sculptural art, she designed a home that feel current and elevated and can easily be built upon. The dining room showcases multiple finishes and materials with an airy, cool flair.
Phillip Smith was in search of a dining table for his Rhinebeck, New York, weekend house when "a friend of mine's mother passed," he says. "I adored her, and when my friend went through her things she said, 'There's a table here with your name on it!' I was nearly in tears." The gray-blue patina looks beautiful next to the chrome chairs and green-gray wall paint. It also contrasts softly with the off-white ceiling.
This dining room is full of eye candy, starting with the personal library that's its centerpiece. Sarah Stacey of Sarah Stacey Interior Design says, "For this bookshelf, we made sure to balance the styling of them not only on each shelf, individually, but throughout the entire bookcase so that your eye moves around." The result, she adds, "showcases a refined taste and love for a curated life."
Here's one way to bring the outdoors in with ease. The deep green walls of this dining room designed by Gillian Segal of Gillian Segal Interior Design create mystery and intrigue. The sculptural chandelier and mixed material dining chairs add eclectic charm.
In the elegant dining room of this Manhattan duplex designed by Garrow Kedigian, a circa-1900 mahogany table is surrounded by antique chairs that were purchased at a Paris flea market and re-covered in a Schumacher velvet. The high-gloss finish of the deep berry blue walls reflects the ornate chandelier.
The Japandi design style of this dining room by Joel Wong and Amanda Gunawan of OWIU Design rings true. Natural light enters through the clerestory windows and plays on the plants, wood, and organic materials. The dining table is only a few inches taller than a traditional coffee table.
It's easy to fill wall niches in your dining room with decor, but you can emphasize them even more with a simple wallcovering. In a this Virginia dining room, designer Joe Ireland used a handmade tissue wallcovering by Twin Diamond Studios to set an elegant backdrop for decorative plates.
If you like the idea of mixed dining chairs but still appreciate an element of cohesiveness, try different takes on a single style. Here, design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz surrounded the 12-foot-long dining table in their West Village home with the same chair in several different neutral fabrics and wood finishes.
Keep ingredients for cocktail and mocktail refills within easy reach by adding a built-in home bar like the one in this dining room by designer Eneia White. The custom unit looks like a freestanding piece of furniture thanks to a coat of Benjamin Moore Black Satin paint and antique-inspired hardware sourced on Etsy.
Kids' tables can certainly be cozy and chic. Just take it from this small seating area in the dining room of a California Victorian home designed by Alexandra Loew. Situated in the bay window, the setup serves as the kids' table during big gatherings.
Everything inside your dining room is crucial, but so is the entry to it. Here, designer Lathem Gordon framed the entrance to her Atlanta home's dining room with a carefully crafted gallery wall. It sets the tone for all the estate sale finds and heirloom pieces on display inside.
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