How to Decorate a Dining Room on a Budget
Is your dining room abandoned? Are you more likely to be sorting laundry on your table than serving a family dinner? As the way we eat and entertain changes, so must the role and design of the family dining room.
It's rare for families to sit down every night to a formal dinner at the traditional mahogany table, so why do we still keep it there like a museum piece? If the traditional is no longer functional, what does work in today's dining rooms? Basically, multi-functional furniture, contemporary materials and style statements that not only break the rules, but also reclaim your dining room and make it functional again.
If you're ready for a design challenge, here are four simple, but creative, ways to recreate the table and eight chairs of yesterday.
1. Make the space multi-functional.
Most families today are eating their nightly dinners in the kitchen, saving the dining room for small parties or get-togethers. So, recreate the space for that.
Start by opting for a table with leaves that can be pulled in or out. For cocktail events, you can keep the table small and give yourself more floor space while sit-down dinners can be accommodated simply by extending the table. If you have the space, add a nice desk or a chair and a lamp to an unused corner. You can quickly and simply set up the space as a supplementary home office or reading corner.
2. Mix and match your chairs.
Just because you have a traditional dining room table doesn't mean you have to stick with the matching chairs.
Start by snatching up different chairs at local thrift shops, antique stores and flea markets. Look for a running theme, style or design to pull them together and try different sizes, like pairing a basic chair with bench seating. Just make sure you choose chairs that synchronize well with one another so that the overall arrangement looks thought-out, rather than thrown-together.
3. Replace your table.
While replacing your dining room table may be expensive, a contemporary and modern table can create a major positive impact. Wood is traditional, but why not opt for marble, glass, white oak or even living grass.
4. Update your linens.
For a simple fix that creates an instant makeover, update your table linens. New tablecloths, placemats and napkins are an easy way to add some instant wow factor to a tired space.








