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Easy ways to make your dining space look more expensive

Open plan dining space and living room in front of large window with large hanging pendant light

Now that we are heading towards autumn, and with winter fast approaching, we are spending more and more time indoors. We might spend a bit of time on thinking how to give some of our living spaces a bit of a freshen up and upgrade – here we look at a few quick tips on how you can make your dining room look more expensive.

One statement piece

You don’t have to go out and buy a complete new set of dining room furniture! Just adding one statement piece can lift the room, something like a dining room sideboard will make a huge difference – plenty of space to clear away any clutter, an extra surface for when the dining table gets a bit crammed (will come in handy at Christmas) and also a surface to add a couple of ornamental items. Another option is to update just your dining table – a reclaimed wood dining table will make an instant impact. A reclaimed, or rustic dining table or an industrial dining table can be paired with so many styles of chair from leather dining chairs to upholstered dining chairs and look particularly good with dining benches.

Upgrading dining room seating

If you already have a dining table you love then you can just swap up the chairs you have around it. For a luxurious look choose a combination of a rich velvet upholstered bench and dining chairs. Dining benches are definitely here to stay, plus there are so many styles to choose from. Mix soft leather chairs like the Cleo Faux Leather Dining Chair with an industrial dining bench to add some loft style sophistication to the room. You can dress a bench with small throws and cushions to glam up your seating and give it the designer magazine look.

Photo featuring: Cleo Faux Leather Dining Chair

Add new lighting

Pendant ceiling lights are all the rage – decluttering your dining room and hanging a pendant light over the table will give you a quickly achieved chic new look. You can choose one large pendant or have a cluster of smaller lights. Natural bamboo is hugely popular right and eco-friendly.

Large bamboo pendant light over large wooden dining table with white spider legs

Photo featuring: Bamboo Sergia Large Pendant Light

Accentuate features

Make the most of the features you already have – dress up the fireplace, make the most of an exposed brick wall, add an accent chair. If you have French doors to the garden dress them with new curtains. You can add some wood paneling halfway up a wall or hang some glamorous wallpaper on one wall.

Dining room with exposed brick wall with large mirror and glass pendant ceiling light

Coordinated dining room textiles

Choose your favourite colour and have fun accessorising, add cushions on benches and chairs, get a new table cloth, placemats and napkins. Place a houseplant or two in matching pots or add a coordinated lamp on your sideboard. A silver rug set below a dining table with silver accents, will anchor the dining table and give you a base colour to accessorise from. And mirrors of course always look great!

How to pull off the laid back luxury dining look

White dining room with pale wood dining table and white candles

The dining room shouldn’t always just be for formal dinner parties, but also for comfortable homely weekday evening meals with your near and dear ones. Here we look at some ways to inject some glamour and still have a relaxed and homely dining space that you can enjoy as a family.

Photo featuring: Derby Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Invest in a showstopping reclaimed wood dining table

The right reclaimed wood dining table and chairs will set the tone for your dining space. The Chelwood furniture range provides bags of style, with a tabletop produced from old wood rich in natural features and character. It has a pale finish and an industrial edge with steel bars in the centre of the table base. This can be paired with the wooden sideboard from the same range.

Add a dining bench

Combine wooden benches with upholstered dining chairs. A reclaimed wood table and bench set will certainly bring a more relaxed feel to the dining room, they can also be dressed with cushions and throws for an added touch of luxury and comfort. Alternatively, you can opt for a more formal leather dining bench with back but pair it with wooden chairs to keep a casual air.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood Console Table

Add some storage space

No room will ever have a luxurious feel if it is cluttered. This additional storage can come in the shape of a dining room sideboard – a perfect place to hide away your serving dishes and other dining room bits and bobs. Style this with earthy accessories to introduce a rustic and relaxed element to your dining room. Reclaimed wood shelves are another storage option – great for occasional use decorative serving dishes that you want to keep on show.

Luxurious lighting

A sparkling chandelier or sleek pendant light can add an instant touch of luxe to the room. Hanging over a simple reclaimed wood table and bench, it will add height to the room and give it instant elegance.

Dining room with wooden table and large artwork on wall

Wonderful wall art

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder! Add some wall art that appeals to you, whether it is a simple landscape or some funky pop art. This will add a personal touch to the room. Oversized mirrors also add a touch of glamour to a room. You can bring back the relaxed element by keeping the walls neutral, adding houseplants, natural textures and warm earthy tones.

