Living Room & Dining Room

Dec 15, 2017

Our best dining rooms of 2017

By: styleathome.com

From festive dinner parties to Sunday brunches, dining rooms are constantly being used as an event space to spend time in with friends and family. And they can come in all shapes and styles — from pared back Scandi-chic to unconventional and dramatic. Need proof? Here, we've rounded up our favourite dining rooms from this year.

This dining room is open to the kitchen so it had to be casual, while the patterns on the blinds and toss cushions reference those in the rest of the home for continuity.

The pale, pared-back dining area of this Langley, B.C., farmhouse boasts a Scandi-chic feel. The blond wood table and minimalist chairs blend beautifully into their wood-and-white envelope.

This dining room masters the mix of an unconventional collection of mismatched contemporary and vintage furniture and accessories. A focus on sculptural forms – the pendant lights, the candlesticks, the chairs – and a palette of deep blues and matte white bring cohesion to the space.

A live-edge wood table brings the forest into the dining room. The mismatched modern chairs keep the look eclectic and unfussy, while the desert print’s saturated colours catch the eye, the frame almost acting as a window to another land.

The dining area adjacent to the kitchen provides maximum seating thanks to the bench and extendable dining table. An open-framed glass and metal shelving unit along the back wall provides not only a great spot to display decorative pieces but also plenty of storage for cookbooks and a mini-bar to serve guests.

Sure, meals unfold at this long woodsy table, but there are no mess-hall food fights here! Featuring mod chairs and illuminated by an oversized forest green pendant light, the look is one part rustic, two parts polished.

An olive branch garland on a dark muslin runner is punctuated by pears, paper magnolia flowers and brass candlesticks filled with taper candles.

The mostly white dining room gets its impact from the brass accents and contrasting hits of grey.

Bringing the outside in, grassy green hues (on the damask drapery and velvet-upholstered chair seats) add sophistication to the dining room. The vintage wooden chair frames were updated with white lacquer to make the green pop, while the dark dining table grounds the otherwise breezy space.

Though most of the dining room furnishings and accessories – including a glass chandelier and an ornate Venetian mirror – are new, they have a traditional appearance that lends a formal feel. Meanwhile, violet accents energize the space, and a velvet slip-cover on the table’s head chair and a patterned sisal rug wink at coastal living.

For lighting, the designer chose a candelabra for its soft glow, which is whimsical and romantic for dinners, while plush toss cushions were added to the daybed, making it the perfect place to relax with an afternoon cup of tea.

The table is set for a casual brunch, with the homeowner's pretty gallery wall forming a chic backdrop. A natural sisal rug and woven light fixture are serendipitous matches for the beachy look.

Think herringbone is a hallmark of French design alone? Not so fast, corrects homeowner and designer Jennifer Ferreira. The floors in this modern dining room were actually inspired by her grandparents’ houses in Portugal.

The homeowners’ mahogany dining table was stained an espresso shade to match the legs of the dining chairs, while the chandelier, a contemporary take on a traditional tiered fixture, ties into the gilt antiques. These elegant Old World touches keep the blush and turquoise colours looking timeless.

In the dining room, a rough-hewn farm table paired with classic chairs achieves casual elegance; a bench that can slide beneath the table makes the most of the small space. Overscaled and modern, the chandelier (a total splurge!) serves as a youthful take on tradition.

A textured stone wall, oversized metal letters and a live-edge table give the dining room a rustic vibe. The light fixture lends a contemporary twist.

Defined by a mix of old and new, the dining area features a Mid-Century Modern Saarinen dining table surrounded by Louis XVI-style dining chairs with wipeable white vinyl seats.

The sculptural replace in the dining area of this Brooklyn, N.Y., brownstone was in such rough shape, it had to be removed and rebuilt. Above it, the enormous antique filigree mirror that belonged to the previous owners lends romance to the space. Dripping with crystal beads, the antique brass basket chandelier was a splurge, but the homeowner insists it’s a forever piece.

Gathering a few favourite prints, posters and paintings, the designer created a dynamic visual mash-up in the dining room. The result is a sophisticated yet personal design element. One added bonus? It was totally budget-friendly.

The dining room delivers an interesting high-low mix. Authentic Eames chairs and sculptural brass pendant lights share the space with cheap and cheerful window treatments. A sheepskin throw layers softness and texture into the area, as does the fiddle-leaf fig tree.