THE INTERIOR

A HOST WORTHY Dining Room

By: Kayla Goldstein

We have all been there, sitting in someone’s gorgeous dining room, thoroughly enjoying the delicious meal and the amazing conversation. When it comes time for us to host, we want to make sure our guests are feeling just as pampered and amazing. How do we do that? Well, food is definitely a major component, but not one I can help with. I can, however, help with the design - which will play a major role in the ambiance and vibe of your Shabbos meals and other events.

The first thing you want to decide on in your dining room is the color palette. I know, this sounds cliche and boring, but it actually is super important. Do you want deep moody vibes, light bright and airy vibes, or something art deco? This is an important decision as it will decide all the rest of the items going into the space. What mood and feel do you want in the dining room?

Once you have established this, you need to decide how many people you want to fit and go find a table. The table is (obviously) the centerpiece of the room, and it needs to embody the vibe that you picked above. Each person sitting at the table needs at least 30 inches to be comfortable, so calculate the number of seats you want and that will help you figure out what size table to get. Alternatively, you can take the size of the room and reduce it by four feet on each side, this will give you the maximum size table you can get.

Now we need to choose chairs, and this will once again be determined by the vibe you chose above. Do you want your guests lounging? Do you want practical chairs? Leather or fabric, dark or light, or maybe a cool pattern! Whatever vibe you chose above, will determine what kind of chairs regarding style, comfort, and color you will choose.

The last piece of furniture to go in here is storage. This can be a credenza for candles, a wall unit for alcohol and others, and should always include some space for tablecloths, dishes, etc. Whether it will be a heavy or minimalist piece is determined by the vibe chosen above, as, of course, those living in the home.

Dining room designed by Kayla LLC for an indoor/outdoor feel.

Now for the decor

This is the fun part where you get to splash your personality into the room, be it with wallpaper, artwork, an amazing light fixture, or just an awesome centerpiece for the table. There are a few things I would say to keep in mind while throwing in all that character.

1. For starters, I would say to stay away from light green or deep mustard yellow. These are not particularly appetizing colors and don’t usually encourage guests to eat, surprisingly enough. This does not mean that you should not use deep green or bright yellow- these are actually great colors for a dining room, as you can see in the photo above, but go easy with it. 2. I would also make sure to not overdo it with the patterns.

It is amazing to bring in one pattern in the wallpaper or in the chair, but that is it. Going overboard or intense with the stripes or floral can have a dizzying effect, again not very appetizing. I would suggest picking one pattern and then using it to pull colors out around the room. 3. Regarding materials, you really have to go back to the original question about the vibe you want in the space.

If you are looking for cozy and intimate, go for woods and fabrics. If you are looking for glam and modern, go with glass and metals. That being said, if you do want to facilitate conversations, wamer and more natural materials do tend to lead to that. Think about it, if you are uncomfortable in your chair, you are less likely to lean into a really good long conversation.

4. One last thing - lighting. It is important to have just the right amount of lighting in the room. Too dim and the guests can’t see what they’re eating. Too bright and they feel like they are being watched. I usually suggest a large statement chandelier with a grid of four or six spots around it depending on the size of your table.

I hope that this helped you in planning out your dining room. Go for the drama and style that you love and don’t hold back! Get the rugs, get the cool chairs and get that amazing chandelier! As always, if you would like help with your design, feel free to reach out at kayla@kaylallc.com

M

Kayla Goldstein is a contributing editor for Mochers Magazine and an Interior Designer at Kayla LLC. Follow her on instagram @Kayla_LLC