Tips For Decorating A Large Dining Room

Millie Chambers

Author & Co-founder

There are countless articles online providing advice on how to decorate your home for the purpose of maximising space. While it's understandable that owners of relatively small homes would want to make their environment look and feel larger, the opposite issue can also be tough to navigate. If you're fortunate enough to have a large home, decorating it can be tricky, not to mention expensive. Improper decoration can leave large rooms feeling cold and cavernous.

The dining room is one of the most important areas of the home - a central space for sharing meals, conversations, and memorable social gatherings. However, large dining rooms can detract from the desired cosy and convivial atmosphere. To give you a helping hand, here are some tips for decorating a large dining room.

Create Distinct Zones

Diving your large dining room into separate, clearly defined zones can make it look much more appealing. Not only that, but distinct zones contribute to a functional environment. For example, you could create a dining area, a lounge or reading corner, a study nook, or even a mini-bar - each area with a distinct purpose. By breaking up the space into smaller zones, you can make your dining room feel cosier and more intimate rather than overwhelming and imposing. You can achieve this with strategic furniture placement or using rugs to define each zone.

Use Statement Lighting

In a large room, standard lighting fixtures might appear inadequate or get lost in the expanse. On the other hand, statement lighting fixtures are often larger and more substantial, helping to balance the scale. Statement lighting, such as a classic chandelier or modern pendant lighting, creates an eye-catching focal point, drawing the eye upward and adding a sense of grandeur and elegance. You could even opt for something bespoke and unusual to give your dining room personality and unique charm.

Use Colour Strategically

When decorating to maximise space, we are often told to use pale, neutral colours to reflect natural light and create the illusion of a more expansive environment. Unsurprisingly, using darker tones will have the opposite effect, as they make the walls appear closer, visually reducing the perceived size of the space. Alternatively, if you want to keep your walls relatively light and neutral, you could include an accent wall for a dynamic focal point or paint the ceiling to make the room feel more intimate.

Add Soft Textures

Soft textures in the form of rugs, curtains, throws and pillows can help to add a sense of warmth and cosiness to your large dining room. Soft textures, especially those with plush and absorbent properties, can help dampen sound and reduce echoes, which can do wonders for large, cavernous environments. Furthermore, incorporating textured elements like cushioned seating or padded bench cushions adds an extra layer of comfort, allowing guests and household members to relax and fully enjoy the dining experience.

Scale Up Your Furniture

In a large dining room, standard-sized furniture can look disproportionate and insignificant. Scaling up furniture - such as using a larger dining table and chairs - helps to balance the visual weight of the room and prevents the furniture from getting lost in the expanse. Fortunately, dining table sizes generally range from two-seater to twelve-seater and beyond, so you won’t have to worry about finding one large enough. You could also add large bookcases, display cabinets and extra seating to help fill the space.

Include Artwork

Artwork can help to pull a room together by giving it character and charm. Additionally, artwork can help scale down the perceived size of the room by providing a point of reference - large pieces or groupings of artwork can visually "shrink" the space, making it feel more proportionate and inviting. Moreover, bringing artwork into your home is an excellent way to express your personality and style. Whether you opt for contemporary, classic, abstract, or eclectic pieces, your choice of artwork speaks volumes about your taste in decor. Here are some great tips to help you arrange artwork in your home.

Use Floor-Length Curtains

Floor-length curtains are great for making a small room look bigger. However, they also look great in larger environments. The visual continuity of full-length curtains creates a sense of harmony and prevents the room from feeling top-heavy or overly spacious. On the other hand, curtains that don’t quite reach the floor will only look misplaced and disproportionately small.