With fall and cozy gatherings just around the corner, dining room decor is more essential now than ever. If you start thinking of ways to make your dining space going into fall, you will enjoy hosting your gatherings more, without the added stress of making the space aesthetic and cozy the month or week of. Plus, all of the dining room decor that I found on Amazon is aesthetic to be used all year round. It isn't specific to fall. I am getting a head start on styling my dining room BEFORE fall hits when things get crazy. The more that you can plan ahead of time, the less crazy things seem because you're reducing your to-do list during a time when naturally more gets thrown onto it.
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How do I make a dining room feel cozy?
For me, making a dining room feel cozy is all about creating a vibe that invites your guests to come and sit for a while. If you're inviting guests for dinner, your primary goals are to have them over for great food, relaxation, inspiring conversation, and enjoying their company. All of these do and should take a while, so making your dining room an inviting space will encourage them to relax and settle in.
1. CHOOSE WARM TONES
I've been in cool-toned dining rooms, and honestly, they don't make me feel that cozy. I often feel quite the opposite. However, I have been in an all-white, cool-toned room that had a ton of natural sunlight which balanced the room and gave a very warm and inviting element. If you have a lot of natural light, you can get away with cooler tones, and honestly, cooler tones will probably help balance the otherwise warm sunlight. If you don't have a lot of natural sunlight, that means that your dining room will have a naturally cool tone, so choosing earthy color tones in your dining room decor will instantly give your space a cozier and more warm welcome.
2. CHOOSE AN AESTHETIC RUG
You can instantly make your space cozier by adding textile elements, especially a rug. Not only will the rug create warmth, but it will also center your table and overall dining room.
3. TEXTILES
I mentioned above that adding textiles such as a rug to your space will create a cozy environment. You can add other textiles such as placemats, pillows, seat cushions, and napkins that will also have the same effect of making everything feel cozy.
4. DESIGNER LIGHTING
I highly recommend choosing a higher-quality lighting piece for your dining room. I love a simpler look when it comes to home decor, so items such as lighting can be used to really elevate any space without adding a ton of decor to the room. My favorite place to shop for lighting is Shades of Light. However, I have found some high-quality-looking pieces on Amazon as well. An additional note to make about quality lighting is that my husband has made it a point to note how much easier the installation and overall quality is improved when you invest in better lighting. We have had IKEA lighting over the years and without trashing their items because we love IKEA, the quality just isn't there compared to our higher-end designer lighting.
5. LEAN INTO NATURAL ELEMENTS
Choosing elements made of more organic elements will automatically give a cozier and more natural feel. If you choose a table made of natural wood vs an industrial-style table, this is going to make you and your guests feel more at home and in a natural environment. Elements of natural just make us feel at home!
How can I make my dining room look luxurious?
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Choose furniture and cushion elements that are made from quality materials. The difference will show and overall your aesthetic dining room will not only feel better when you're entertaining, your investments will last longer and withstand both trends and all of the foot traffic of your hosting.
LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING
IMO there is nothing worse than terrible lighting in a dining room. Your dining room should be well lit, but warm and cozy. If you have LED lights that are cool or straight blue, no one is going to feel relaxed to stay, eat, and enjoy themselves. If you don't have the perfect lighting, or budget, or need to switch things out quickly after reading this before guests come over, use candles. Candlelit dinners are everything and an easy quick fix to bad lighting.
RICH COLORS
I mentioned it before when I recommend warm color palettes, but rich and warm colors are everything to making the ultimate luxurious and cozy dining room.
STATEMENT PIECES
Instead of having a lot of dining room decor accessories, opt for one to two statement pieces that are oversized and really stand out. This will give the luxurious look of high-quality elements, vs a bunch of random knick-knacks.
SET YOUR TABLE
Keep your table set year-round to give an inviting appeal whether you're hosting or not!
WOOD FLOORING
If possible, keep things natural when it comes to flooring, and choose an all-natural wood for your base. Especially if you don't have a rug, real wood flooring will be everything you need to make things natural and inviting.
CLUTTER FREE
Keep your space clutter-free as often as possible. I know first hand that my daughter's craft table has become our dining room table, but I am in the process of looking for the perfect kid's craft table alternative for her where we can encourage her crafting skills while keeping our table ready for even family dinner nights.
