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67 dining room ideas for festive gatherings
With the rise and rise of the open-plan kitchen, there are some who have proclaimed the death of the dining room. But we say it’s still alive and kicking. It can be such a delight to retreat from the mess and bustle of a kitchen into the civilised, cocooning world of the dining room, where all you have to focus on are your dinner companions. Even in an open-plan space, we like to make sure that the dining area has an ambience of its own – perhaps a statement piece of art on the walls, ceiling lights hanging over the table, and plenty of candles to give softer light after dark.
The furniture is obviously key: a good sturdy dining table, preferably one that isn’t too precious so that it can double up in another function, is at the heart of the room. Make sure you have comfortable dining chairs that your guests will be happy to sit in for hours; no one will want to stay and talk into the small hours if they’re sitting on an uncomfortable chair, however stylish it may be. Lots of people also include a sideboard in the dining room as a helpful place to keep tableware and glasses, and as an extra surface when you're bringing in more dishes than the table can handle.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Design ideas for combined kitchen-dining rooms
Indoor entertainment is not going anywhere. So if your dining room is in need of a spruce, scroll down for our favourite inspiration from the House & Garden archive.
Dining room ideas from the House & Garden archive
Paul Massey1/67https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/adam-ellis-house
Original BTC’s ‘Diner’ light in brass hangs above ‘Dining Table Three’ in oak by Another Country, which is teamed with dark Hans Wegner-inspired chairs. An artful mixture of Adam Ellis Studio works and antique finds are displayed on walls in Paper & Paint Library’s ‘Slate I’.
Christopher Horwood2/67The dining room in the older part of this house designed by Tamsyn Mason is used also a workspace in the day. Robert Kime's ‘Basilica’ wallpaper lines the walls. Tamsyn paired an antique Georgian table with Julian Chicester's more contemporary ‘Wave’ sideboard.
Tom Griffiths3/67The Kent home of artist Robert Montgomery and poet and actress Greta Bellamacina is a jewel box of candy colours, distinctive antiques and original artworks. The effect is irreverent and original, and provides the perfect setting for their family life and work. The dining room walls in Edward Bulmer's 'Verdigris' are the backdrop for Robert's paintings Money is a Superstition and Rise Imperious from Famous Gutters. The embroidery on the Loretta Caponi tablecloth picks up on the shades of the Murano glass chandelier.
Christopher Horwood4/67Taking cues from the colours of the South Downs national park, Angelica Squire and her team have created a welcoming retreat for a busy urban couple. Here, new steel garden doors were installed to replace wooden sliding ones that didn’t work well anymore. The spot light diffusers above the table are from And Objects. The oak farmhouse table is from Sussex Antiques with chairs from Kin Home.
Simon Brown5/67This Wealden hall house in Kent had some unflattering 1920s additions, so the owners assembled a group of experts to restore its late-medieval heart, exposing original structures, swapping cement for lime render, and introducing harmonious furniture and furnishings. Red lacquered Hans J Wegner ‘Wishbone’ chairs surround the dining table; at the back are table lamps with gathered fabric shades from Sarah Vanrenen. The oak leaf chandelier is by Richard Taylor Designs.
Mark Anthony Fox6/67Anna Haines wanted to evoke a sense of peace when she revitalised this Grade II-listed former rectory on the outskirts of Bath. From the predominantly pale palette of natural hues to the layering of antique textiles, her choices have brought harmonious charm to its interiors. Dark Crittall windows, finished in a burnished deep brown, give views onto the back garden on two sides, and provide a stylish contrast with the pale limestone flagstone floor in the dining area. A ‘Christie Rise & Fall’ ceramic pendant light from Original BTC hangs above the oak dining table with an oak and patinated steel bench, both by North Lane Works, teamed with a set of ‘Wishbone’ chairs by Hans J Wegner belonging to the owners. A bespoke water-reed rug from Tim Page Carpets completes the textured scheme.
