6 Dining Room Design Mistakes To Avoid
The Spruce talked to interior designers - including Daunt Designs - about interior design mistakes that take a dining room from cozy to uninviting. Read the full story to learn how furnishings, color palette, lighting and location within your home can be critical to dining room interior design.
The location of the dining room makes an impact on how inviting it is. Adriena Daunt, principal interior designer at Daunt Designs, explains that if there isn't a good flow from the kitchen or great room into the dining room, the space won't feel like a natural extension of the home's living spaces.
"No one wants to feel like they’re sitting in a dark room away from the heart of the home," Daunt says. "If you’re working with a small, dark dining room that’s tucked in a corner, then it’s probably more sensible to keep the color scheme light, avoid anything too busy, and make sure the furniture doesn’t feel crammed in.”
All of this doesn't mean you can't pack a design punch in the room, however. Daunt says "you can still include a focal point like a statement lighting fixture or a piece of artwork; just don’t overwhelm the room with pattern or color."
If you’re looking for professional interior design help for your remodel or custom home build, contact Daunt Designs.
Dining Room Interior Design FAQs
How do you make a dining room feel more relaxed and usable?
Comfortable furnishings make a huge difference to how much the room will be used. Chairs you want to sit in for hours, a table with enough breathing room, and materials that invite touch, like wood, linen and leather. A dining room shouldn’t feel like it’s waiting for a special occasion - your dining room interior design should feel like it’s meant to be lived in. Function is also critical - the table should always seat enough guests comfortably, especially in vacation rentals where guests are planning to sit and visit for awhile.
What’s the first thing to address when a dining room feels cold?
Lighting. It sets the tone more than any other design element. I typically recommend layered lighting - which means multiple light sources that have different purposes. Ambient light is always important for generally making the room feel warm and bright, decorative lighting means the fixture itself is a focal point, and accent lighting might highlight an architectural feature. Make sure your color temperature isn’t too cold - 2700-3000K is a good range to stay within for most homes. Dimmers are usually a good idea - especially in places like Bigfork, where daylight shifts dramatically throughout the year.
Can too much decor make a space feel smaller?
Yes, it can. When everything competes for attention, the room can feel cluttered, overwhelming and uninviting. When designing a dining room, I usually incorporate one strong focal point, supported by quieter, complementary elements. If it’s a new build, the focal point might be the view - and so architectural design becomes even more important.
How important is furniture scale in a dining room?
Scale is a foundational element of interior design. A table that’s too large or chairs that are too bulky will make even a generous room feel tight, while the opposite is also true - undersized dining furniture can make a room feel too cavernous. Secondary furnishing and decor pieces should also be properly scaled, like rugs, buffets, artwork and table decor.
Sometimes, an existing dining room might have an odd shape that needs special thought given to furnishings - like the Falls Farmhouse project in Columbia Falls, where we used an oval table to seat the maximum number of people without blocking circulation to the neighboring living room and kitchen.
Why do some dining rooms go unused?
Often they feel too formal or disconnected from the rest of the home. In Montana, where homes are often designed for gathering after a day outdoors, the dining room should feel integrated and approachable. When a dining room is designed to be comfortable and functional, it naturally becomes part of daily living.
