This ranch-style home’s dining room is a visual feast for the eyes. The Lisa Gilmore Design team mixed old and new elements to create a space filled with conversation starters.
Lift your eyes to the leopard-inspired wallpaper on the ceiling, then the blush-hued grasscloth wall coverings and chinoiserie drapery. For wall hangings, we added the client’s vintage plates gifted from her daughter and whimsical watercolor art for a bit more color boldness. The vintage Italian Murano glass chandelier illuminates the chartreuse performance fabric-covered host and hostess chairs and the client’s reupholstered and repainted dining chairs.
Lisa Gilmore Design Tricks of the Trade
When our team of experts designs a formal dining room, there are a few things we like to keep in mind:
1. Consider the seating.
Different seating styles offer different energy and add personality to a dining room. Mix-and-match seating, matching chairs, and bench seats each add a distinct vibe to the space.
2. Dress the walls.
Interior designers are artists and each space is a canvas for us to create. That includes a room’s walls. We intentionally select a particular wallpaper, hand-painted details, and art to enhance a space’s aesthetic. If you really want to take it to the next level, don’t forget the ceiling!
3. Drapery is art.
Drapery is another way we had an artistic element to a formal dining room. Some homeowners want to save money by avoiding custom drapery, but this is one of those areas that make a significant impact on a space. It is an easy way to add color and visual height to a room.
4. Lighting can take a dining room to the next level.
Formal dining rooms often feel incomplete without a statement light fixture. Beyond its functional uses, the right light can add a unique element to the room, whether through its history, modern or traditional feel, funky shape, or custom design.
FAQs
1. What’s considered a formal dining room?
A formal dining room is often a separate room that is used for special occasions, dinner parties, and other entertaining. It may have doors, like pocket or French doors, that close it off from other rooms in the house. Formal dining rooms usually have a more elevated design than casual dining spaces and include a formal dining room set and high-end linens and dinnerware.
2. Are formal dining rooms still a thing?
Formal dining rooms became less popular when the demand for open floor plans increased, but in 2023, traditional floor plans and formal dining spaces are becoming more popular. In fact, a Rocket Homes survey found that nearly 50% of homebuyers prefer a traditional layout. And as a luxury interior design firm, we have designed many formal dining rooms for clients.
3. What is a good size formal dining room?
According to Spruce, the average size dining room in the U.S. is 14 by 16 feet. It’s important to keep your dining room’s size in mind when selecting a formal dining room table. We recommend a pathway of at least 36 inches from table to wall, although 42 inches is best and most comfortable for walking around when guests are seated.
We are glad to see that formal dining rooms are back in style, but when we work with a client, we place much more emphasis on what layouts and designs work best for their lifestyle and personality rather than what is trendy. Trends come and go, so your spaces should be a reflection of your life and preferences.