Dean Hearne7/67When interior designer Nina Litchfield first encountered this unusual apartment in south-west London, it was distinctly dreary, but it couldn't be further from that mood now. The dining room looks into the library; the banquette was made by George Smith, and is covered in Flora Soames' ‘Plain Stripe Ruby’. The dining chairs are by Kit Kemp, and the patterned ‘Noah’ fabric that covers the walls and ceilings are from Andrew Martin.
Ben Pentreath8/67Ben Pentreath was called in to decorate fashion designer Charlotte Dellal's home in the English countryside. ‘In the dining room, we started with a glamorous, mirror-topped table in painted gesso designed and made for us by Jerry Rothman. Dinners in this room sparkle with candlelight. We sourced a large set of ‘Cockpen’ dining chairs, upholstered in the palest pink linen, and painted the walls – like the dining room at Chettle, incidentally – in rich ‘St Giles Blue’ from Farrow & Ball. The curtain fabric is ‘Lola Montez’ by Madeleine Castaing, who also designed the rug. A charismatic family portrait watches over glittering occasions today’.
Michael Sinclair9/67By introducing texture, colour and ingenious design details, interior designer Beata Heuman adapted this polished London house into something truly enticing. Here, the brass-lined skylight creates a warm glow above a refectory dining table with Gemla chairs and Beata's 'Snowdrop' pendant light.
James McDonald10/67In a once bombed out mews in Clapham Junction the print designer Neisha Crosland and her husband have created a private arcadia drawing inspiration from ancient Rome, Paris, Venice and Madeleine Castaing. Here, ruffled linen slipcovers (on Howe London chairs) and a woven water reed rug from Tim Page create a relaxed mood in the dining room. On the wall is a collection of framed Russian poems by Teddy Millington-Drake. Lamps, Besselink & Jones. The pillows on the back bench are in ‘Indian Pear’ from Robert Kime. The mirrors were custom made with black patinated steel frames slightly distressed. The glass panels are held together by gilded stars from Charles Saunders.
11/67In a historic south-west London building, Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler has conjured a layered, timeless flat. The owner Andrew Galloway's antique table takes centre stage. Emma has paired it with chairs from OKA and chosen ‘Studio Green’ a moody dark green by Farrow & Ball for walls and units, which are from Devol. ‘I wanted this space to read as a dining room rather than a kitchen,’ she says.
12/67In Rita Konig's smart London house, the kitchen-dining room features a vintage film poster flanked by lamps from Mytton Antiques on a 1930s French sideboard that was a gift from William Yeoward and Colin Orchard. The dining table is Rita's 'Oxford' design for Oficina Inglesa.
Michael Sinclair13/67She is known for her interiors for members’ clubs and hotels, but it is Susie Atkinson’s own family house in Hampshire that reveals so much about what is important to her – rooms that are elegant but also personal and inviting. The striped dhurrie from Ralph Lauren Home delineates the dining area, where an antique table is teamed with Studio Atkinson’s ‘Craftmaker’s’ chairs.
Paul Massey14/67Set on the banks of the Thames, this 18th-century house has always been blessed with a glorious outlook. But, after an artful redesign by Nicola Harding, its interior now has a sense of flow and an easy elegance perfectly suited to a weekend family home. A spectrum of greens echoes views of the garden – from Paint & Paper Library’s subtle ‘Willow III’ on the walls to Pure & Original’s ‘Olive Drab’ on the Plain English cabinets and ‘Belgian Wilderness’ on the island. The Matthew Cox dining table is teamed with ‘Knot’ chairs by Normann Copenhagen and illuminated in the evenings by a ‘Plaster Cone’ pendant from Rose Uniacke. Three abstract paintings by Hormazd Narielwalla add eye-catching detail above the mid-century sideboard found on Vinterior.
Christopher Horwood15/67In the dining room of this colourful Chelsea townhouse, the walls are painted in Little Greene's ‘Sage Green’. The woven corner chair is from Quindry Antiques. Over the fireplace, a painting by Katharine Edwards, sourced from Cricket Fine Art hangs.
Owen Gale16/67“The dining alcove is now probably my favourite area in the whole house,” says Laura Logan of the dining room in this east London family house, “it’s cocoon-like and calming yet I can still see, talk to and be part of the larger family.” Bauwerk limewash paint covers the walls in the dining area. The table and chairs are from Lercolani and the artwork is by Alexandra Yan Wong. Ceramics from And Four studio and Sway Ceramics decorate the space.
