The opposite of bustling, multifunctional rooms like the kitchen, the dining room is a simple space devoted solely to the dual arts of eating and entertaining. While it’s a room that may be used infrequently, it’s the ideal spot in the home to celebrate your signature style. From formal settings to family-friendly spaces, these stylish yet functional dining rooms are conversation pieces that will suit every taste.
1. Walls Come Out To Play
Turn your dining-room walls into talking points with an inspired paint technique that will make them worthy of framing. Pretty in pink, purple and pastels, this colour-coordinated dining space flaunts an ombré application that involves the blending of hues progressively through tints and shades from dark to light. The buoyant rainbow effect has been created with the use of five different colours whose tones are then again reflected in the choice of tableware and flooring. Key to the ombré technique is to mix each of your colours with a scumble – we recommend Plascon’s Acrylic Scumble Glaze – which will keep your paint wet for longer, making the blending and stippling or colour-washing of each different hue that much more effective.
2. Elegant Inclinations
If your dining room is used for more than just a gathering of the gang, taking its look up a notch is the way to go. Sit-down dinners call for dramatic style but grand doesn’t have to mean stuffy. Bearing an intricate trellis design, a striking French navy wallpaper brings dignified colour to this compact dining room, where a classic mahogany table and matching chairs form a sophisticated focal point. Smart white upholstery and a subtly hued Persian carpet temper the darks in this scheme, preventing the look from becoming claustrophobic. Symmetrically arranged sculptures and a trio of large Chinese porcelain vases, meanwhile, accomplish a sense of Oriental balance and harmony in inimitable style.
3. Patterned Appeal
The combining of feisty prints brings excitement to this informal dining room, where a graphic black-and-white checkerboard floor offsets the vibrantly patterned chair upholstery. To mix patterns like a pro, remember that odd numbers work best and varying the scales of the prints within your space will stop them from competing. Also, while mixing patterns across styles is not unheard of – in fact, sometimes, an unexpected print makes a room pop – it’s generally easier to stick with the same types of motifs, as in this scheme where modern geometrics, stripes and chevrons consort quite happily. Finally, balance is key! Distribute your patterns equally throughout your space to avoid a lopsided feeling.
4. Geometry 101
Triangles and rectangles, hexagons and pentagons are not just for squares. The meeting of straight lines and sharp angles has long captivated the creative imagination and in this dining nook it gets it time to shine beyond the gridlines of the classroom geometry book. Complemented by accents of singing buttercup-yellow, a sophisticated mix of smoky pastels arranged in an angular jigsaw-puzzle of geometrics here brings a touch of modern art to the walls. The secret to nailing geometrics is in the preparation. You’ll need an accurate eye, careful measuring and plenty of masking tape. If the whole business of measuring and masking is a little daunting, consider the use of a stencil.
5. Big Picture Thinking
Don’t allow the big, windowless wall in your dining room to intimidate you. Instead, see it as the perfect canvas for statement wall art, be it an abstract painting or a moving photograph. The key to mastering the look is to find furniture that is simple-lined and proportional, as large-canvas art will dwarf a small table and chairs, unbalancing your scheme. Also, don’t fight the drama of oversized art by forcing it to compete with other decorative items. Instead, embrace the visual square meterage and make it the focal point of your dining room. Keep other accessories minimal, highlighting your painting or photo by pulling colours from it for accenting your space.
Don’t miss Decorex Joburg 2016 for countless more dining room decorating ideas, not to mention the chance to see some of the paint techniques mentioned here at the Plascon stand, where the paint giant and exhibition co-sponsor will unveil its much anticipated 2017 Colour Forecast. The show is on from 5 to 9 August at the Gallagher Convention Centre and will be open from 10am to 7pm daily (6pm Monday). Tickets cost R110 for adults, R90 for trade, pensioners and students and R25 for kids under 12. For more information, e-mail decorexsa@ThebeReed.co.za or visit decorex.co.za.
