91 Dining Room Ideas So Good, Your Guests Won't Want to Leave

It's easy to fill wall niches in your dining room with decor, but you can emphasize them even more with a simple wallcovering. In a Virginia dining room, designer Joe Ireland used a handmade tissue wallcovering by Twin Diamond Studios in the niches to set an elegant backdrop for decorative plates.

If you like the idea of mixed dining chairs but still appreciate an element of cohesiveness, use the same chair in different colors and finishes. Here, design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz added the same chair in different neutral fabrics and wood finishes to the 12-foot-long dining table in their West Village home.

Make sure ingredients for cocktail and mocktail refills are within reach by incorporating a built-in bar unit, like the one in this dining room by designer Eneia White. The custom unit looks like an actual piece of furniture thanks to a coat of Black Satin paint by Benjamin Moore and antique-inspired hardware sourced on Etsy.

Kids' tables can certainly be cozy and chic. Just take it from the small seating area in a California home's dining room designed by Alexandra Loew. Situated in the bay window, the setup serves as the kids’ table during big gatherings.

Everything inside your dining room is crucial but so is the entry to it. Here, designer Lathem Gordon framed the entrance to her Atlanta home's dining room with a carefully crafted gallery wall that sets the tone for all of the estate sale finds and pieces passed down through generations found inside.

If you reside in an apartment with limited dining space, don't simply tuck the table into the corner. Instead, place it on an angle as designer Jasmine Lam did in her London flat. A curved sofa anchors the assemblage and makes it feel more inviting.

For Chauncy Boothby's own dining room, the designer paired vintage brown furniture with Lulworth Blue paint by Farrow & Ball and Thibaut wallpaper to give the traditional foundation a playful update. A textured rug and rattan basket give the room a slight coastal feel.

For a cozy seating setup, fake a half-banquette. In this dining room, designer Liz Caan paired a cushy vintage sofa—that has lots of pillows for back support—with a set of dining chairs to give the room a casual yet welcoming feel.

Once used as a greenhouse, the dining room in actors Candice van Houten and Guy Pearce's Amsterdam home is romantic yet playful. Designer Nicole Dohmen of Atelier ND Interior added a bubblegum pink dining table by Sabine Marcelis and pink striped Roman shades. The purple curtains match the walls and ceiling, giving the room an overall sophisticated yet lively feel.

Tell a story or make a bolder impact with a mural wallcovering, like this one called Menagerie Chinoiserie in a custom colorway by Voutsa. Designer Courtney McLeod included a table with an acrylic topper and chairs in performance velvet that “shimmers and adds glam."

Keep it simple yet inviting with a dining room the coastal grandmother queen Nancy Meyers would surely approve of. Featuring a large wicker pendant, neutral chairs, and a textured rug, this dining room by designer Kari Arendsen is a prime example.

To enhance the aged feel of a barrel-vaulted ceiling made of Jerusalem stone in a Florida home's dining room, designer Lauren Liess incorporated antiques including the table, chairs, art, and limestone flooring.

Make a statement with cherry red wall paint, red dining chairs, and a red rug. Elevate the look with gold accents, like the chandelier, mirrors, and console tables in this formal dining room by design firm Cullman & Kravis.

If a full-blown mantel isn't your style, opt for a more contemporary fireplace to warm up your dining room. The sleek one in this kitchen by designer Richard T. Anuszkiewicz makes it feel like both a living room and a dining room. The extra candles on the dining table add to the ambiance.

If you're a wine aficionado but don't have the space for a separate cellar, make your dining room double as a place to store your collection. Built-in cubbies along one wall—like in this room designed by Pam Schneider and architect Pospisil & Brown Architects—should do the trick.

With textured accents like wicker Roman shades and a handwoven rug, you can easily amplify the warmth in your dining room. Keep the overall look simple with patterned curtains in neutral colors and wood accents, like in this dining room designed by Interior Archaeology.

Whether it's on your dining chairs or along your walls, trim can instantly upgrade any space. Just take it from this dining room designed by Cullman & Kravis, which features gold trim that wraps around the room and mimics the gold accent along the dining table's bases.

Designer Keita Turner livened up the dining room in this Brooklyn apartment by giving it unexpected details, like one mismatched chair out of four and a geometric mural that plays nicely with the burnt orange walls that surround it.

Welcome light and airflow into your dining room with louvered oak panels, as seen in this North Carolina beach house by designer Barrie Benson. The built-in screen offers some separation while maintaining a spacious atmosphere.

A matching table and chair set creates cohesion in this eclectic dining nook designed by Ariene Bethea. Bolster pillows and custom throws make the corner nook extra cozy and multi-purpose. Though it feels tailored, it's still approachable and warm.