Simon Bergström17/67“The quickest and best tip I can give for small spaces is to try to make rooms within rooms," says Sebastian Bergström, who has an open plan living-dining space in his tiny Stockholm flat. “In my living room I have a dining area and a sort of library and an area for the TV. And within each of those mini-rooms, there are other spaces I think of as self-contained. It makes everything feel more homely and cosy. My other tip is to be brave; you can usually fit more in a room than you think."
Michael Sinclair18/67In this West London Victorian house refreshed by Lucy Hammond Giles, a ‘Batsford’ dish light from Jamb hangs above the Max Rollitt ‘Tumnus’ table and Vico Magistretti chairs. The walls and woodwork are in Farrow & Ball’s ‘India Yellow’. The unique vaulted ceiling has been hand-painted with an ivy-wrapped latticework motif by the decorative specialist Magdalena Gordon, of Atma Decorative Arts, it sits above four crescent-shaped slivers of verre églomisé.
Dean Hearne19/67In their London rental house sisters Olympia and Ariadne Irving have used bold colour, high street finds and a mish mash of antiques passed down from family to create a witty and deeply personal home.
In the dining room, painted in ‘Deep Apple Green’ from Papers & Paints historical collection, Napoleon III dining chairs are covered in a traditional Portuguese fabric. Over the table hangs a French School 19th century hot air balloon lamp. The carpet is late Victorian from Donegal. The girls added the cafe curtain at the window, which is held up with a tension rod to take with them when they leave.
Mark Anthony Fox20/67Having lived in this Gloucestershire farmhouse for several years two decades ago, gallerist Thomas Dane found himself drawn back to it in 2015. All the walls are in shades of white (a combination of Farrow & Ball and Francesca’s Paints), with burnt oranges and olive greens woven throughout in the form of curtains, lampshades and upholstered pieces.
Lanterns sourced by Caroline Marcq hang over a Spanish 17th-century oak table from Sotheby’s. The lithograph Artichoke I is by Thomas’s friend Sarah Graham. Above the drinks table is an artwork from Howard Hodgkin’s Indian collection.
21/67Moving from an Irish castle to an ordinary 1930s house in a Worcestershire village posed some challenges for Farrow & Ball brand ambassador Patrick O'Donnell, but a judicious use of colour and a considered arrangement of art and furniture has produced an immensely appealing interior.
In the dining room, Patrick made use of six rolls of a discontinued Colefax & Fowler wallpaper called ‘Livingstone’ he had been hanging onto for years. “It just fit,” he explains. “We were left with 30cm of paper at the end.” Paul had bought the huge gilt mirror 40 years ago at a sale in Dublin, and brought it over when he moved. Patrick painted the woodwork in a dark green to complement the wallpaper, and bought a tape border to make a break where the two greens meet.
Jerome Galland22/67From murals to mosaics and bespoke ceramics, interior designer Laura Gonzalez’s close collaborations with artisans have made her house in northern France a showcase of creativity, individuality and warmth.
In the dining room, a mural hand-painted by Ateliers Go hard provides a vibrant backdrop for a ‘Rainbow’ dining table from Laura’s collection, featuring a colourful raku top made by the ceramicist Fabienne L’Hostis. It is partnered by her ‘Mawu’ chairs covered in ‘Ninfee’ linen mix in salvia by Colony, with a vintage rattan armchair at the head of the table.
Paul Massey23/67Modernising without losing character is no mean feat, but Carlos Garcia has approached the decoration of this early 18th-century house and its Tudor elements with great sensitivity, marrying period details with colour, pattern and contemporary touches.
Since the dining room faces north west and is used predominantly in the evenings, Carlos had the walls painted in ‘Azurite’, a deep blue from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, to great effect. He found a large 19th-century Heriz rug on Ebay, and searched online and at auctions for the porcelain imari plates that hang on the walls. At night, with candlelight reflecting off the polished cherrywood and mahogany furniture, the room is magical.
