10 Expert Tips for the Perfect Space for Entertaining

Our expert guide on how to design a dining room covers everything you need to consider, from colour schemes to furniture choice in just 10 easy steps

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Looking for expert tips on how to design a dining room?

Whether you have a separate dining room you are decorating solely with the purpose of it being a glamourous space to host, or if your set up is a kitchen diner, all of these tips will help you make the important decisions on colour, furniture, layout and more...

1. Decide on the function of your dining room

If you are starting totally from scratch with your dining room, before jumping into colour schemes and wallpaper patterns, ask yourself what is the room's main function? Is it just for dinner parties or will you be eating casual family meals in there too? Will it ever need to double as a workspace now we are working from home a whole lot more? How many people will you need to seat? Do you want to create an intimate space or something formal and elegant? Essentially you need to decide who, how, and when the space will be used and let those decisions dictate the furniture you choose, the colour scheme, and the layout. If you are unsure where to start, we'd recommend going old school with a mood board - save images you like or take them out of magazines and you'll soon start to see a theme occurring. Take inspiration from your favourite bars and restaurants too as these are great sources for quirky decor.

2. Get your dining room flooring right

Maybe you are sticking with the floors you have inherited, but practical as it may sound flooring in a dining room is a key element to make sure it functions well. A dining room floor should not only look lovely, but it also needs to work hard too, these rooms are high-traffic spaces and are susceptible to spills and stains too.