Small dining table decor


24 Small Dining Rooms That'll Make You Think Big

By

Stephanie Montes

Stephanie Montes

Stephanie Montes is a design and decor expert and writer who shares her knowledge of lifestyle trends, decorating, and painting. She also writes for Elite Daily, Hello Giggles, Brides.com, Elle.com, and Byrdie.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 11/02/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Space is a state of mind, but it can be difficult to think big when you lack physical square footage. If you've given up on that tiny space you should call a dining room and resorted to TV dinners on the couch night after night, allow us to inspire a much-needed redesign. Ahead, 24 tiny places that prove you can turn even the smallest amount of unused space into a formal dining room. Because even a small studio apartment in the city deserves a designated area for candle-lit dinners and early-morning coffee breaks.

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13 Small Dining Room Ideas and Decorating Tricks

Whether you love cooking and hosting or prefer to enjoy your favorite takeout order alone, a comfortable and well-decorated dining room will always make mealtime better. But if you add size limitations to the dining room design mix, you've got yourself an extra challenge to work around. But have no fear! we're here with tons of designer examples of small dining rooms with plenty of functional and design advice to accompany each, so you can figure out how to make the most of your own. Keep reading to see 13 small dining rooms from designers, and then incorporate you're favorite aesthetics and solutions from each into your own dining room!

1

Get a Lazy Susan

Laura Resen

A lazy Susan is perfect for smaller spaces. These clever contraptions are basically just trays that rotate and they make it easier to get items (like salt and pepper) around the table without having to reach over anyone. A round one sits at the end of this small dining table in a room designed by Chloe Warner, where interior glass doors ensure that the light flows through to adjoining rooms, too.

2

Blend It Into the Kitchen

Stephen Karlisch

Unlike chairs, a bench can seat more than one person (a handful of kids!). Even better if the bench is built into the island, serving as a natural transition into a more formal dining space right off the kitchen. In this kitchen-meets-dining room by Jean Liu, the bench was added onto the opposite side of the island to double the room's use case and blend the more practical kitchen with the formal gathering area.

3

Turn Storage Into Decor

Cara Fox

Open shelves are often the best storage option in a tight space, but you have to fill them wisely. Coordinating plates and serveware, like this classic blue and white collection, add a decorative element with a culinary tilt. The plates were the jumping-off point for everything in this preppy and sweet dining room designed by Cara Fox.

4

Choose Dual-Purpose Furniture

Leanne Ford Interiors

If you have to sacrifice part of your dining room for a home office, get the best of both worlds by choosing furniture that can perform well for both tasks. This roomy farmhouse table in a home designed by Leanne Ford can function as a great place to spread out for larger creative projects and serve as a perch for a few work-from-home folks. But, when mealtime rolls around, it can also function as a dining room.

5

Pair a Round Table With a Banquette

Brie Williams

Two chairs and a corner banquette is a classic combo for a reason: it's a highly efficient use of space that also leaves plenty of room for fun. Together, they transform a bare corner into an elegant eating space, but it can also be a great backdrop for meetings and work. In this vivacious dining room nook designed by Ariene Bethea, the matching table and chair set creates just the right dose of cohesion.

6

Cozy Up to the Walls

Paul Costello

Often considered a design no-no in other rooms, placing furniture against the wall frees up space for walking in a narrow dining area that shares the living room and/or kitchen. A long rectangular or oval table like the one in this open-concept space by Barrie Benson can also be great as a buffet table for parties.

7

Choose Shelves Instead of a Cabinet

Lauren Waters

China cabinets or sideboards are lovely, but their bulk can dominate a room and uses space inefficiently. Floating shelves or custom built-ins, on the other hand, can be customized to fit your needs (fill the whole wall with them, if you like!) and offer more flexible storage than standalone pieces. They're an especially good addition to a room with high ceilings, like this loft designed by Lauren Waters.

8

Assess Your Priorities

Emily J Followill

If you live in a rental or aren't ready to make any permanent changes, having a storage piece to keep your collections stored and organized is still a good idea. In this small dining room, designer Lathem Gordon forewent a large dining table so there was space on the floor for a display cabinet.

9

Create a Booth

Francesco Lagenese

Both built-in bookcases and banquettes are meant to be directly next to the wall, offering as much seating, storage, and open floor space as possible—so when combined, they're a like small dining room superhero. And two banquettes are better than one! This clever set-up makes room for an entire family in a tight corner—and offers hidden storage under the seats.

10

Choose a Table With Leaves

Victoria Sass

Invest in a dining room table with extendable leaves so you can collapse them when not in use. It's a simple fix but it really does make all the difference. In this Scandinavian-style dining room designed by Victoria Sass of Prospect Refuge Studio, four chairs are tucked around the table, but it could seat 6 as is, and even more when fully extended.