MICHAEL SINCLAIR24/67Thanks to structural alterations and sympathetic additions this 18th-century Hampstead house has had its Georgian elegance and symmetry restored by its owner Celia Muñoz, in a way that is faithful to its age while appropriate for today.
In the dining room, bespoke pomegranate wallpaper by Gracie is the backdrop for DLV’s ‘Giac’ chairs in ‘Opera – Velours’ in cerise from Pierre Frey and a ‘Tulip’ table from The Conran Shop with Pols Potten vases.
Chris Horwood25/67When furniture designer James Shaw bought an empty plot in covetable east London, it required an unusual amount of ingenuity to turn it into a home, and he was obliged to dig down into the ground to create an ‘invisible’ house. The compact lower floor fits a small kitchen, seating area and this dining table set against a wall of bookshelves.
Fitting two people at the small end, and four or five at the other, Shaw designed the ‘pear-shaped’ table to maximise the efficacy of the space. The ‘B4’ stacking dining chairs are by Börge Lindau for Bla Station and the lampshade from John Lewis.
Mark Anthony Fox26/67This deeply luxurious London pied-à-terre with interiors by Veere Grenney has a small dining area overlooking the garden, where a banquette provides comfortable seating. The table is bespoke, and set of Regency dining chairs bought from James McWhirter antiques were recovered with a pleated skirt by VGA. The antique Rise and Fall hanging lamp by Gaetano Scolari for Stilnovo, circa 1960, was purchased in Paris. The pochoirs on the wall are part of a complete folio of Picasso's work printed by Daniel Jacomet in the 1960s.
Owen Gale27/67In Lucinda Chambers’s wonderfully colourful dining room – which runs into her kitchen at the back of the house – chairs from Ebay and Etsy partner a vintage table. Baskets from South Africa are set off by walls in ‘simply the best yellow in the world’, Papers and Paints’ bespoke ‘PP27-8-21JG’.
Dean Hearne28/67A classic wooden refectory table can be the perfect informal centrepiece for a dining room, as is the case in our food editor Blanche Vaughan's dining room at her Devon house. The table is from Robert Kime, as are the antler sconces on the walls, while the chairs are from Christopher Hodsoll.
Michael Sinclair29/67Schumacher's European CEO Benni Frowein has transformed his Victorian flat in Chelsea into a cool modern space full of interesting designs. Benni commissioned the architecture and design practice Atelier Pendhapa to make the raku ceramic-topped dining table, around which are some of Aldo Jacober's 1970s folding Trieste chairs. The rug is a bespoke piece by Benni's brother in law, Helder Johannes.
Paul Massey30/67This unusual gothic revival house in north London has been given a suitably dramatic interior by Scott Maddux and Jo leGleud of Maddux Creative. In the dining room, they took their lead from what Scott calls the ‘polychromatic’ Victorians. ‘You see it a lot in houses in San Francisco, where that tradition is still very much alive,’ he explains. ‘They will use eight or nine colours to create a pleasing whole.’ In this case, the myriad blues, reds and yellows of the wallpaper borders are picked out on painted walls and ceilings. The long, octagonal table that they designed is set with panels of Portofino marble shot through with fiery red veins.
Owen Gale31/67Artworks can make or break a simply designed dining room, and these striking lanterns on the wall in Joanna and Nick Plant's London house, absolutely make the space. They are early 20th-century architect’s chalk and charcoal drawings for Cahors cathedral in France, bought from Lorfords Antiques. The dining chairs date to circa 1910, by Otto Wagner, and were collected one by one. They sit around a Scottish scrubbed-top mahogany table from around 1840 sourced by Miles Griffiths Antiques. The pendant light is a vintage ceiling light by Arne Jacobsen.
Mark Anthony Fox32/67This narrow space between the kitchen and sitting room in the Spitalfields house of the owners of Jamb has become an elegant dining room. It is separated from the sitting room by a half-glazed “clerk’s screen”. A pair of Jamb's ‘Apsley’ dish lights lead the eye towards the kitchen. The ‘Cruxton’ table, with its Arts & Crafts form and brass top, was developed especially for this house; a pair of late 19th-century benches provide seating. A glass dome by Jamb houses tribal sticks, while wall storage comes in the form of display cabinets from the British Museum.
