Dining Room Accessories

Dining room, with the focus on food, has the center table and chairs as it's most important aspects. Amongst the other items that make up the basic décor of the room can be included chandelier, china cabinet and buffet. Accessories are those decorative pieces that are used to complement the basic aspects of a dining room. They serve as accent pieces that further dress up the room. However, while selecting dining room accessories, you need to keep the formality, overall décor, shape and size of the room in mind. Otherwise, you might end up making the room look worse, than better.

Dining Room Accessory Ideas

Wall art are amongst the first accessories when it comes to dining room. Before leaving for the store, measure the wall where you want to put the art. Make sure that the painting you buy is of the right size, neither too overwhelming nor too small. While the nature of the artwork should match the formality of the room, its frame should complement the overall décor.
Mirrors are one of the most popular accessories used in dining rooms, especially in a small one. They not only create the illusion of space, but also look pleasing to the eye. Make sure that the frame of the mirror complements the overall décor of the room. You can also buy several small mirrored pieces, rather than a large one.
Centerpieces are a must for any dining room. They add to the splendor of the dining table and also make the room look warm and inviting. While buying a centerpiece, keep the size of the table and the distance between the table surface and the chandelier in mind. It should not also be too tall to obscure guests' view or too wide to interfere with the place settings.
Unusual objects, if they go with the décor of your dining room, can make great accessories. You can go for antique ceramic pieces, wooden chests and even things like a birdcage. This works well with formal, traditional dining rooms. For a casual dining room, an assortment of accessory pieces, on a side table, will look good.
Candles help impart warmth to a dining room, apart from making a good style statement. However, the style of your room will have a bearing on the type of candles you will use. You can either go for neutral candle colors or match them to your linens and décor. A candle holder can also be used to make a centerpiece. Pedestal candles, grouped on a mirror, can make the room glow with soft light. You can also place traditional candelabras or pillar candles on buffet or sideboard.
You can also display your collections, be them of antiques, china figurines, clay sculptures or fine crystal, in your dining room, as accessories. Use the space presented by the china cabinet or shelves on the wall. Such a display will let your guest know about your taste and at times, also act as great conversation starters.
If you have enough furniture pieces in the dining room, such as cabinets, cupboards and buffets, you can display the china and serving dishes there. Not only do they suit the theme of the room, but make great displays, especially if they have elegant patterns. Go ahead and display your delicate china cups and saucers, elegant soup tureens, glass pitchers and silver serving sets in the dining room.

Buying Dining Room Accessories

First of all, you need to pay attention to the type of finishes that dominate the room. Whether you see wood all around the place or is it metal that makes your dining room look impressive? If it's metal, are all the pieces black iron or of shiny brass?
Next thing that you have to consider is the style of the room. Have you given it a formal look, with the aim of entertaining people or is a very casual space? The furniture is modern, traditional or eclectic?
The other major aspects of the room, like colors used, flooring materials, fabrics employed and existing accessories, also need to taken into account. The accessories will have to coordinate all of them.
The type, size as well as the number of accessories that you buy for your dining room will also depend on the scale of the room. How high is the ceiling? Are the walls bare? Is there enough room behind the dining chairs? What kind of display spaces are available?
After having determined the basic aspects of your dining room, it is the time to decide on the type of accessories you will buy. Always keep the above points at the back of your mind and you will end up with accessories that match the overall décor of your dining room.
Since dining room is a place where people eat, the accessories that you put up there, be it photos, paintings or sculptures, should be warm, soothing and appetizing. This doesn't mean that you will limit yourself to accessories that focus on food, flowers, or beautiful scenery. However, make sure that they are not too provocative, dark, or distracting as well.
It is always advisable to buy the accessories together, at the same time. This will ensure that all the items go together. At the same time, you will be able to unify the space. Though you can have an assortment of accessories bought over a period of time, there will always be a possibility of one thing not going with the other and disturbing the overall symmetry.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Home & Living'