11

Work the Room's Angles

Osklo Studio

In this space by Osklo Studio, a custom sofa accommodates the quirky shape of the room. The table and chair can also move aside when the space needs to serve as a more formal sitting room. Even if you can't splurge on custom seating, rethinking the angle of your dining room setup could help you squeeze in more space or get the most out of a living room that needs to accommodate a living area, too.

12

Sneak in Under-Seat Storage

Tamsin Johnson

The built-in banquette is also a sneaky storage solution in this eclectic dining nook designed by Tamsin Johnson Interiors. Hidden drawers beneath the cushion can house things like placemats, napkins, and more. The paint color and the grooves in the exterior of the drawers match the cabinetry in the adjacent kitchen for a seamless look.

13

Invest in Mirrors

KARYN R MILLET

Employ this bit of visual trickery to make any small room seem bigger: A mirror's reflection is great at faking extra space and bounces light around the room to make it seem airier. For a more traditional and formal look, opt for antiqued mirrors, as Celerie Kemble did here.

Hadley Mendelsohn Senior Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful's senior design editor and the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House.

photos in the interior, which table to choose for a small kitchen, options for compact tables

Often the kitchen area is small, there is no other room for eating, then the question of a suitable dining table is very important. It is necessary to foresee the nuances in advance, to make an accurate choice of a table of a suitable shape in order to use it for many years, having fun.

Table selection criteria

Dining table models vary. When choosing a table for a small kitchen, you should always consider the shape of the room where you plan to put it. Starting from the parameters of the kitchen, you should consider different designs, models, options for tables.

Design: Anna Clark

Cozy round table

It has long been known that a round table creates a cozy, chamber atmosphere of a living space. Tables equipped with one central massive leg look great. Some are sliding, the need arises - they easily acquire an oval shape, allowing a large company to be accommodated.

Therefore, a round table with no corners is the best choice for decorating a small space. If only the area allowed the table to occupy the center of the kitchen or stand in the corner. Like in this photo.

The usual rectangle

Traditionally, the dining table is often rectangular in shape. The model looks solid, besides the table is very roomy, comfortable. There is a reason to put it near the wall. You need to select chairs of the optimal shape so that after dinner is over, they can easily slide under the countertop.

It is possible not to put a table against the wall - great! There is a chance to gather a family behind him at the same time, it is important that the people at the table will sit facing each other.

Design: Make Design

Streamlined and comfortable

Semi-circular tables are a great idea. A streamlined shape and no corners make them comfortable and practical. With the direct part of the tabletop, it touches the wall, a small table takes up little space. Although it can easily accommodate two or three people.

Semi-circular tables are often used by designers when decorating a room in a modern style. The rounded shape of the table will surely add coziness to the interior of a small kitchen, and will arrange intimate conversations.

Design: Inna Velichko

Corner version of the dining area

A tiny kitchen, especially narrow, requires a corner table. Immediately it will be possible to move freely along the standing kitchen furniture, cook, serve food. An attached corner table, compact, completely unpretentious, will definitely help out if there is a shortage of footage.

The corner table is attached to the wall, but sometimes it has one support leg, which makes it more stable and reliable during operation.

Lovely square

Very often a small kitchen is equipped with a square table. The model is compact, takes up a minimum of space, is quite stable, usually has four legs. In addition, it is possible to place the table in the center of the room or against the wall, a good option is the corner.

It is worth giving preference to a square dining table, the shape makes it possible to vary the placement of a much-needed piece of kitchen furniture, it is easy to move it. Here, too, there is a plus, which is clearly shown in the photo.

Design: Buro Brainstoorm

Narrow design will help out

Let's say the layout of a small kitchen is such that there is no place for a dining table, then it makes sense to equip a narrow, oblong table as a bar counter. For example, put against the wall, picking up stylish high chairs. A narrow table always serves as a kind of lifesaver, even if the situation is critical due to the lack of kitchen space.

Design: Irina Lavrentieva

Many variations

Now there is a huge selection of functional tables that can significantly transform a small kitchen. It is necessary to think in advance which design of the table from the whole variety will be the most rational, ideally suited in all respects:

Tips from Anna Kovalchenko

Ate - leaned against the wall

The folding table occupies a minimum of space in the kitchen, it is attached to the wall, in the absence of support - legs, the table is completely removed when it is not needed to use. The design allows the hostess to move freely, facilitates the process of cleaning the kitchen. The only caveat is that the folding table cannot be overloaded with heavy objects too much.

Convert as needed

A transforming table is an indispensable thing when the area of ​​the room is too small, however, here you need to cook food, feed your family, and even receive guests. The ability to change the configuration of the table for different needs, increasing and decreasing it, is a huge plus. Once the transformer is folded, the design takes up very little space. It does not need to be moved or carried - it is very convenient.

Table on casters

Pull-out table is easy to hide in a drawer or under the kitchen furniture. As necessary, the table with rollers is rolled out, then pushed back, freeing up space. There are curious models of tables moving along the kitchen furniture with the help of a rail. This type of table is easily placed where it is convenient, then returned back.