Paul Massey33/67Designer Brandon Schubert's assured use of colour and craftsmanship is on full display in this London terrace, built in the 1890s when the Arts and Crafts movement was at its height. Brandon has emphasised that ideal of craftsmanship in the dining room. The panelling, a beautiful iteration with double beading that is painted a strong blue-grey, has a low and exaggerated cornice. There is even greater exaggeration in the tall mantelpiece, with its imposing carved supports. Painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Blue Gray’, the panelling frames a painting sourced from A.Prin and an Arts and Crafts steel grate with a fire surround in Mandale’s ‘Derbyshire Fossil Limestone’. Johannes Andersen chairs in a Pierre Frey fabric partner a Twenties Heal’s table from Miles Griffiths Antiques.
Brie Williams34/67Designer Matthew Carter has come up with an unexpected take on traditional Southern style, using a dynamic mix of colours and textures to transform the formerly neutral interiors of this Kentucky estate. In the dining room, the ‘Chatsworth’ wallcovering from de Gournay creates an atmosphere of subtle decadence, enhanced by Liz O’Brien chairs in teal ‘Spencer’ velvet and a chandelier from Dennis & Leen.
James McDonald35/67Decorator Chloe Willis' own London house is not just a showcase of her skills, but a marvel in creating a comfortable country feel in the heart of the city.
On the wall in the dining room the pichwai, a devotional Hindu altar painting usually painted on cloth, is from the Ganesh Emporium in Udaipur. Its fresh tones inspired the paint colour: Blue Gum by Paint Library. The curtains are made from Colefax & Fowler's ‘Squiggle’ fabric and bound in olive green linen. The rug is a Robert Stephenson Balbek flatweave; a pair of Anglo- Indian carver chairs are from Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler’s antiques department, with the cushions recovered in Colefax’s Eaton Check. Chloe bought the other chairs as frames from antiques dealer Benedict Foley; they were ebonised by Norfolk polishers Cranswick and Wilkin and covered in a slubby linen.
Christopher Horwood36/67The deep banquette which wraps around this dining table was made by Nick Plant, and is upholstered in Howe at 36 Bourne Street's 'Elise Stripe'. The prints on the wall are part of the owners' collection. Explore more of this London house.
Paul Massey37/67Two ‘Fontaine’ chandeliers by Aerin from Visual Comfort hang above the dining table in this pleasingly domestic country house in the Scottish Borders. The chinoiserie wallpaper is thought to date from the mid 19th century.
Lucas Allen38/67In this elegant 17th-century house designed by Rose Uniacke, Rose surrounded her ‘Campaign Refectory Table’ with the ‘Salon Chairs’ from Howe. The curtains are in ‘Somerset’ glazed linen from Rogers & Goffigon.
Paul Massey39/67In the kitchen dining area at Eildon Hall in the Scottish Borders, whose interiors were designed by Olivia Emery Hans J Wegner’s oak ‘Wishbone Chairs’ partner Another Country’s ‘Dining Table One’. Davey Lighting’s ‘Diner 125’ light from Original BTC hangs above it. Panelling around the windows in ‘Van Courtland Blue’ contrasts with walls in ‘Paper Doll’, both from Benjamin Moore.
Davide Lovatti40/67In Shiro Muchiri’s rustic Tuscan villa, ‘Ginger’ armchairs from Poltrona Frau partner the dining table made from reclaimed wood by a local furniture dealer.
Francisco Nogueira41/67This explosively colourful dining room in a house in Portugal by Gracinha Viterbo features chairs made by Viterbo’s in-house artisans, embroidered with words naming psychological states, surrounding the custom oak table.
Martin Morrell42/67Walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘India Yellow’ bring warmth to this space in Jeremy Langmead and Simon Rayner's Cumbrian farmhouse, which doubles as a library. Antique country chairs found in Cumbria, Hereford and Suffolk partner a table with a suzani from Susan Deliss as a tablecloth.
