How to style a dining room table.

An important piece of furniture, the dining table is often overlooked when styling your home. Yes, sometimes we love using it as the dumping ground for books, bags and the famous laundry pile!

The dining table is an empty space crying out for some love and décor.  

We have some easy ways for you to style your dining table, from what to decorate your dining table with and different styling ideas for round, square and rectangle dining tables.

Make your dining table the star when you walk into the dining room. 

How to style your dining table when not in use.

Flowers and Plants

A colourful addition to your dining table, plants and flowers add a natural organic element to your styling.

If you love changing colours in your styling, a fresh bunch of flowers will do the trick. For those who prefer not to change water and clean up falling leaves, real touch artificial flowers have become the go to.  

Plants and greenery have also become popular in the past year. Think large, lush leaves in a pot, with contrasting textures (e.g. A concrete pot on a wooden table.) Big arrangements are better but always consider the size of your dining table.  You can opt for artificial greenery available from homewares stores or take a walk around your neighbourhood to find some beautiful native fresh greenery.

Vases and Vessels

Vessels in Ceramic, metal, glass, wood or resign vases in different shapes and sizes are perfect for styling your dining tables.

The trick is to use a group of three vessels in different heights and shapes but the material of the vessel is to be the same. Add a pop of colour with some greenery in one vessel.

Pendant Lights 

If you prefer a less decorated table, pendant lights are a good way to create a focal point in your dining room.

Begin with one decorative piece on your table and complete your styling with the overhead pendant light.  When selecting a pendant light, remember to keep it to the styling of the rest of your interiors. Also take the shape of your table into consideration when selecting a pendant light.  

Dining Vignette 

If your dining table is being used regularly for meal times, you may want to consider styling with a dining vignette. 

Save time every day setting the table by creating a beautiful vignette with your salt and pepper, napkins placed in the centre of the table. Style on a wood or marble board and add a vase with a bit of greenery for colour and aesthetics. Choose the items carefully to suit your existing décor , creating a beautiful practical centre piece for your table.

Decorative Trays

Love the look of a tray with decorative pieces?  A good rule of thumb is to make sure your tray is 1/3 the width of the table to look proportional to the table. Style the tray with decorative pieces such as candles, vases, a plant or small accessories grouped together. Vary the height of the pieces and include a colour or pattern from the rest of your room into the styling of the tray to create a cohesive look.

The tray should be made of a material contrasting to the table such as a wooden tray on top of a glass table, or a marble tray on top of a timber table.

How to style Round, Square and Rectangle dining tables?

 Round Dining Tables.

Aim to keep the table uncluttered.

Style with one large piece in the centre of the table or a collection of pieces grouped together in the centre of the table. You can also opt for a tray styled with decorative pieces and a bit of greenery or flowers. 

Square Dining Tables

To style a square dining table aim for one piece in the centre or a collection of 3 pieces styled in a triangle.

Experiment with tall and wide decorative pieces till you find an arrangement you are happy with.

Rectangle Tables

Style rectangle tables with décor along the length of the table.  Avoid pieces that are too wide and that would overlap into your eating space.

Bigger is better when it comes to styling a rectangle table.

For a 8-10 seater table aim to have larger items along the length of the table.

Style the table with 3 separate moments along the table, starting in the centre of the table and then a moment one each side. Keep the items of varying height in each moment with a few decorative  pieces that are complimantary in colour or texture.   

For a 4 or 6 seater table , style your table with decorative pieces in the centre. Aim for décor of different heights, in complimentary colors and textures to the rest of your interior. Adding the items on a tray in the centre brings all the items together.

Overall styling tips for dining room tables:

Keep the table uncluttered.

Scale is important. Smaller items tend to look busy and create an unfinished look. Opt for larger decorative pieces in colours and textures complimentary to the styling of your dining room.

Use Table Runners in line with your interior design style. Table runners soften the look on a table and would suit Country, Farmhouse, Hamptons Coastal and similar styles while in an Industrial styled home table runners would be out of place.

If you will be moving the decorative pieces every day, make sure that they are not too heavy. If the kids help set the table, it might be better to place your more fragile decorative pieces away from small hands till they are a bit older.

Once you have completed your styling take a walk around the table. A dining table is not like a Christmas Tree where we can hide the less decorated side facing the corner of the room. Ensure that the decorative pieces on your table look good from all angles. You would not want to style a table that looks beautiful from one side and flat from the other.

The styling of a dining room table can be easily changed. Play around with the decorative pieces till you find an arrangement that brings you joy.

Happy styling!