Traditional dining rooms can be stately and beautiful, but sometimes it feels like they’re a dime a dozen. What if a heavy, carved wooden table and floral patterns simply don’t fit the bill for your home? Many homeowners are instead opting for chic, contemporary dining rooms full of open space and organic design touches.
Want to know a secret? Contemporary design works in any room. While your first thought might be a Scandinavian-inspired living room or a minimalist dining space, the dining room is actually a perfect space to make your contemporary design dreams a reality.
Above all, your dining room is a sacred place where your family and friends gather to chit chat, share good food and toast one another’s accomplishments. And you need an inviting, composed environment to do all of that!
Contemporary design is just as much about what isn’t there as what is—the distinct lack of clutter and bulky structures leaves it wide open for meaningful conversation and mindful contemplation over delicious dishes.
Without further ado, here are four ways to create a winning contemporary dining room:
Juxtapose Materials
Contemporary design is nothing if not boundary-pushing. In 1995, the Museum of Modern Art illustrated this in their exhibit “Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design,” in which more than made of glass, plastics, rubber, foam, wood, metals and ceramics served as “an example of an innovative material or the innovative use of a traditional material.”
When you’re deciding on furniture for your eating space, juxtapose materials in surprising ways for a rejuvenating effect. For example, your might include both wood and metal. It could have a glass top with metal legs. It could even be made of concrete, yet paired with shapely wooden chairs.
Whatever you do, don’t settle for a single material. Mix and match for the most surprising and satisfying results.
Add Dashing Fabrics
At its best, contemporary design whisks you away to a Scandinavian-inspired retreat full of , also known as the “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
Incorporate deliberate softness into your design, whether you choose leather- or fabric-lined chairs, a cozy area rug or a sheepskin draped across the back of each chair. As HGTV , “natural fabrics such as silk, wool, linen and cotton are used for their textural aspect and inherent neutral hues.”
Display Bold Art
You’ll need to offset your tastefully toned furniture and minimalist style somehow. May I suggest an oversized wall hanging, sculpture or table centerpiece? As long as it’s slightly off-kilter and eye-catching, it will likely fit right into your new aesthetic.
Whether you just can’t stop thinking about that driftwood sculpture from last week’s flea market or have always enjoyed the controlled chaos of metalwork, there’s space for one or two showstoppers in your otherwise simplistic dining room.
Look Up for Light
A more traditional dining room might call for a wrought-iron chandelier dripping in crystals or candles. But not your updated abode! Light fixtures provide the perfect opportunity to tie together the entire room with a continuation of the materials below. Glass pendants, stark metal chandeliers and vintage are all fair game in such a unique space.
You’ll want to establish a healthy ambient glow as well as more focused task lighting over the table, so people can see exactly what’s on their plate. While you may get plenty of natural light by day, lamps will help maintain your hard-earned contemporary calm even into the evening hours.
You’ll be glad you took the time to bring your dining room up-to-date with the latest and greatest in home design trends! Whether your daily ritual includes sipping a cup of coffee before work and watching the sun rise or unwinding with a great group dinner, there’s no better place to enjoy it than from your very own contemporary eating space.
The post appeared first on .
