HOW TO CREATE THE IDEAL DINING SPACE
By Bonnie
The dining space can often be the forgotten friend next to the glamour rooms of the kitchen and lounge room, but these days it’s quite literally hard to separate them as their boundaries merge. Modern living has meant people are pulling down the walls that used to separate dining rooms so you need to design and define your dining area with the adjoining spaces top of mind.
This week I’ll show you how to create a beautiful, practical dining room which works well in an open plan room.
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When I was styling this dining space at The Beach Shack, I literally worked from the ground up, choosing the rug first! Most people might think you should buy your table first and often that is the case, but on this occasion I chose the rug first because then every choice after that just kinda flowed.
I selected this beautiful round rug from Zanui with its muted tones of blue/grey through it because I wanted something with a bit of texture and colour but not be overpowering or compete with the colours in the lounge room 2 metres away. I also wanted it to be round because I knew a round table would work best for a few reasons:
The dining space backs onto the kitchen, lounge room and alfresco deck as it literally sits bang in the middle of all three, so a round table joins all the dots seamlessly.
Round tables help encourage conversation – everyone can see each other and be included.
And lastly, you can find round tables in a compact size which is great when floor space is limited but you can always pull up a few extra stools and fit more people around it if needed.
I chose a marble-look table top which I just love for that luxe vibe but then to bring it down to earth (as we’re at the beach after all) I selected rope chairs. I don’t think you need to match your table and chairs - it often adds a bit more interest when you mix it up.
The other key element I believe every dining space needs is a pendant (or two) to help identify the space as its own special area and to make it look beautiful. At The Beach Shack, I selected these gorgeous fabric pendants that remind me of clouds and so whimsical. I chose two different sizes and hung them at different heights (keeping in mind you don’t have to be matchy-matchy).
Watch how my dining styling hacks come to life in the video below thanks to our friends at Zanui.