1. A sense of style: A sense of style means knowing your own sense of style, and then applying that consistently. Whereas some people prefer more traditional styles, such as Amish handcrafted furniture, you might find that you enjoy a more contemporary look. Be sure then not to go out and buy something that doesn’t suit your style, just because you think it is ‘fancy’ or others will like it. You’re the one that is going to be living in your house. You should be sure that the house has the look and the feel of the person and the people who live there.



2. The right use of color: You should always be aware of the colors in your house, knowing how and when to put certain colors together, and when not to. As a rule of thumb, never put too many loud colors together, and similarly, never use to many dull colors. So make sure that the dark wooden dining room hutch is not offset by a strange new purple table. That could make for a ghastly surprise to your visitors and to yourself when you come to realize that in the end, it just doesn’t work.

3. Filling the space properly: I have spoken of the use of space in another article, and will just offer a few general remarks here. The most basic thing about space is to know how it is in your house, and then to use it properly. If your house has a more straight and narrow space, then fill it to make it look less narrow, not to increase the appearance of narrowness. Also, if the space is wide and too open, you might want to close things a bit through connecting furniture or a large table that gives the house a cozy look. In the end it’s up to you to decide, but always keep in mind how the space is being used.

4. The principle of arrangement: The arrangement of furniture follows from the space in the house, but also from the type of furniture that you have. Be sure that when you arrange things in say your dining room, that things aren’t sticking out in a strange way or that the chairs aren’t blocking any doors, or passage.

5. Make sure things complement: If you buy a new dining room table, then be sure that it is going to complement the other pieces that you have in the house such as the dining chairs, as well as that it goes well with the above four points that we discussed. Even if you’ve taken into consideration all of the above design ideas, if things don’t complement each other, then the entire room will look strangely awkward and uneven. So make sure that things look right – together - and this means piece by piece the furniture you selectively put together the entire room to make a whole.

Go ahead and change the look of your dining room – feel free to experiment, and you are sure to come up with results that may surprise even you!