Simon Upton43/67The wallpaper in this vibrant dining room by Nicky Haslam and Studio QD was created to match Nicky’s ‘Balcony Stripe’ linen in green. Cupboards in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calke Green’ pick up on faux-bamboo chairs from Mid Century and Co. The painting Transformed Green is by Rob Wyn Yates.
Sharyn Cairns44/67The dining room walls in designer Ben Pentreath's Georgian parsonage have been painted in Farrow & Ball's 'St Giles Blue' and lined with Piranesi prints. The imari lamp and shade are from Pentreath & Hall.
Owen Gale45/67Interior designer Angelica Squire has demarcated the dining area (which adjoins the kitchen) in her London house with a rug and a statement piece of art on the wall. Wall lights help define the space further, and she has also made the unusual choice to use a sofa instead of a bench or banquette as seating on one side.
Ngoc Minh Ngo46/67Designer James Huniford has breathed new life into this 18th-century farmstead in rural Connecticut, sensitively rearranging and restoring its period interiors to create a restful retreat for a Manhattan-based family. In the dining room, walls lined with old French grain sacks create the backdrop for a Dutch chandelier by H Berlage.
MONTSE GARRIGA GRAU47/67Creating a rustic retreat from her busy Madrid design practice, Belén Domecq has used natural materials, traditional textures and a palette of sandy and ochre tones to evoke a sense of the surrounding landscape. Here a dresser in reclaimed wood by Belén’s studio is the backdrop for a lampshade from Tangier and a colourful tablecloth from Marrakech.
Michael Sinclair48/67An L-shaped kitchen-dining room overlooking the garden is at the heart of this 19th-century Hampstead house redesigned by Retrouvius. The dining table is the owners’ own, but the chairs are a Forties design – the ‘BA3’ designed by Ernest Race – re-covered in different coloured corduroys, and the pendant lamps above are vintage Danish, sourced from the Belgian dealer 20eme Siècle.
Martin Morrell49/67A small drop-leaf table around which he can cram six people is central to the otherwise bare dining room in Remy Renzullo's charming Chelsea cottage, where the rough plaster walls lend a simple, austere aesthetic to the space.
Paul Massey50/67A well proportioned London flat was the ideal setting for interior designer Emma Grant’s trove of eclectic finds, with each piece shaping her vision for the space. In the dining area bamboo chairs surround a 19th-century marble-topped table from Lantiques.
Paul Massey51/67Georgian elegance meets modern minimalism in this London family house owned by two creatives, who have employed a mix of reclaimed materials and contemporary pieces to eye-catching effect. A Beni Ourain rug softens the reclaimed flagstone floor. Ochre’s ‘Gaia’ pendant light and ‘Sable’ leather chairs complement an antique table.
Paul Massey52/67In the dining room of this modern country house by Nicola Harding, 'Stone Blue’ paint by Farrow & Ball on the ceiling and built-in bookshelves creates a vibrant background for brass accents, including ‘The Plain Table’ from Matthew Cox and wall lights and oversized pendants from Cox & Cox. Two ‘Palayam’ block-printed cotton rugs from Oka were sewn together. The velvet-upholstered ‘Safia Dining Chairs’ are from Made.
Alicia Taylor53/67In the dining room of a Scandinavian-inspired Arts & Crafts villa in Surrey, a glass and bronze pendant light from FBC London hangs over a ‘Riva Table’ in walnut by Fiona McDonald. Chairs from Svenskt Tenn were upholstered in ‘Fez Weave’ by Guy Goodfellow Collection.
Paul Massey54/67The dining room in this airy Manhattan home designed by Rita Konig features a Philippe Hurel table surrounded by chairs from Howe. The neutral palette of the walls, painted beams and Luke Irwin rug places the focus on the arched French windows, which open out onto the garden.
Paul Massey55/67The mid-century pendant light in this Ben-Pentreath-designed house was created by Gaetano Sciolari for Stilnovo. There are touches of brass dotted throughout the house, not least this striking sideboard, which is a bespoke design by Rupert Bevan. It is made of American black walnut wrapped in brass, with a nano-lacquer coating to prevent oxidation. The company recently developed a smaller version of the piece, the ‘Polished Brass Cabinet’, which measures 80 x 120 x 60cm and costs from £10,560.