Why is a dining bench a key trend for 2021?

Reclaimed wood dining table with matching dining bench and sheepskin throw

The dining bench is completely on-trend right now and works so well with reclaimed wood furniture. Here we look at some of the huge plusses it brings to your dining room or kitchen diner.

Choose your style

First and foremost benches are bang on trend right now and because of this, there are many different styles on the market to choose from. From the humble locker room style wooden bench and Scandi inspired designs, to a chunky industrial bench or a very elegant gold or silver legged velvet upholstered bench.

Wooden table with black steel spider legs and grey faux leather bench

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table with Cleo Faux Leather Dining Bench and Dining Chairs

Fit more around the table

This is, of course, one of the key benefits – you can squeeze more around the table if you want to. On the nights when it’s just your family dining you can spread out and have plenty of space, but when you have guests everyone can squeeze up a bit to make room for one or two extra people around the table. We love a dining bench and chairs combo – it’s a perfect choice for around a reclaimed wood dining table.

Reclaimed wood dining table with pedestal leg and grey fabric armchairs

Photo featuring: Hoxton Reclaimed Wood Refectory Dining Table

Save space

A bench will take up less room than a dining chair. If you have a corner you can fit a table in then a built-in bench could be just what you need. No need to pull chairs out, you can just slide in and use dining chairs on the remaining sides of the table – these work so well in kitchen / diner corners and of course you can get benches with hinged lids to make a bit of extra storage space too. Opt for a rustic wood dining table with a pedestal leg like the Mitcham oak table and you can fit a larger table in the space available….and no legs in the way to bang knees into. As a guide to help you work out how much space you need you should allow enough space so that when you sit on it the front of the bench is at the same line as the front of the table.

Wooden table and dining bench against kitchen island with grey chairs

A lower focal point

If your space is small then you can choose a reclaimed wood dining table and bench set with no back; this will make a small space look larger and less interrupted. Dining benches work really well against a wall or partition in the room as you can use this as the back of your bench. They are also great if you have a view you want to make the most of.

Wooden dining table in pale wood with matching dining bench and stool

Glam up your bench

You can treat a dining bench like a sofa. So go for it! Add some cushions and throws to glam it up. You can coordinate this with your existing colour scheme or take the opportunity to add some contrast to the room. You can position a floor lamp next to it, for more intimate after dinner lighting.

How to set your table for on-trend dining

White plate with beige napkin tied with natural straw

Setting your table for a special event takes some thought. Think about the occasion, who the guests are and the atmosphere you want to set. Here we have looked back at the top styles for tableware in 2020.

Layering

Layering is often seen on beds and sofas but you can adapt this to work on your rustic dining table by mixing and matching table cloths, runners and napkins. Start with a white tablecloth and go from there – try a few different ways with a runner going horizontally or vertically – add different colours that will blend together or go for contrast. If you have dining benches you can continue the layering approach with coordinating cushions or small throws. Different shades of grey table linen look amazing on a black metal legged, industrial dining table and bench set.

Photo featuring: Industrial Lansdowne Rustic Wood Dining Table and Rustic Wood Dining Set

Traditional

The classic timeless table setting with a white table cloth and a white napkin – this works well in most settings – add some silver candlesticks or a fairy light lamp and a floral centrepiece, silver cutlery and white crockery. You just can’t go wrong! The fairy light lamp doubles up as the perfect decorative piece on your dining room sideboard when you are not entertaining.

Gorgeous Gold

Gold in the dining room is very on-trend right now, a warm colour scheme, great for autumn and perfect for, dare we say it, Christmas! Gold cutlery, candlesticks holding large candles, plates with gold edgings and gold serving dishes… this colour scheme works so well with a reclaimed wood dining table to provide a stylish and glamorous table setting.

Relaxing rustic

A rustic table setting perfectly complements an industrial table. Our Lovely Linen table linen is made for this style – gorgeous earthy colours, produced from 100% natural European linen with a slightly crumpled look which helps create a laid back and relaxed ambience.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table

Serving dishes

We would recommend you get a selection of serving dishes – some staple pieces that you can adapt to different requirements. We love how the Suzy baguette bowl can double up as a fruit bowl or a dish for serving crisps or breadsticks in – it’s also a perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves to entertain! And of course, as we are partial to cutting down on clutter, we recommend choosing a serving bowl that will work as a decorative item on a sideboard or in a display cabinet when not in use.

