Style guide
Small dining room ideas
Get the most out of your dining area with all of my space-saving tips and dining tables for small spaces.
5th May 2023
Finding space for a dining table in a small room can be a challenge, particularly if you’re doing double duty with another room and incorporating a dining area in a kitchen or living room.
Choosing the right dining options and décor can make a huge difference when contending with a tighter space – whether you have a small dining room or creating a cosy dining corner.
By using some of my super space-saving techniques and carefully chosen pieces, you can have a beautiful dining room that may be small on space, but is big on style.
Decorating ideas for small dining rooms
Choosing the right décor for your dining area can make a big difference to the space. Unflattering colour schemes or ill thought out designs can make a room feel compact.
Here are some of my top decorating tips to give the illusion of more space.
Choose a pale palette
It’s no secret that light colours work wonders for small rooms and can make spaces feel larger, lighter and more spacious.
Muted shades of white, beige, cream and pale pastels are elegant, versatile options, which make a space look sophisticated and will offer more scope when it comes to choosing artwork, furniture and furnishings.
If a light room feels a little bare and uninviting, I suggest you try using a slightly darker shade from the same colour palette on one or two of the walls to give it a cosier appeal.
Create a designated dining area
If you are adding a dining area in a room – a kitchen, for example – try applying a different, but complimentary, shade to a wall in the dining area to define the space and give it its own distinctive look.
A wallpapered feature wall will also help to distinguish the dining area and establish the room’s theme. Use artwork and rugs to style your dining space.
A singular piece of art or a small gallery wall can be used to create a focal point. A rug placed under your dining table will also draw the attention and differentiate the space from the rest of the room.
Mirrors are also a great addition to a small dining room or designated dining space as they reflect light, making the room appear larger.
Clever dining tables for small spaces
Finding a dining table and chairs for small spaces can be challenging.
From week-night meals and casual cups of teas to dinner parties and family gatherings, the dining table is often the setting for many of life’s events, which makes choosing a table that accommodates all uses all the more difficult.
Though your space may be limited, there are many stylish seating options suitable for a small dining room.
Extendable dining tables for small spaces
Extendable dining tables are a fantastic option if you need to seat a larger party of people but don’t have the room to accommodate a large table all of the time. An extendable dining table, such as the Cruz 1m extending dining table offers the opportunity to have a smaller size for everyday use and the extended version for when guests arrive or for family meal times.
Dropleaf dining tables are also a great space-saving option. With useful drop side functions, they allow the option of a bigger table when needed and then folded down when not in use. Alternatively, fold one side a push the flat side up against the wall for an even more floor space. Our Trafalgar dropleaf dining table offers a pretty and practical dining solution.
Cruz extending dining table
Torino dining table & chairs
Keep it simple with a small table
When choosing tables for small spaces, it’s important that you think about what you need for everyday use and not be tempted to choose a table that is bigger than necessary.
If you have a small family or aren’t planning to use your dining space for entertaining, then a small dining table is all you need.
Look for tables with clean, simple lines, such as our Herrington square dining table or the Valetta dining table and chairs for a perfectly proportioned small dining room set.
Round tables
A simple circular table offers an elegant eating space whilst taking up less room than a rectangular or square table.
Made for more social and intimate dining, a round table sits nicely in a cosy corner, alcove or in front of a bay window.
Our Euston round table and Putney dining table offer a sophisticated warmth to any dining area without taking up too much space.
Putney dining table
Montero glass bistro dining table
Glass & light reflecting tables
Opting for a light reflecting table, such as glass topped or high gloss finish can help a room feel larger by bouncing light around a room.
They also offer a contemporary alternative to the traditional wooden dining table.
The marble finish and gold detail of our Camden dining set offers a unique, modern look.
Or, take a look at our smoke tempered glass-topped Montero bistro dining table, with an eye-catching gold brushed steel base.
Storage solutions for small dining rooms
Finding suitable storage is one of the biggest headaches when it comes to styling a small dining room, but there are some fantastic solutions to be found for keeping your collectables tidy.
If a cabinet is needed for housing plates and other dining items, a unit with a glass front, such as the Cruz display cabinet, is a great option.
The glass will help reflect light around the room and allow guests to see to the back of the cabinet, giving the illusion of more space.
It will also give you a chance to show off your prized china collection, decorative plates and tasteful tableware!
If floor space is too sparse for a unit, shelving is a fantastic way to store and display items. They also draw the eye up, making the room look longer.
Go double-duty on your furniture and choose pieces that have multiple purposes.
A storage bench is useful for keeping items hidden away, plus provide more seating than singular chairs (very handy if you have a few children to seat!)
If you’re one of the many who are now part of a new working from home arrangement and you don’t have room for both a dining area and home office, choose a dining table that can serve as a work space and an eating area when mealtime comes around.
I hope I've given you some inspiration to solve those dining room dilemmas!
For more decorating tips and furniture ideas for small rooms, read our articles, Décor ideas for small homes and Small living room ideas.
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