Michael Sinclair56/67The red-leather-covered dining chairs in Guy Tobin's London house are Gothic Revival pieces, while the splashback tiles are from Fired Earth. The rook drawing on the wall is by Chris Otley.
Paul Massey57/67The walls in the family dining room of this eighteenth-century house in Bath by Nicola Harding are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Smoked Trout’. The dining table and benches are unfinished oak, and the rug is by Swedish artist Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Nicola upholstered the Howe ‘St Bernard’ armchair in a cashmere suiting fabric.
Paul Massey58/67The family dining room in the same eighteenth-century house in Bath is downstairs, but a dining area at the back of the living room is great for parties, thanks to a 2.5-metre diameter table from Holland & Sons. The bookcase was found in a Gloucestershire antique shop. ‘I explain to clients there will be a degree of wear and tear with painted floors, but the patina it creates is part of the look,’ says designer Nicola Harding of the brilliant white floor in this dining space. ‘To keep it looking crisp, it will require repainting roughly once every three years, but you can get water-based floor paints that dry quickly, so it’s a simple job that can be turned around within a day.’ The shade used here is Farrow & Ball’s ‘Slipper Satin’, £66 for 2.5 litres modern eggshell, ideal for wood floors.
Alexander James59/67The kitchen in this Edwardian villa designed by William Smalley has a ‘floating’ wooden bench designed by William.
Lucas Allen60/67A dining area has been carved out of the entrance hall at this Bray house decorated by Christopher Howe. The dining chairs are the ‘Salon Chair’ design from Howe; the door leads to the sitting room.
Simon Brown61/67The blue-and-white scheme of this dining room belonging to interior designers Philip Vergeylen and Paolo Moschino is based on the eighteenth-century painted French screen that hangs on the wall. The hand-painted blue design is 'deliberately not like wallpaper.' Philip worked closely with the artist, Dawn Reader, to create this effect. Dawn is contactable through Nicholas Haslam.
Rachel Whiting62/67The dining table of this flat in the Barbican designed by Retrouvius is made from an old laboratory worktop salvaged from a school. For a personal touch the designer Maria Speake used typographic lettering on the table's drawer handles, which spell out the owners initials and the number of the flat; these can be found at Retrouvious for £3 per character.
The dining chairs from Paere Dansk have been recovered in leather discarded by Dunhill.
Alexander James63/67Designed by Caroline Harrowby, this elegant dining room is arranged in a way that seems to accentuate the room's grand scale. The ornate dining chairs and textured grey fabric compliments the grey walls and gives the room a fresh and airy feel. The 'Pompadour' toile de Jouy from Christoper Moore used for the curtains and chair add a pop of colour.
Michael Sinclair64/67The dining room in Jo Vestey's Oxfordshire farmhouse has a stone chimneypiece sourced in Belgium at its centre. The room is decorated simply, with Hans J Wegner's 'Wishbone' chairs from Skandium around an oak table.
Paul Massey65/67The dining area in Rita Konig's London flat has walls are painted in 'Greville Pink' by Adam Bray. Contrasting with this are the yellow leather-upholstered chairs from Philippe Hurel and a drawing by Bill Mauldin from Honor Fraser Gallery in LA.
Simon Brown66/67Edo Mapelli Mozzi, CEO of Banda Property, has maximised the use of every inch of the main room in his small, modern, one bedroom Victorian flat by fitting in a large sitting area and a dining nook with banquette seating in Linwood's 'Moleskin Velvet' fabric in mustard. A trio of Michael Anastassiades pendants and a photograph by Nick Knight above the chimneypiece accentuate the high ceiling.
Lucas Allen67/67In this dining room, designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay introduced a noise-reducing, tented apex roof using a striped Ralph Lauren fabric, with the walls covered in the same stripe. The table and chairs were bought on Ebay and sit below pendant lights from Amy Somerville.
Henri, the owner of this Victorian country house in Shropshire, has enhanced the interiors of this grand property with her signature mid-century aesthetic without compromising original features.