Make the most of a small dining area

White reclaimed wood breakfast bar table and stools with green plant

Whether you have a small space for dining or want to create a cosy dining nook or breakfast area in your kitchen, here we have put together a few ideas on how to make the most of limited dining space.

Make the space look larger

A small round dining table or an oval shape will make the space look bigger. Rounded edges are softer than a square or rectangular table so this will make your space look larger. Use a round table with a pedestal base and you have automatically added more seating space without those annoying table legs in the way to bang knees into. For this type of space, a round extendable table is perfect if you like to spend a bit of time entertaining friends.

Use a cosy corner

If you only have a corner in your kitchen or living room to play with, then a square or rectangular table with a dining bench works really well, benches can be pushed up against a wall to save space where you would normally have to pull chairs out to sit on. Another option is to get built-in benches, add some hinged tops to the benches and you also have additional hidden storage space. For extra comfort while dining, and perfect if you sit at your table for more than just eating, you can go with a dining bench with back – this will also add height to your dining space.

Photo featuring: Serenity Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

Keep it simple

A reclaimed wood dining table is a lovely multifaceted piece of furniture, it will feel warm and homely and lends itself to so many interior schemes. If you add white, neutral coloured or even see-through chairs, the space will look a lot bigger, add a ceiling pendant light over your table and you are using the height of the room to again give the impression of there being more space.

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Bar Table

Breakfast bar table and stools

A bar table is the perfect solution in the kitchen if you have a small amount of space that you would like to use for informal evening meals, breakfast or for lunch on the go. As they are higher they can also double up as additional work surface space in the smaller kitchen…. and when you have guests for dinner they can sit down and keep you company while you get on with food preparation!

Photo featuring: Standford Large Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Extendable table

Extendable tables have come a long way – sturdy, and with easy to use (often hidden) mechanisms or extension leaves. They look so much better than adding the camping table at the end – or the rickety wallpapering fold down table! Most the time you can keep it not extended but it will be so easy to make room for additional guests. The Dorset extending trestle table ticks all the boxes, with the option of two extension leaves, it has a beautiful grey tint to the tabletop with white legs. Pair this with benches and you have a wonderful space-saving reclaimed wood dining set.

Photo featuring: Skandi Round Mirror

Add a wall mirror

A large wall mirror will work its magic in a small dining area, bouncing the light around and instantly creating the illusion of more space. We love to see the elegant octagonal Starlight mirror hanging over a cosy dining nook, with its gold frame adding a touch of glamour!

How to warm your home with cosy autumnal lighting

Green hanging lights over wooden table with red berries

As the days grow shorter we turn to artificial light in the home during our waking hours. Who doesn’t love a cosy welcoming home? Here we’ve chosen some of our favourite lighting pieces for each room to give your home an inviting autumnal glow.

Kitchen and dining space

Luckily for us, pendant lights are hugely on trend right now! We just love them here at Modish Living, there are so many styles to choose from! We love a rustic natural look in the home, and they don’t come much more natural than sustainably sourced bamboo. Natural bamboo complements any interior style. For example, if your dining area is channeling an industrial feel you don’t have to go for metal industrial pendant lighting just because you have industrial dining furniture – a bamboo black pendant light looks completely at home here and adds a softer element to catch the eye. If you want a more neutral and blended look, try a white pendant light.

Photo featuring: Bamboo Half Moon Double Pendant Light

Living room

A pendant ceiling light does not have to be restricted to hanging over the dining table or in the void over the stairs anymore. Pendant lights look great in any room with a high ceiling and you can always add a dimmer switch for when you want to tone it down. They also look fantastic hanging over a sofa end table where they will provide plenty of light for reading, knitting, sewing etc.

Photo featuring: Karine Jute Pendant Light

Of course, living room lamps will also provide a subtle glow where you need it most, the Vance Neutral lamp will blend in perfectly with their surroundings with the base being made from natural woven sea grass and a soft glow lampshade. And let’s not forget candles – the ultimate in atmospheric lighting.

