How To Decorate A Dining Room — 15 Ideas For Your Dining Room Accessories
19th Jan 2022Posted by Alice Ewens on 19th Jan 2022
The dining room is often considered the heart of the home. It’s a space to unwind and indulge, host dinner parties for guests, or reconnect with the family. Whether you’re working with a whole room, or a dining nook tucked away in the corner of a shared space — your dining room’s design can really reflect your personality, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
The way you accessorise and dress your room, from colour schemes down to artwork and those personal little decorative bits — it's all part of setting the scene for your space.
Daydreaming about your dining room decoration and stylish accessories? We've gathered together some inspiring ideas and grouped them into individual themes to break it down for you.
Use Similar Tones
Always try to base your accessory choices around a central theme. A fun place to start is by matching tones and textures. This could be as simple as matching the colour of your chair covers to the dining table, but don’t be afraid to experiment! Let your inner interior designer out — add statement pieces or use texture to create a focal point.
The key here is to match without mirroring. Don’t make the mistake of filling the entire space with a single shade — this can come off as oppressive. The modern dining room is all about playing with tone and texture. So, whether you’re furnishing your dining room with subtle shades from a similar palette or using complementary colour schemes, take a look at some of our favourite examples below. Or, for a kickstart, have a look at our complete dining table sets, masterfully matched by our team of furniture experts.
1. Go bold and bright
Fortune favours the bold, and looking at @khomelife’s dazzlingly bright dining space, we’d have to agree — it’s a real show-stopper! We’re loving the way she’s paired everything up, matching the colour of her Cascina table legs with the Corona chair legs, and the wire-frame/glass candle holders. She’s then opted for natural and neutral tones for her accessories. The tones of the pampas grass and vase are reflected in the placemats, chair colour and lantern. The tableware even matches the glass tabletop — excellent attention to detail.
2. Match with artwork
Lisa has set the colour palette for her dining space through the artwork which has been tastefully placed in a trio, serving as a backdrop to her Novara gold leg table. The colours in these floral depictions are reflected across the entire space. The gold of the frames matches up with the cutlery, vase and table legs, and the navy blue tones pair with her blue velvet chairs.
3. Go grey gracefully
Sandra has gone for a grey scheme with pops of white. It all ties together perfectly — our white Atlanta table, the blinds, skirting boards, and even the pebble cocktail centrepiece. We think the brighter elements of the room do a great job at lifting the grey of our Belgravia seats, too.
Use Contrasting Colours and Textures
Contrast is vital for more daring dining spaces, helping you inject some much-needed vibrancy. Bright or unusual colours can often seem challenging to bring into the dining room, but the key here is to be brave!
Go opulent with a palette of gold and royal blue — or perhaps you’d prefer a more bohemian forest green against a backdrop of pastel pink? If you’re working with a neutral space, add pops of colour to create a focal point. Don’t be afraid to mix and match styles, either — contrasting modern decor elements against accessories traditionally found in a formal dining room can work well. We’ve collected some great ideas below — have a look!
4. Add pop through artwork
If you’re looking to add a little zing to a more neutral space, artwork can provide a quick and simple fix. Ana has paired framed graphic art with our Corona gold legged chairs and Novara gold table. The gold and green go perfectly together, and we love the positive messages in the artwork!
5. Set out statement seating
Don’t be afraid to lend the limelight to your dining room chairs. @dailydoseofushome has expertly contrasted our Novara table and cappuccino Milan chairs against the deep, moody teal on the wall opposite. We love the seat detailing, and the elegant outline of these chairs is a great fit for the space.
6. Highlight a feature wall
Looking to create a glam, classy vibe? @home_lifeofarewa has done just that using a white, gold and black colour scheme, with gold roman numerals adorning her feature wall. Notice how all of the various elements of the room come together and work in harmony? A feature wall is a great addition to anchor your design and lend a central theme to the space. Our Imperia table and black Corona chairs with gold legs work great for @home_lifeofarewa’s colour palette, and we sell a very similar bench seat, too — our Cambridge bench.
Use Light
Yes, you can use light as an accessory — and we mean both natural and artificial! Lamps, other lights, mirrors and other reflective surfaces can all really set the mood. You could try a bold floor-standing lamp, or even just work around the subtle reflective gloss from your dining table — our Giovani dining table set is great for this! Smaller dining rooms can benefit hugely from the clever use of light — try using mirrors to create the illusion of a larger space.
Have high ceilings? Accentuate the vertical space with an elegant pendant light. Soft warm lighting can lend a sense of intimacy to your dining room, making it perfect for entertaining guests at a dinner party. Alternatively, you can use cold white light to accent a modern monochrome colour scheme. Light can even be used as a statement: why not highlight elements of your dining space with focused lighting?
