30 Dining Room Decorating Styles

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012
Credit: Chad Holder

From traditional and formal to contemporary and casual, these rooms offer inspiration for your dining room decorating and furniture.

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Dining with a lake view

Credit: Chad Holder

The dining room of this Minnesota lake home tilts more traditional than the rest of the house, but shiplap walls and cane armchairs painted blue loosen up the formality. A hanging branch pendant looks like driftwood, adding beachy flair and a focal point without obstructing the view.

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Eat light

Contemporary lighting and art energize the dining room in this 1913 Craftsman home in Saint Paul. The homeowners removed plate rail and vertical molding from the walls to make the room feel more modern and fresh.

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Vintage chic

Scandinavian style inspired gray-painted wood floors in this Chicago-area house. The homeowner upholstered a mix of chairs with vintage grain sacks-easy to do with a staple gun. A vintage shutter leans against the wall.

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Dark-hued beauty

Deep, luxurious hues evoke high-impact drama without a hint of gloom. Gwen Hefner of The Makerista blog reworked the dining room of her 1980s suburban Kansas City home with a bluish-black customized paint. "Everybody has something to say about it, and that's what I like," she says. "It evokes feeling."

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Antiques show

Statement pieces, such as a wine-barrel-stave chandelier and a 19th-century clock, add drama in the dining room of this Ohio home.

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Cottage chic

A casual cottage look always embraces the great outdoors. Make the most of views and natural light by minimizing window treatments--even dare to go bare where privacy isn't a concern. Supplement the organic mood with wood and other natural materials--in flooring and furniture. Highlight texture, too, with accents such as neatly woven rattan, like on the backs of these chairs.

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Durable details

In this Chicago-area home, durable details let the homeowners rest easy. A distressed poplar table welcomes nicks. The oak flooring forgives scuffs.

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Rustic elegance

A welcoming warm palette of taupes and grays steers dinner parties in a relaxed direction in the dining room of this Michigan home. A twig chandelier adds rustic elegance above a farm table dressed up with side chairs in a whitewash finish. Grass-cloth wallpaper brings texture.

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Show and store

Elegant white ironstone and other vintage dishes act like art in the dining room of this Nebraska farmhouse. Modern dining chairs contrast a salvaged bench and a farm table made by the homeowner. A tight color palette pulls the styles together.

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Flea-market find

Lake houses and Old Glory go together like kids and vacation. The flag in the dining room of this Michigan lake home was a $10 flea-market find. The homeowner framed it with stained 1x4s held together with corner brackets-a vintage-style touch to relax a new home's perfect sheen.

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Making a splash

This dining table's driftwood-like finish and a shell chandelier reference the nearby Lake Michigan shore.

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Circle of light

A 30-inch round window with boldly painted trim gives this ordinary dining room a striking focal point. Wallpaper-backed built-in shelves further emphasize the casually elegant scheme and provide much-needed storage for entertaining wares and books.

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Original style

Placing a dining table in front of soaring windows styled like the 1930s originals takes advantage of natural light. Floral-patterned ceiling-high curtains draw eyes out to the landscape.

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Bright outlook

It takes a long pendant to light the length of this rustic, white oak table that seats 10. Contemporary green leather chairs add bright color in the dining room of this Lake Michigan home.

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Salvaged chic

A mix of chairs looks casual around an old farm table. Vintage-and white-items are the heart of the French farmhouse decorating style in this 1909 Illinois home.

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Great entertainer

If you host lots of guests, consider one long window seat. Pairing a big farm table with a crisp white bench and Windsor chairs offers flexibility in an eclectic setting.

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Vintage fun

The dining area echoes the playful, repurposed spirit in the rest of this Minnesota home. A red tool caddy on top of a salvaged cheese-crate side table serves as a beverage bar during gatherings. Large casters elevate an antique farm table to counter height and make it easy to move. A metal laundry pail filled with flowers tops the table.

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Constant comfort

Blue creates a calming feel throughout the dining and living space.

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Dining with collections

Dramatic color works well in this Ohio dining room made for entertaining. Playful conversation starters include world globes spilling out of the fireplace and a collection of vintage light bulbs. A boat prow "bar" and contemporary chairs complete the eclectic mix.

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Dress up a ceiling

Add detailed richness to an intimate dining room by applying stock molding to a drywall ceiling.

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Vivid setting

Bold wall color and fabric choices energize this dining room in a Missouri home. Dark wood and light art balance the effect.

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Bright and rustic

Sunlight floods this dining room through 7-foot doors and windows with transoms. When the weather is nice, the French doors open to a deck, bringing the outdoors in. The rough wood support beams on the ceiling and walls complement the rustic decor.

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Clean palette

The minimalist design in this dining room-including a hand-crafted wire chandelier-allows unobstructed views past the table to the exterior windows.

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Making new look old

The family who built this new Wisconsin lake home wanted to give it vintage charm. In the dining room, workers scuffed up raw pine floors (later sealed) for a naturally aged look.

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Ecofriendly space

Environmentally friendly elements feel right at home in this sunny dining space. The natural twig chandeliers have LED light bulbs; the table top is cement flanking a tree slice; walls sport zero-VOC paint; and the chairs wear organic upholstery.

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Lakeside casual

An X-base table reminiscent of an old picnic table, surrounded by simple country-style chairs, invites casual family meals in this lakeside home's dining room. A striped rug, boat oars and local folk art add to the down-home feel.

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Playful gathering

Designed to be flexible for a family with small kids and teenagers, this circular table offers a variety of seating options: a curved banquette sofa, two armchairs and benches. Mix and match fabrics in playful patterns and colors punch up the style and mask wear and tear.

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Bringing the outdoors in

A casual, glass-wrapped eating space makes the most of this house's natural surroundings and lake view. A vintage pine table, surrounded by rattan chairs, feels right at home with the scenery. A spherelike chandelier adds a touch of sophistication.

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Dramatic pattern

A statement wallpaper makes this dining room a standout. The busy pattern is offset by the dark wood floor, simply framed mirror and clean-lined dining table.

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Country classic

High-back spindle chairs and stained-glass light fixtures put traditional "country" in this dining space. The long dining table accommodates large family meals. The dining room's wood tones warm the adjoining white kitchen.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com