Photo featuring: Vance Neutral Lamp

Bedroom

Good lighting in the bedroom will help create a relaxing ambience – It’s very unlikely you will be able to wind down for sleep with a glaring ceiling light on and even worse, you don’t want to get all snuggled up and sleepy and have to get out of bed to switch the light off! But a big ceiling light is probably a necessity while you are getting ready for a night out. This is a room where different lights are a must. For the bedroom, the Sassa wicker bedside table lamps are our top pick, produced from natural wicker they will blend in with modern and rustic style and easily merge into your existing colour scheme. Another great look is pendant lights suspended over your bedside tables – not only does this look great but it leaves you with more room for a book, a favourite picture in a frame, reading glasses and your phone.

Photo featuring: Sassa Wicker Table Lamp

Hallway

The hallway is a place where you don’t generally need to have lighting for specific tasks – but it is so much nicer to walk into a warm and welcoming home when you get in from the wet and cold. Ceiling lights are a must for practical reasons, but you can add a warm and welcoming glow with a table lamp on a wooden console table or achieve an atmospheric glow from some fairy lights like our wire weave fairy lights.

Photo featuring: Wire Weave Fairy Light

Top lighting planning tips:

For perfect placement, the bottom of the chandelier or pendant should be around 75 cm above your dining table.
Always go over the top – you can always turn something off if it is too bright or add a dimmer switch – but adding extra lighting retrospectively is not so easy.
Make sure you have plenty of light to do what you love doing when in your favourite chair on those dark autumnal evenings.
Most rooms will need a ceiling light but think about where else you might need extra lights for reading etc. Take the opportunity to light up dark corners or highlight your favourite features in a room.

Breathe a new lease of life in to your dining room

Industrial oak dinging table with dark grey leather dining chairs and industrial sideboard

Sometimes a room just needs a bit of a freshen up and a few new pieces to transform it into a space you and your loved ones will enjoy spending time in it again. Here are our top tips to breathe new life into you dining room….

A good place to start is to decide what style suits you and your room – farmhouse, modern, Scandi minimalist, retro? With so many styles on trend right now this can be the hardest decision.

Dining room furniture

Reclaimed wood dining tables come in so many shapes and sizes you will definitely find one to suit your needs – yes, this is a bit of an outlay but it will be a stunning centrepiece in your dining room for years to come. A rustic or industrial dining table will work well with so many interior styles you will easily be able to incorporate it in your next decor theme.

To inject a bit of luxury into your dining space you can add sumptuous velvet upholstered dining chairs or even a velvet dining bench, great for when you might need to squeeze a few extra around the table. If you have a growing family and sticky little fingers to deal with then some wipe-clean leather or faux leather dining chairs will instantly modernise your room without the need to replace other pieces of furniture.

If your dining room has become a bit cluttered over the last few months, a wooden sideboard will quickly fix this for you…. plus you can dress the top of the sideboard, hang a wall mirror over it and your room will have a very practical and stylish new feature.

Lighting

Your dining room may have been used as a school room or an office in recent months and you might just want to make a small change to switch it back to being (and feeling like) a dining room again. Natural pendant ceiling lights are making a huge comeback this year – our rattan and bamboo pendant lights are all produced from sustainably sourced materials and with a range of different styles to choose from this would give your dining room an instant update.

New table linen

If you are not in a position to replace your dining table then glam it up with crisp fresh table linen. You can choose linen that blends with your existing colour scheme or a colour that contrasts. Start with a white table cloth add a runner and napkins…..you don’t just have to stick to the table, get some cushions or throws to smarten up dining chairs or benches.

Atmospheric accessories

Last but not least…. Choose a new centrepiece for your dining table – you can add a candlestick, a decorative bowl, a vase with some dried flowers and grasses or a new houseplant. Scented candles and diffusers look lovely and will soothe your guests into after-dinner drinks and conversation. Same with lighting, a ceiling pendant is perfect when you are dining but the cosy glow of a table lamp is much better mood setter as the evening wears on.

How to make a white dining room work

Minimalist dining room with wood dining table with black steel legs and wooden chairs

The Scandi minimalist look is still a hugely popular interior trend right now. So if you have white walls and a white ceiling how can you give your dining room some texture and warmth? A blank canvas is a wonderful starting point for your dining room, below we look at some ideas to introduce some homeliness while still keeping it fresh, cool and clear.