7. Mirror your space
Here, Beverly has used large wall mirrors and hanging pendant lights to make the area look much bigger and open up the space. Also note the monotone palette with chrome accents tying it all together. The pendant lights present a stylish feature matching the modern-retro vibe in this room. That's our Lugano table. We also sell similar styles of lighting, too.
8. Draw the eye
@lifewithjen has used the stunning light of her chandelier to draw all eyes to the centre of the dining space. From there, our gaze is left to wander over the complementary colour scheme of navy and silver, and move towards the focus of the room — the dining table. Like what they’ve done? That’s our Atlanta table, and you can browse our range of crystal cut light fittings here, too.
9. Keep things minimal
Of course, chandeliers don’t always have to steal the show. We love the way @ourhanbury33 has seamlessly fused this statement light fixture into the calm, neutral atmosphere created by the monochrome colour scheme. At the same time, they’ve somehow managed to contrast it perfectly against the classic panel detailing on the wall to create a fresh take on minimalism. Our Leonardo glass table with chrome legs and 6 Milan chairs with chrome legs slot perfectly into the design.
Use Greenery
Houseplants have been back in vogue for quite some time now, with the trend showing no signs of slowing down. Bringing the outdoors in doesn’t just give your space a fresh, uplifting edge — it’s also great for the air quality in your home.
The big, bold leaves of a Monstera can bring a touch of the exotic to the family dining room, but if you’re dealing with a small space, spider plants work great in even the most cramped of rooms. For spaces that receive more light and warmth, cacti can add an element of desert-chic, while venus fly traps are perfect for controlling any unwanted pests that may fly through to your dining room in the summer months.
10. Adapt a conservatory
Here, Andrea’s made the most of the natural light pouring in through her conservatory by converting it into a dining room. Strategically placing her potted plants against the backdrop of the garden, she’s managed to merge the gap between outside and inside, creating a perfect space to entertain and relax. We love the choice of our Leonardo glass table with chrome legs and 6 black Willow chairs, too!
11. Achieve a chill vibe
For a dining room with a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, we love how @ourfirsthomebuy has paired our Andria marble-effect table and grey corona chairs. The neutral, calming white walls are free to wash over the space, accented by shades of green and gold — very zen.
12. Mix colour schemes
As much as we love a neutral colour scheme, don’t be afraid to mix and match your palette. We’re not just talking about the colour of your walls, either. @welcometoplot146 has thought outside the box here, using a splash of lush greenery to inject a little energy into the casual, informal vibes provided by our Pesaro chairs set against the beautiful dusty pink wall opposite.
Use Centrepieces
Adorning your dining table with a flashy centrepiece is the perfect way to accessorise your room — especially if your budget is running a little low, or you’re just looking to add a final finishing touch.
When entertaining friends or family members, centrepieces are fantastic for capturing attention. How about accessorising your dining table with an item you picked up on your recent travels? Or go floral with a dried flower arrangement — bonus points if it’s homegrown!
13. Get bronzed
Bronze can bring a touch of glamour to any space, and we love the way @hannahs.home.styling has matched this bronze plant pot centrepiece with her kitchenware and lamp. The metallic theme runs right through her design — that’s our Novara glass round dining table with chrome legs, and if you’re looking for similar seating, check out our Belgravia chairs.
14. Use dried flowers
Dried flowers have made quite the comeback recently. They’re perfect as permanent additions to any space, and better yet, there’s no danger of forgetting to water them! @ouringlefield has brought a touch of modern minimalism to her mirrored centrepiece display, combining dried pampas grass with a marbled vase. The design pairs perfectly with our Novara round glass table with grey velvet Pesaro chairs.
15. Play with textures
We think these chunky candles look great, especially in their grey holders. @cleanwith_kayleigh’s centrepiece plays with texture here, too — the soft, delicate frills of the dried flower display contrast perfectly against the ribbed candles and the smooth curves of their holders. Furniture-wise, Kayleigh’s kept it simple and minimalistic, opting for our white gloss Pivero table with 6 Lorenzo chairs.
How Would You Accessorise Your Dining Room?
If you've made it to this point, you probably already know how much we enjoy seeing what our customers do with their spaces. If you’d like to see more (or clue us in on your own design ideas), follow our Instagram and tag us in your product photos. We’re always on the hunt for new interior design ideas, so don’t be shy! If you’re searching for some inspiration of your own, you can check out our Pinterest account, too.
We also have lots of inspiration on our Pinterest account, too.
