The dining room is a unique place in every home. Some use their dining rooms for every meal so want a relaxed, every day space, whilst others like to keep the room for best and look for a formal feel. No matter how you use your dining room, having a thoughtfully styled space will help you enjoy the room day after day. If you’re looking to update this area of your home but are stuck on what style to go for, we’ve rounded up our ten favourite dining room ideas to help get you started…

1. Scandi Dining Room

Scandinavian design is at home in any room. From bedrooms, to bathrooms and every space in between, the Scandi look is not only known for it’s fresh, clean feel but also the laidback lifestyle connotations it brings with it, which is why it’s now a popular style all over the world. In the dining room Scandi design really comes into its own. Always welcoming, it’s a versatile, everyday look which can cater for any number of people and it invites everyone to sit back, relax and just enjoy the meal. The A by Amara Abode trend is full of Scandi inspiration to help you create the laidback dining room you’re looking for.

Traditional dining table with chandelier

2. Traditional Dining Room

Traditional dining rooms are one of the more formal dining room styles. Reminiscent of when every meal was a dress-up event, these designs are great for when you have a separate dining room so you can make this space formal but keep the rest of your home more relaxed for everyday use. Invest in a ‘best’ tableware range which will be the key part of your table setting, always have a chic centrepiece ready and illuminate the table with striking pendant lights to give the room real wow factor when you use it.

3. Monochrome Dining Room

Fabulously contemporary, monochrome dining rooms are sleek, chic and eye-catching. Often in classic black and white or shades of grey, this colour scheme is a great choice for modern homes and works particularly well with industrial styles like the image above. If you prefer more vibrant or softer colours however, monochrome design can be achieved using varying tones of any one colour, so pick one that suits you and your style.

Monochrome Dining Room Ideas

Sieger by Furstenberg

Ca' d'Oro Bowl

$167

Essentials

Broadway Shiny Black Cutlery Set

$557

LSA International

Dine Rimmed 16 Piece Set

$190

Chilewich

Pressed Vinyl Dahlia Round Placemat

$34

4. Art Deco Dining Room

Art Deco design is one of the most enduring styles of the last century. Delightfully decadent, it celebrates a time of excess making it a perfect choice for the dining room which is usually the entertainment centre of the home. Characterised with ornate geometrics, rich colours and glints of metallics, this style can be dressed up for formal dining rooms or dressed down for the everyday. Just make sure you always have a drinks trolley handy to channel your inner Gatsby at every opportunity, old sport.

Art Deco Dining Room Ideas

Luxe

Addison Beaded Placemats - Set of 2

$67

Luxe

Prism Porcelain Bowls - Set of 4

$112

Cutipol

Goa Cutlery Set - 24 Piece

$779

Luxe

Prism Porcelain Dinner Plates - Set of 4

$112

5. Modern Dining Room

Excellent for both formal and everyday dining settings, modern dining rooms are one of the easiest designs to style but creates one of the most dramatic effects in any home. Think clean, sharp lines, strong colours and a few statement accessories and you can’t go wrong.

6. Colour Pop Dining Room

For those that need a bit of colour in their life, colourful dining rooms are bold and beautiful. Certain to make your dining room stand out from the rest, adding a bright colour pop goes hand in hand with fun accessories and lighting too, so let yourself go wild with this design. Another look perfect for both formal and everyday settings, it will make you smile every time you enter the room.

7. French Dining Room

Is your dining room missing that certain je ne said quoi? Then a French style dining room might be for you. Light, airy and romantic, French interiors are a popular choice for many homes around the world and it’s a style which screams rustic living and fine French food. Usually kept fresh and white, subtle ornate touches and exposed wood completes the rustic, shabby chic feel synonymous with laidback French style.

8. Country Dining Room

Another rustic style but more often associated with the rolling hills of the English countryside than France is classic country style. The epitome of rustic design, country dining rooms invite you to get together for wholesome feasts which last long into the night. Relaxed stoneware tableware, classic cutlery and lots of fresh foliage (preferably just picked from the garden) are at the heart of these dining rooms. Just keep decoration to a minimum and let the hearty food and good company do the talking.

9. Dark Dining Room

A key trend across the entire industry at the moment is dark interiors. Gone are the days when designers would steer clear of dark shades as they felt it would make a space look tiny, now it’s all about the subtle nuances of a darkly hued room and how these shades can bring a space to life. From dark walls to plush jewel-toned furniture and accessories, dark shades create a cosy, intimate atmosphere making them for ideal dining rooms.

10. Luxury Dining Room

Opulent and decadent, luxury dining rooms don’t have to be expensive but should have that extravagant feel at every turn. From gleaming metallic accessories, to ornate crystal glassware, like the Art Deco style above, these dining rooms are all about excess, so go all out. Also a fantastic look for introducing rich patterns, look for bold tableware designs, table linen, wall art or all of the above to create a delightfully decadent affair.