Reclaimed wood furniture

This is a great way to start. Warm, rustic, and homely – the minute you add reclaimed wood furniture you’re adding a warm and natural texture. Choose a reclaimed wood dining table, the table-top proudly boasts natural markings and undulations from its previous life. The Dorset trestle table is white painted to really embrace a white dining room theme, it’s a shining example of minimal style, accessorise the natural finish dining benches with cushions and a small throw to give additional texture to the room. We love to see a pendant light hanging over a dining table, to keep things fresh choose an unobtrusive white one.

Photo featuring: Dorset Reclaimed Wood Extendable Trestle Table

White linen

White table linen on a rustic dining table just oozes dining room chic and you can, of course, add an accent colour to mix it up a bit. This is also a great way to link with other coloured elements in the room and keep the coordination going throughout your dining space.

Flowers and houseplants

Houseplants are so popular right now, especially while we have all been staying at home more. Adding pot plants into a crisp white dining space adds an element of nature that not only brightens your room but is also proven to have health benefits. A vase of fresh-cut flowers is another option, choose something seasonal – in summer impressive gladioli or bold sunflowers and in autumn, dahlias can be arranged in a clear glass vase.

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Table & Bench.

Dining chairs

If you don’t like too many accessories then you can break up the white by using upholstered dining chairs or faux leather chairs. There are so many different styles and colours to choose from you will be spoilt for choice. You can mix and match benches with white dining chairs and cushions, or add coloured cushions yourself as another way to get some more colour into the room.

Photo featuring: Dorset Reclaimed Wood Chairs

Add contrasting elements

With all this talk about furniture and accessories, we must not forget the floor and the option to add a rug. For example, a green rug in a crisp white room with a rustic dining table and some houseplants will give your room a completely coordinated theme, team this up with a contrasting small armchair in a corner and again you are adding more features and interesting elements to your blank canvas.

Photo featuring: Louis de Poortere Fading World Oyster Green Rug

How to set the mood in your dining room

Two candles on a rustic wood table with a wool blanket

The dining room table is used for many things, not just eating and entertaining, it is often used as a home office, for homeschooling, homework, as well as crafts and hobbies. So when it comes to lighting it is a good idea to consider what it might be used for and when. During the winter months, it will most likely be dark when you eat your evening meal so lighting is an important element to consider.

Over dining table lighting

The dining table is the most important component of your dining space meaning a ceiling pendant over the table is always a good start. A bamboo pendant light hanging over a reclaimed wood dining table is a match made in heaven, the beautiful natural wood grain and natural bamboo work well together; hang one over an industrial dining table and it will soften the heavy industrial style. You can get double or even triple pendant ceiling lights to make something as simple as a light fitting, a whole extra feature in your room.

Photo: Bamboo Manta Tapered Pendant Light

Layered lighting

Take time to play with lighting in your dining room by layering the lights. Suspend a modern pendant light over the table, add some glass table lamps on a sideboard or console table, use fairy lights or candles to add subtle accent lighting around in the room. Use lighting to accentuate a favourite feature in your room such as an open fireplace or a wall picture.

Candles

Candles are a timeless classic when it comes to mood lighting. You can use a couple to create a romantic and intimate mood and can use more to give the feel of a grand banquet. Scented candles are great after you have enjoyed your dinner, choose a relaxing aromatherapy candle to wind down at the end of the evening.

Table lamps on sideboards

If you have a sideboard in your dining room you can place a glass table lamp on it. You may not always want bright overhead lighting for a more laid back and romantic feel. After you have finished your meal you can switch to more subtle indirect lighting for after-dinner drinks with your dinner party guests.

Fairy lights

Fairy lights are very popular and are perfect if you prefer not to light candles in your home. We love these wire weave fairy lights, you can leave them as a decorative feature on a sideboard and when the dinner pots are cleared away pop them on the dinner table as a centrepiece which gives a soft and cosy glow.

Photo credit: @justalittlebuild

Mirrors

Mirrors are always a good choice for helping with lighting issues. A cleverly placed wall mirror will work with well-placed lighting to give a feeling of more space, brighten a dark corner, break up a wall with no window as well as reflect light around the room.