Dining Room Furniture Style Guide



The obvious focal point of any dining room is the dining set. Dining room furniture can instantly transform the overall look of your dining room, so it’s important to select a dining set that closely parallels the style or design scheme that you’re looking to implement. Certain styles may work better than others in your home, so consider all of your options carefully before making a final selection.

Casual Dining Furniture

Casual dining furniture consists of more modern design elements, crafted in a very non-traditional approach. Glass, wrought-iron, and other unconventional materials are used frequently in casual dining furniture design, creating unique and diverse dining sets. In addition to the greater variety of materials, casual dining furniture also provides a larger variety of shapes and sizes than most formal dining furniture. Modloft’s “Beekman” dining set is a great example of the ingenuity and style of casual dining furniture. Notice the simple, clean lines as well as the frosted glass panels which are a far cry from the traditional designs commonly seen in formal dining sets.

Casual dining furniture: Modloft “Beekman” dining set

Formal Dining Furniture

As opposed to casual dining sets, formal dining furniture favors a much more traditional design, free of modern elements and eclectic styles. Traditional dining furniture is much more ornate, and is commonly made using heavy woods. The sophisticated makeup of most formal dining sets is created by an oversized construction that often features polished surfaces and long, sharp edges. The “Barcelona” dining set made by Homelegance is a great example of the opulent design that is the core of today’s formal dining furniture. This dining set boasts a classical acanthus motif that decorates the pedestal bases, as well as ornate ironwork. A warm cherry finish adds to the formality of this dining set.

Formal dining furniture: Homelegance “Barcelona” dining set

Things to Consider When Purchasing Dining Room Furniture

Besides the style of dining set you prefer, there are some other factors which should influence the decision-making process when it comes to purchasing new dining room furniture.

Size. The size of your dining set will be determined by the size of the actual dining room. If your dining room is very big, you’ll want to purchase a larger table to fill up dead space. If the room is smaller, you’ll obviously need a smaller dining set to conserve space. Generally speaking, you should aim for somewhere between 36 to 48 inches of clearance between the seats and the walls to allow people to pass by easily.

Shape. While rectangular dining tables are the most common, circular dining sets will allow for a more intimate atmosphere where conversation can open up. If you have a smaller group and are looking to create a social atmosphere, round tables a great choice. For larger groups, rectangular tables are usually the better option.

Capacity. Although the size of the table will be largely determined by the size of the room, you’ll obviously need to consider how many people you’d like to seat comfortably. If you rarely host large groups, you might want to consider buying a smaller table that includes “leaves” that fold out to increase the seating capacity.