skip to main content
Software
Integrations
Mobile App
Expert Support
All-In-One Platform for Construction and Design
See Pricing
Schedule a Demo
Talk to Sales: (888) 316-4595
My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
Steve W.
Client of Cribbs Construction
Learn More
Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Home DecoratingFurnitureDesign Dilemma
beth_jones48

Dining Space Needs Help!

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

We recently purchased this house and I'm stuck on this space. We will be putting a large wooden rectangle table in the center of the room and getting rid of all other furniture as it does need to serve as a dining space, but what else can we do? It just doesn't feel like a fun, cozy, home. What should I put on the bookshelves? The fireplace? These are the previous owners belongings, so everything is going.


Help please

Featured Answer
  • 8 years ago

    I think you can easily create a warm and inviting place to dine in this space. Definitely add a rug beneath your table. That will help immensely. Can you share photos of the room from other angles? Can't really tell what that vaulted ceiling is like. Will you be able to add a chandelier over your dining table? What style are you envisioning for this room? You could either remove the bookcases or leave them and fill them with books. I've seen dining spaces that did double-duty as a quiet place to sit and read, and they were lovely. Is that a slider door, and if so, will you need to cover it for privacy?

    Comments (12)

    • PRO
      8 years ago

      There's a lot of wood so you need to break that up. If you're using a wooden dining table, put a rug underneath to create some contrast. I would actually take out the bookshelves, it's an odd place for them. That awkward hanging fireplace should be addressed eventually but that can wait.

    • 8 years ago

      Thank you so much! I love the idea of a rug and removing the bookshelves. What would you do with the fireplace? Thank you for the guidance.

    • Related Professionals

      Elmira Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Huntsville Furniture & Accessories · Boston Furniture & Accessories · Duluth Furniture & Accessories · Watertown Furniture & Accessories · Youngstown Furniture & Accessories · Mission Viejo Furniture & Accessories · Gainesville Carpenters · Texarkana Carpenters · Chatham Carpenters · Athens Cabinets & Cabinetry · Great Bend Interior Designers & Decorators · Montgomery Architects & Building Designers · Fairbanks Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Sanford Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
    • 8 years ago

      Here are a couple additional photos, keep in mind none of the belongings are ours, the room is just empty now

    • 8 years ago

    • 8 years ago

    • 8 years ago

      It is a sliding patio door, but it does not need to be covered as we have no backyard neighbors


    • 8 years ago

      That's really pretty. It has a ski lodge look about it. I wonder if you were to place your dining table a little towards the staircase (not right up against it, though, as the current setup) instead of centered in the room, if you'd have enough room for a comfortable upholstered chair - something along the lines of a wingback, perhaps? - on either side of the fireplace. You could think of this room as more "keeping room" -- a place to dine and cozy up by the fire. You could use the dining table for games as well as meals, perhaps read in the chairs by the fireplace. A large piece of art over the fireplace would be nice. You don't need a lot of stuff in here, as there's a good deal of architectural interest already.

    • PRO
      8 years ago

      What does the rest of the house look like? Here are some ideas from a design we did for a client that you might enjoy depending on your style.

      Alpine Ski Home · More Info


      Alpine Ski Home · More Info

      Alpine Ski Home · More Info

      Alpine Ski Home · More Info

      Alpine Ski Home · More Info

    • 8 years ago
      last modified: 8 years ago

      Get a great big pine table with comfortable modern chairs that will make family and friends want to linger in the space. Put books in the bookshelves. Nothing is cozier and warmer than real books you've read, want to read, want to lend to guests. How many lodges have books for guests? Most of the ones I've stayed in

      On the fireplace wall, look for a beautiful huge landscape, abstract or representational to bring the outdoors into this space--something with this wilderness feeling only horizontal. Put a big basket of logs on the hearth.

      Hills and Oaks With Shadow By Claire Whitehead · More Info

      Still Standing, Original By Amber Mcdowell, Art · More Info

      "Gold Leaves." Original Artwork By Kanayo Ede · More Info

      Cooler Minds Prevail, Original By Tatiana Iliina, Art · More Info


    • 8 years ago
      last modified: 8 years ago

      Family Ranch · More Info

      CT Farm House · More Info

      Add an amazing rectangular chandelier or a pair of them over your table.

    • 8 years ago
      Perhaps a rug with pattern and warmth such as these:
      https://www.grandinroad.com/fringe-rug-collection/1105536
      And if you don’t need the storage, I would remove the bookcases and hang curtains on either side of the glass doors to add more softness.
    Related Stories
    DINING ROOMSInside Houzz: Taking a Dining Space From Plain to Polished
    By Mitchell Parker
    By-the-hour design advice helps a homeowner define a dining area in an open floor plan and give it a decorator look
    Full Story
    71
    REMODELING GUIDESRoom of the Day: Antiques Help a Dining Room Grow Up
    By Becky Harris
    Artfully distressed pieces and elegant colors take a formerly child-focused space into sophisticated territory
    Full Story
    63
    STANDARD MEASUREMENTSHow Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It)
    By Toronto Interior Design Group
    Get tips on allowing ample room for traffic flow through kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and other areas
    Full Story
    64
    SMALL SPACESDownsizing Help: Storage Solutions for Small Spaces
    By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer
    Look under, over and inside to find places for everything you need to keep
    Full Story
    79
    LIGHTINGHelp! I Need a Light!
    By Kit Pollard
    Full Story
    28
    SMALL HOMESRoom of the Day: Living-Dining Room Redo Helps a Client Begin to Heal
    By Becky Harris
    After a tragic loss, a woman sets out on the road to recovery by improving her condo
    Full Story
    36
    DINING ROOMSDesign Dilemma: I Need Ideas for a Gray Living/Dining Room!
    By decordemon
    See How to Have Your Gray and Fun Color, Too
    Full Story
    5
    DINING ROOMS11 Design Tricks for Defining Your Open-Plan Dining Space
    By Amanda Pollard
    Use these ideas to create an intimate dining area within a larger room
    Full Story
    14
    SMALL SPACESIt Can Work: Sit-Down Dining Solutions for Small Spaces
    By Annie Thornton
    5 small-home dwellers find room for stylish dinner parties, even with no dining room in sight
    Full Story
    24
    STUDIOS AND WORKSHOPSYour Space Can Help You Get Down to Work. Here's How
    By Laura Gaskill
    Feed your creativity and reduce distractions with the right work surfaces, the right chair, and a good balance of sights and sounds
    Full Story
    17
    Sponsored
    Buckeye Basements, Inc.
    Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars40 Reviews
    Central Ohio's Basement Finishing ExpertsBest Of Houzz '13-'21
    More Discussions
    Holiday or seasonal decorating. How much or how little?
    43
    Need your help!
    8
    Help me replace the marble in this plan
    5
    What shoes will you be wearing for fall and winter?
    17
    How to renovate without spending a fortune?
    3