A room is just a room until we put furniture in it. If it has sofas, coffee tables, and love seats, it’s a living room. If it has beds and nightstands, it’s a bedroom. But what makes a dining room? Here are 9 pieces of furniture that make and enhance a dining room.
The Buffet / Sideboard
A buffet or sideboard is a classic accent for a dining table. They provide storage for dishes, flatware, and linens, and serve as a surface for food and centerpieces. When selecting a buffet or sideboard, there’s one question you need to ask: open or closed?
Closed storage is a smart choice when you don’t want to worry about displaying items neatly. You can close the doors and leave them inside a mess and no one will ever know. Open shelving breathes more and has a lighter feeling than a closed piece, you need to make sure the items you have on display look nice and are regularly dusted.
You can always use a different piece of furniture in place of a traditional sideboard or buffet. If you have a chest or a set of drawers or maybe even an entertainment cabinet that looks nice, don’t be afraid to use that instead of buying something new.
- A bar/serving cart can become a fun and functional drink station.
- A wood-finished speaker plays great tunes at dinner parties and looks very handsome.
- A thickly upholstered bench can double as extra seating and extra storage.
- A wooden ladder is both practical and attractive. Try using one to display books or magazines.
- Instead of going wide, why not go vertical with a tall open bookcase? It’s still storage but it’s a little less expected than the traditional buffet/sideboard.
- Don’t need storage at all? Try adding a conversation piece. An oversized leaning piece of art can add culture to a room.
- Who says you’ve got to put anything against a wall at all? Why not hang something off it? Sconce lighting or a creative timepiece give a room a lot of character.
- A piano can add prestige and class to your dining room and it’s a great way to entertain guests while they wait for dinner.
Those were 9 of our favourite dining room items. We hope they inspired you. If you have any suggestions of your own, please tell us. Happy holiday entertaining!