The dining room offers so many opportunities to mingle with loved ones and catch up after time away from each other. Whether you’re hosting a holiday, having a game night with your children or wining and dining with old friends, the dining room table has a way of bringing people together and making the conversation flow in an effortless manner.
But when was the last time that you actually retreated to this area of your home? You might’ve talked about gathering in this space with your favorite people, but did you ever make it to this cozy space or did you resort to the living room instead? There’s nothing wrong with getting together on the sofa, of course, but you should certainly make use of your dining area if you have one.
If you’re having a hard time motivating yourself and your guests to sit down at the dining room table and enjoy a meal and conversation, maybe you need to spruce the space up. Here are a few ways to encourage more traffic in your dining room:
1. Add more seating
It’s easy to assume that you only need enough seating to take care of your live-in family members, but that’s likely the reason you don’t make use of this space when guests come around. A larger table with more chairs can solve this problem, but you can also keep a bench nearby to accommodate those who don’t necessarily need to sit at the table, but still want to be a part of the conversation.
2. Consider a new light fixture
Perhaps the reason you’re avoiding the dining room is that it’s dark and gloomy. First, decide how much natural lighting you have available. If your current window treatments are keeping you from embracing the natural sunlight, switch them out for something more flowy and transparent like sheer treatments.
A light fixture upgrade can add a new sense of style to the space.
If your dining room is in the middle of your home with minimal natural lighting, you may consider a new light fixture that gleams down on the middle of the table. This will not only illuminate the space, but it can also be the perfect focal point of the room (as mentioned in the point below.)
3. Create a focal point
Every dining room needs a conversation starter. Sometimes it’s your husband, other times it’s a beautiful piece of artwork, furniture or accessories sitting on the shelf. If you want to make the latter a true statement, find something that brings the room together and intrigues guests from the moment they enter the room until the second they leave.
4. Start from scratch
Sometimes, your dining room needs more than a new table or centerpiece to get the conversation flowing. It may be time to give the entire room a floor-to-ceiling makeover if you want to turn it into a space that’s visited on a more frequent basis. Think new paint color, window treatments, chair cushions, area rugs and other accessories that will make the space feel more complete.
5. Call Erika Lee to assist with the changes
Your dining room space shouldn’t go to waste. Instead of treating it like an extra coat closet or storage space for holiday decorations, take advantage of the opportunity to gather with the ones you love. Committing to the project is just the first step — once you’re ready to execute your ideas, or run them by a professional, contact professional interior decorator Erika Lee.
Erika will come to your home for a consultation to evaluate your dining space and offer points of expertise to guide you in the right style direction. You can work together to come up with a theme, pick out decorations and furniture and place everything together like a puzzle based on the allotted space and your style preferences. By the end of the project, your dining room will look good as new and be the only room you want to retreat to in your home.
Are you ready to make a change? Contact us or give us a call at 513-304-9105, and decorate BEAUTIFULLY with Erika Lee!
