Dining rooms are becoming more scaled-back and simple in keeping with our changing lifestyles.

There is a demand for smaller, more contemporary furniture items by younger home-owners. This is also being driven by a need for comfort, as well as emphasis on functional pieces that take up less space.

In our scenario with the increase in demand for apartments and town houses; people are leaning towards basic styles with cleaner lines. Most townhouses and apartments tend to have less formal dining spaces; fortunately, casual dining pieces are available in smaller sizes or have features that can adapt to restricted spaces. Expandable tables work well in these spaces as they can remain closed until it becomes necessary to accommodate more people.

This is not to say that formal dining rooms are out of style. There will always be large, luxurious homes that require furnishings for large dining areas; and with the emphasis on people doing more entertainment at home there is still a need for formal dining. Further, there are those who like having an elegant dining room and it is possible to have one in a moderately sized house.

For some people, the dining room is a multi-purpose room rather than a dedicated room – it serves as an office or den as well as for dining. As a result there is a demand for furniture that will fit both the living spaces and their changing needs.

In terms of trends dining sets are very varied in their design and make a bold statement. They can be very luxurious with combined woods and finishes, sleek, contemporary, elegantly finished or plain, allowing the set to serve several functions. With more people working at home, and lifestyles becoming more casual, look for more dining rooms to become multi-functional rooms.

In choosing dining room furniture:

o Keep in mind the size and shape off the space

o Consider the style of your home

o For flexibility – choose a table with leaves that will allow you to expand the dining room table when entertaining.

o Choose case pieces that stand on legs up off the floor to help create the illusion of more space.

– Marjorie Allen

interiorsbydesign@cwjamaica.com