Quick and easy folding

Folding table is a functional option suitable for a small kitchen. Part of the table usually goes down if the meal is for two. It is worth gathering friends or relatives, the lowered part of the table is raised, the whole company is accommodated without any problems.

Design: "Kvadrim"

Like in a bar

A bar counter instead of a table is needed to save space, to zone the kitchen space. This technique works great, you just have to want to visually create a food area, another for cooking. Stools with high legs or bar stools will complement the furniture set. The kitchen looks stylish and very modern.

A meal with a view from the window

There is a great way to equip a narrow table - use the windowsill for this. True, the household members seated here will face the window. In addition to the minimum area occupied by a long table, it also allows you to admire the street landscape during a meal. Therefore, you should not decorate the window with flower pots, the review should be open.

Design : Anna Dry

Preference for light colors

The smaller the kitchen, the less acceptable are the dark colors of the furniture, which create a gloomy atmosphere, the impression of bulky objects. The furniture of a small kitchen is selected in a light, pleasant shade. White, beige, cream, ivory, sand are the most suitable table colors for a small room.

Light surfaces visually expand the space, fill it with joyful colors, have a positive effect, improving the overall perception of the room.

Design: Nadia Zotova

Material

Various materials are used today to make dining tables. The best choice is the one made of natural wood, its natural texture, strength, even the smell leave a good feeling. True, wooden tables are the most expensive.

Design: Viktoria Zolina

Now there are fashionable tables made of plastic, durable, very practical, easy to keep clean. Shiny surfaces reflect artificial lighting or the sun's rays, making the kitchen brighter. The plastic table and corresponding chairs of the original form look organically against the backdrop of a modern interior.

Glass tops are becoming increasingly popular. Extremely easy-to-clean surfaces add light and air to a small room. Fears that glass is easy to break are unfounded. The tabletops are made from impact resistant glass. Often there are glass surfaces decorated with drawings, embossed, matte, colored, filling the interior of the kitchen with elegance and lightness.

Even if the area of ​​the kitchen is small, there is always an opportunity to choose the most appropriate option for a dining table - shape, size, color, design. A precisely calibrated choice of such an important piece of furniture will add charm to the smallest room, create comfort, delighting the owners every day.

Design: architects Natalia Chaika and Grigory Sevastyanov

Design project by Anna Furbaken on the cover.

Table decor - how to decorate the interior perfectly? 70 photo-ideas

Equipping a house is not a difficult task, but not everyone can fill an apartment with an atmosphere of comfort and joy.

Even such a seemingly insignificant detail as table decor can transform a room and fill it with comfort and good mood.

Do not throw away an old table, especially if it is made of good wood - a good new table is very expensive, and the handmade finish is even more, so you should think about restoring the table.

Almost everyone can breathe new life into old furniture, because the basic techniques for decorating a table with decor are very simple and anyone can master them.

Old table decor

The first step in decorating the table is to remove the cover. It is enough just to remove the surface, and then there are a lot of options. You can decorate, cut out drawings or varnish the table.

To give the table a fresher look, paint it. Different colors will suit different designs, but one of the easiest styles is vintage - just paint an old table in soft lime, white or beige.

It's also very easy to change the legs - just take out the old ones and insert new ones if they fit, and cut holes for new ones if they don't fit the existing ones.

These simple steps make a huge difference in the look of your desk, but they don't cost you much time or money - it's simple, fast and inexpensive.

You can buy ready-made covers with designs if you want to put an intricate pattern on the table. You can see photos of table decor and choose the designs you are interested in.

Dining table decor

The dining table is the center of the home. It is here that all the residents of the apartment gather several times a day, guests sit down behind it, and meals are held behind it. That is why a beautiful dining table is so important in the home.

Kitchen table decor is very easy to make - just remove the cracks and cover it with a good tablecloth. But the choice of tablecloth should also be approached responsibly - it often sets the mood and appetite at the table.

For everyday use, look at tablecloths with simple but beautiful patterns.

Don't choose too provocative colors, but also very dull ones. For the holidays, you should look at luxurious tablecloths made of silk or velvet.

Dining tables made of glass should not be covered with a tablecloth - this way the zest is lost. Beautiful coasters or mats are usually placed on glass tables.

Unusual patterned napkins are also a good choice. Table decor ideas can always be emphasized with a photo.

Table decorations

The most common table decorations are napkins, mats, vases, candles. You can approach the decoration in a more original way and use plastic fruits, cones, artificial flowers or plants.

If your table is large enough, you can place an aquarium or a small fountain in the center.

The main thing is to make sure that the details of the table decor do not violate the overall composition of the room. For a romantic dinner, you can use candles and sweets in the form of hearts.

Table decor with flowers – a classic, but proven and beautiful option

Desktop decor

Restoration of a desktop can let your imagination run wild. There are many variations of desktops - from strict classic to bright colors. The first step will be cleaning, then grinding and priming.


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