Small Dining Room Ideas: How to Optimise Your Space

Turn a small, dark, dingy, dining room into a dazzling fresh space with these tips and ideas. Whether you have a whole room to play around with or a small designated nook in the corner of your kitchen, there are always ways of creating a beautiful and inviting dining area for you and your guests.

1 – Utilise Empty Kitchen Space

If your kitchen has a big empty space that you’re struggling to fill, try implementing a small table and chairs to create a beautiful dining area. Use simple furniture in this area to not take up too much space from your kitchen. It’s also a great idea to use cushioned bench seating, utilising your kitchen space better and allowing for more places to sit! Below are our Hexagon Grey Terrazzo Tiles, fabulously complimented by deep brown wood tones across the table and benches.

It’s also a great idea to consider furniture with multifunctional purposes. For example, a lot of bench seating can be adapted to have storage underneath, or even under the seat cushions, so be sure to make use of the space you have available.

2 – Packed With Pattern

Varieties of patterns across the dining room can add masses of interest and intrigue, and when used in a small dining room they can create character. Let your personality shine through the use of bold patterns across the space, and continue this through accessories you implement. A simple set-up like this one with its simple table and chairs can create the perfect airy and open space. Additionally, the beautiful design under foot adds a bit of interest to the space.

3 – Bright and Vibrant Colour Schemes

Small dining areas can still leave their mark when we use exciting bright and vibrant colours throughout the design. Don’t be afraid to use colour anywhere in your home, especially when you have a small space to design. It can be a great way to let your personality beam. It also allows you and your guests to feel comforted and more ‘at home’. We’ve made use of these beautiful Plush Chinois Blue Tiles, to bring some of that well-loved comforting feel.

4 – Natural Neutral Moments

Neutral colours work hand in hand with a mix of textures to when used across a small space, especially in the dining room. Simple wood and brown tones complemented with greens and nature-inspired shades can create a cosy and warming atmosphere across your dining space. Our neutral Felicity White Tiles can create the perfect intimate and snug base for your dining area, ensuring your space doesn’t become too cold and uninviting.

5 – Lavishly Victorian

Victorian-style designs can be incredibly successful or a total flop. Using Victorian styles should be simple, and not such a big and scary deal. Try implementing this style through your use of floor tiles, an easy and classic way to create intrigue in your dining space. This customer project by Jessicasimmons on Instagram showcases our Harran Antique Vintage Blue Pattern Floor Tiles perfectly and creates an incredibly cosy and inviting space in her dining room.

6 – Light and Airy

Make sure you’re allowing lots of natural light to flood into your space to make it appear larger and airier. Areas that are dark and dismal can suppress space in a small room, so by using simple methods like sheer curtains or light window frames you can ensure your space feels open and inviting for you and your guests. These beautiful large-scale windows adjacent to the dining area create the perfect backdrop for any furniture or colour that you may want to implement into your space.

7 – Plan Your Space

When it comes to redesigning a smaller room it’s always best to plan the space you have available in advance. This avoids disappointment if things don’t necessarily work the way you had originally envisioned. Grab a piece of paper, a pen and a tape measure, and simply sketch out the area, adding measurements of the floor space, and mark out where you’d like for them to go, with the measurements of the product. This also allows you to see how much space you have left at the end of your redesign to play around with and accessorise.

8 – Deciding on a Good Dining Room Table

It doesn’t really matter what shape dining room table you go for, they all tend to work in small spaces, it just depends on what shape the space you have available is. Rounded and oval tables are always a good contender for smaller spaces. They’re easier to make your way around, and mean you can avoid those painful bumps on corners. However, rectangular tables are also great for squeezing into small corners of the room and giving extra surface area.

There you have it! Our ideas for making the most out of your small dining space. Be sure to tag us in your projects on Instagram, @wallsandfloors