Dine in Style

Above: he Shilou collection is inspired by the 1920s and 1930s era and has an Art Deco feel. The macassar ebony dining table (six-seater) is priced at £2,115, the matching macassar ebony dining chairs in cream fabric are £318 each and in cream leather are £382 e

Above: Bay cutlery from Define Home Accessories. Prices start at £4.70 per item.

Above: This ceramic tea set has a citrus green leaf trail design in the glaze. The uniquely shaped handles and saucers add to the appeal of this dainty 15-piece set. It costs £17.50 from Wallace Sacks.

Above: Floral dining set dinner plate (£2) and side plate (£2) from Matalan.

Above: This Deco dining set is from Matalan Home. The dinner plate is £1.50 and the side plate is £1.50.

Above: Simply white coffee cup £2, Simply white saucer £1.50, Solar cappuccino cup £3.50, Solar saucer £3, Solar bowl £4, Black and white damask bowl £2.50 (also available in red), Black and white damask side plate £2 (also available in red), Simply white side p

Above: A unique charity artwork project, Whatever It Takes has teamed up with an exclusive list of celebrities from Heidi Klum to Bob Geldof, Pierce Brosnan and Penelope Cruz, to put their beautiful designs to plates and mugs. At least 50p

Whether you have a separate dining room, a kitchen/diner or a table in the corner of your living room, when it comes to choosing furniture for dining, there are numerous options. But to really enjoy a long leisurely lunch, a fun family feast or an intimate romantic dinner, one
of the key considerations is comfort.

To achieve this, not only must the room look appealing and the furniture
be inviting, but everything must also function well and be flexible, as the number of diners is likely to

vary from occasion to occasion.
There is nothing worse than being squashed around a table with not enough elbow room. Therefore, the extending table is a great investment. Go for one where the extra leaf can be stored under the table so you don’t need to find a home for it.

Kate Whittingham-Jones, House of Bath’s head of buying, says: “Our ‘hot’ product for autumn/winter is a beautiful, hand-crafted solid mahogany dining table, which is gate leg, so folds away for extra space. A lack of space means doesn’t mean that we have to compromise on style or quality. Classical style never really goes out of fashion and is the best investment in the long term.”

Paul Kennard, owner of bespoke oak furniture maker, Country Ways Oak Furniture in East Sussex, lends his wisdom: “Always look out for styles
based on traditional, proven designs and make sure it bears all the hallmarks of traditional furniture manufacturing, such as real joints. This way, your furniture will last a lifetime and become a treasured family heirloom.”

Changing the mood
Your room space will probably need to work for a bright morning breakfast and a romantic supper. Clever use of lighting will help change the mood, so make sure you have plenty of candles, while fresh flowers never fail to look fantastic.

Dining room furniture comes in all manner of materials, from wood to metal, glass to plastic. Nick Hanson, buyer for Ashbury Furniture in Ashford says: “If you live in a traditional old home, rustic French oak is a fantastic look. There are several tones and varying degrees of distressing for furniture.

“Alternatively, a contemporary look is a combination of glass top and metal legs, which give a feeling of simplicity and openness to a room.”
Once you have chosen your table and chairs, you can have fun with the accessories – from place mats and tablecloths to crockery and cutlery – and with colour. Red stimulates the appetite, but choose the shade carefully, however, and if your room is too small to take all that colour, hang a red-based painting.

Golds and creams are also great colours for dining, but avoid pinks and purples as they tend to have a sedative effect. Blue will encourage communication.

Claire Jobson, creative stylist for furniture retailer, Barker and Stonehouse, comments: “We’ve seen romantic styles on the catwalk and now they are moving into the home. It’s a mixture of the popular French baroque designs that have been everywhere and the floral designs that have also been huge this year. Think pretty designs in off-whites and girly pinks combined with floaty fabrics.”

“Another huge trend in interiors is travel. Designers have been taking inspiration from far-away places,
so try mixing tropical furniture with khaki and animal print fabric for an exotic look.”

Super-glamorous
Phil Kind, Sheerhome.co.uk managing director, says: “The winter trend for dining rooms is super-glamorous and sophisticated. Furniture has a dark palette, with flashes of colour, especially yellow and gold/coffee alongside solid deep-woven upholstery fabric.

“To finish the look, play with scale as well as style, so mix huge vases with smaller pieces, deep mirror frames with small-set glass, and enormous standard lamps with delicately turned chairs.

“Team them with accessories in golds and bronzes, adding a touch of teal to take the scheme from cool to super cool.”
When it comes to crockery, Kate Whittingham-Jones advises: “Focus
on quality. A plain white porcelain dinner service will outlast any quirks
of fashion.

“And you can jazz up your dining room decor with fun and inexpensive placemats and coasters – for the big pieces, always stick with the classics.”