Questions? Call us at: (866) 223-2757

53979
Design tips: 5 Ways to Successful Seasonal Dining
Articles, Coastal & Beach House, Cottage Style, Design Tips, Dining Rooms & Kitchens, Farmhouse & Country, Lodge & Lake House

5 Tips For Successful Seasonal Dining

Even though Thanksgiving is behind us, the holiday season of warm foods and gathering with family and friends for long meals continues throughout the winter.  You want to ensure your guests are comfortable and feel invited to stay awhile for a cozy evening in.  These five seasonal dining tips will not only help to make your dining room look good, but feel good too! 

5 Seasonal Dining Tips
photo: The Kitchn

» Address Seating: Comfortable seating is one of the most important elements in achieving a successful dining experience.   Upholstered chairs are the most inviting, but they do take up a lot of space and are not always practical for a messy bunch!  If you have wood chairs, try bringing in a seat cushion or small lumbar pillows to add comfort, as well as some color.

5 Seasonal Dining Tips | Seating
photo: Cottage Home

» Linens: Dress up your table with linens to add a personal touch for your guests.  Remember to layer for a visually interesting display by alternating between patterns and solids.  For example, a patterned runner that runs the length of the table, topped with complimenting solid placements and accenting patterned napkins, is a practical and pretty equation.   The patterns of the runner and napkins will hide the inevitable dinner mess, while the solid placements carve out individual dining spaces.  This is where you can have fun with color, pattern, and texture to make it your own!

5 Seasonal Dining Tips | Table Linens
photo: HGTV

» Decorative Focal Points: Creating a successful table-scape is a mix of function and flair.  The accent pieces you choose for your table should either be tall and slender, or wide and low, to ensure you are not interrupting the primary reason for gathering:  conversation.  This time of year is perfect for accenting your table with natural items like pinecones, tree branches, or greenery.  When using hurricanes, make sure the vessel is appropriate for the items’ natural size and scale.

Design Tips: 5 Ways to Successful Seasonal Dining
photo: Inspirational Letters by Millie 

» Lighting: The level of lighting directly affects the ambiance of your dining experience.  You want to ensure your guests can see who is sitting across from them at the table without causing a fluorescent lighting effect.  Having a low slung chandelier is the perfect solution for an aesthetically pleasing and efficient lighting source.  The bulbs are usually 35-60 watts, creating a warm glowing environment.  Candles are also a nice touch to set the tone for a cozy night around the dinner table.

5 Seasonal Dining Tips | Lighting
photo: Sophisticated Edge

» Dining Room Rugs: An essential design element in any dining room is the rug, which anchors the table and chairs, while adding color and comfort.  Choosing the right type of rug is not always easy, but low-pile, tight weave rugs are best.  This allows for easy maintenance, like spot cleaning and vacuuming, while also making it easy for chairs to move.  The size of the rug is also important. You want to allow enough space for the chairs to stay on the rug, even when pulled away from the table.  Choose a rug that will be cozy on the feet, and sized correctly for your guests’ ease of use.

5 Seasonal Dining Tips | Rugs
photo: Houzz

Brought to you by Cottage Home– specializing in cottage furniture & farmhouse tables

Cottage Home
You may also like
Get the Look: Coastal Cottage Dining
March 31, 2015
Get the Look: Farmhouse Dining
March 16, 2015
Get The Look: Natural Neutrals
January 26, 2015

Leave a Reply

EDITOR PICKS

Rooms to Love: Nautical Mix Bedroom
Rooms to Love: Victory Kitchen
Get the Look: Barn Board Bedroom
Get the Look: Trestle Trove
Get the Look: Iron Kissed

The Cottage Home Guarantee

At Cottage Home, we know purchasing custom furniture and décor on the Internet can raise some concerns and questions. Our business is dedicated to pioneering a new process for providing high-quality made-to-order furniture on the Internet. We strive to make it as easy as possible for our customers to have access to custom bench-built products for their homes.

Our focus is on providing an unparalleled furniture buying experience through our careful selection of high-quality products, the in-depth product details provided on our website, our knowledgeable design & selection assistance, a full range of samples services, and a specialized delivery process.

We feel strongly enough about our processes & people to stand behind all of our products & services.
We will be here to help should anything happen to go wrong. Period.

Back to Top
NEED HELP? CONSULT WITH OUR FURNITURE DESIGNERS
CALL US AT (866) 223-2757
Follow us: