9 Tips for a Dream Dining Room

September 1, 2022

Child sitting at a wooden dining table with gray upholstered chairs, raising one hand, next to a white vase with green foliage.

Have you vowed to host more parties this year? Want to dial up your dinner game? Ready to build your dream dining room, but don’t know where to start? Let me help you find the perfect dining set for your home — read on for nine helpful tips on what to look for in your shopping process!

1. How Big Is Your Space

Consider the size of your room — big rooms can feel daunting to design, and long rectangular dining tables are a great way to break up or “zone” an open floor plan!

Round tables are great for small rooms and dining nooks. You can also maximize small dining areas with drop leaf tables — they’re great to push against the wall when you don’t need them, but expand easily when you’re hosting.And if you need more ideas regarding apartment living, check out 7 Space-Saving Tips to Maximize Your Small Dining Room.

2. What’s Your Style

Next, think about the style of your dining room — are you going for a trendy farmhouse look, a hint of elegance, trusty traditional, or cool and contemporary? Knowing your dining room style will help narrow down your dining table search.

Want a low-stakes way to know what your dining room could look like with new furniture? Check out my 3D Room Designer and build out a virtual space exactly the way you want it with windows, doors, flooring, paint colors, and furniture. It’s like daydreaming on your computer—so fun!

3. How Will You Use Your Dining Room

Are you the go-to host for big holiday dinners? Is your table primarily a place for you and your takeout container? It’s important to think about the function of your table — if those large holiday parties aren’t in your near future, go with a smaller table. The last thing you want is to purchase a table that’s too big and that takes up valuable floor space.

I’ve broken down table sizes based on how many people will be using the table:

Round wooden dining table with four black wooden chairs, set with woven placemats, white plates, blue glass goblets, and cloth napkins in a bright dining room.

2 to 4 People

If you only need seating for a small group of people, go for a round table that seats four. You can also look at a smaller square table and if you have a little space to work with, check out a smaller rectangular table

4 to 6 People

Check out rectangular tables that seat four to six people. Bonus—this Montana Dining Set has storage drawers for spare linens and flatware!

Dining room set with a white wooden table featuring a dark wood top, four white cushioned chairs, and a beige upholstered bench on a patterned rug.

Dining room set with a rectangular white wood table and eight upholstered chairs in gray fabric, featuring button-tufted backs and beige striped curtains.

6 to 10 People

If you have a big family or love holiday dinners, you’ll need a large dining room table. Look for options with multiple leaves so you can easily expand your table when you’re hosting guests and maximize floor space when you’re not.

4. Table Height

Selecting your dining room table height is part preference and part functionality.

If you have young children who are still using a highchair, or anticipate having children in the near future, then a dining height is a good choice. The dining height table aligns well with the height of most trays on highchairs, which makes feeding during mealtime a little more manageable.

Here are the heights for the three standard table sizes:

Dining Table Height – 30”
Counter Table Height – 36”
Bar Table Height – 42”

5. Table Style

Think back to your dining room’s overall vibe — what kind of table will compliment it? If you haven’t quite figured out your style yet, farmhouse tables and industrial tables can be quite versatile. Here’s a little inspo to get your wheels turning…

Modern dining room with a rectangular wooden table and six black wooden chairs, featuring a patterned area rug, chandelier, and decorative cabinet.

Farmhouse

The farmhouse look puts the spotlight on rustic and relaxed — think distressed and wire-brushed wood paired with neutral and white accents.

Contemporary

Easy-to-match and oh-so-modern, contemporary pieces feature clean lines that make a real statement!

Modern dining room with a dark wood rectangular table, eight cushioned chairs with gray upholstery, a patterned area rug, and large windows providing natural light.

Dining room with dark wood table and six matching ladder-back chairs on a light patterned rug, featuring rustic wood panel walls and large window.

Industrial Farmhouse

Industrial farmhouse style incorporates metal hardware and accents —think warehouse chic!

Traditional

You can never go wrong with traditional — this timeless look allows you the versatility to style your space the way you want to.

Dark wood dining room set with oval table, four cushioned chairs, matching sideboard and glass-front cabinet on patterned rug.

Dining room set with a rectangular wooden table featuring a dark top and white legs, surrounded by six upholstered chairs in gray fabric with white wooden frames, set on a patterned gray area rug near large windows.

Cottage

Create a serene country setting no matter where you live with a cottage-style dining table. Simple yet functional, the cottage style creates a welcoming and relaxing feel to your space.

6. What Type of Material You Prefer

Do you like the feel of natural stone or the rustic charm of wood? The material you select for your dining room table top should tie in with the overall style of your room and table.

Modern dining area with gray upholstered chairs featuring white wooden frames, a marble-top table, dark hardwood flooring, and a tall green plant in a white pot.

I just love the impact that a marble table top has on a room — it really creates a statement!

Marble accents add an air of sophistication to any room.

If you have a smaller space, try a glass table top to give your room a lighter feel.

7. All About that Table Base

Your style and design options aren’t only limited to the table top. Check out these different types of table bases:

Rustic gray wooden dining table with trestle legs, set against a green accent wall with two hanging wicker pendant lights and botanical wall art.

Trestle Table

A trestle table is simple, yet impactful. Plus, it gives you plenty of legroom underneath the table!

My Hudson Trestle Table features a sturdy base, metal accents, and a rustic finish.

Pedestal Table

Pedestal tables add a touch of elegance.

My Cosmopolitan Round Dining table features a glass top and a stunning tulip base.

Modern round glass dining table with a black wooden pedestal base, paired with four navy blue velvet upholstered chairs on a brown woven rug.

Rectangular dining table with dark wood top and cream-colored legs, styled with a ceramic vase holding green foliage and a beige bowl of fruit, set in a bright room with light wood flooring and sheer white curtains.

Four-Leg Construction

Four-legged tables like my Blake Dining Table will never go out of style.

They give you a classic and clean look.

Storage Table

Who doesn’t need extra storage!

My Sonoma Complete Counter Table is suitable for those in need of spare space for table linens and place settings.

Rustic wooden dining table set with six ladder-back chairs featuring beige cushioned seats, placed on a textured gray rug in a bright room.

8. Speaking of Storage…

I’m sure we can all agree on this point: the more storage space the better! And it’s even better if it’s convenient.

Dining table set with six white wooden chairs and a bench, featuring a dark wood top, woven placemats, white plates, cloth napkins, and open drawers with silverware and napkin rings.

Built-in drawers are a convenient way to store place settings and decorative placemats. My Montana Dining Room Table has six drawers—3 on each side!

And if that wasn’t cool enough, how about adding a storage bench? They’re great for seasonal linens, and spare dining accessories!

9. Be Prepared For the Uninvited Uncle

Chalk it up to your amazing cooking skills—every time you host a dinner party, there always seems to be an extra guest or two who just “happens” to stop by — so be prepared with a table that can easily expand by adding in a removable leaf or two!

Share Your Dining Room Table

I’d love to see what dining room table you’ve selected! Snap a pic, post it on social and tag me @mybobs for a chance to be featured on my feed.