Easy, Inspiring Ideas for Decorating Dining Room Tables
These terrific tabletops are sure to impress.
The dining room table is often the heart of the home. It's where family and friends come to gather and great conversations take place. Whether you sit down to dine daily, or your dining table is more of a “special occasion" place to eat, there are lots of ways of decorating dining room tables to suit your style. And the best part is you can change up your dining table décor as often as you'd like for a fresh look.
From modern art to pops of color to romantic candlelight to adding a touch of nature, these 11 inspiring ideas can help you to create a dining table that complements your aesthetic.
The Classic Look: Silk Flower Centerpieces
There's a reason why silk floral centerpieces still rule – they're timeless, beautiful, and easy to maintain. They're also quick and easy to move on and off the table to make room for your family-style serving platters. Floral centerpieces come in a variety of heights and shapes, too, so you can find one for any size table. Choose from a rainbow of colors of tulips, roses, orchids, and beyond.
Vases are versatile, whether they're holding artificial flowers or reeds, filled with stones, rattan balls or other trinkets, or standing alone as a piece of art. You can opt for colored ceramic or glass, metal, or shiny metallics – whatever look you prefer – and mix and match for even more variety.
Fresh lemons, limes, or apples can instantly give any room a bright and cheery vibe, which is why placing a few in an eye-catching bowl or plate can liven up your dining table. There's even artificial fruit you can use if you don't want to worry about having to replace.
Trays can act as the foundation for building your dining room table decor, but they also make for a lovely focal point all by themselves. They come in round, rectangular, and other shapes in a variety of materials. Mirrored ones can be especially stunning if you're topping them with shiny objects. And a tray is functional, too, if you decide to use it to serve your famous lemonade!
Brass or crystal candlestick holders are a very traditional way to class up your dining table (just check out the tables in Downton Abbey!), but there are lots of modern candle holder styles, too. There's distressed wood, metal, and hand-blown colored glass options that can hold chunky pillars or petite tapers. Cluster a few different candles together for an interesting centerpiece.
You already know that vases can add depth and dimension to your dining space, and the same goes for using bottles. They can be as ornate or simplistic as you prefer, and the color and shape choices are just as varied. We suggest buying a set that comes in various sizes and colors, and filling them with a couple of snips of fresh flowers.
Sometimes the easiest way to add a fresh look to your dining table is to add a new table runner. Go for a pumpkin spice color for fall, glam up the room for a birthday celebration with sparkly sequins, or keep things simple but elegant with a more subdued embroidered pattern.
Metal or ceramic sculptures and figurines on your dining table can serve as fun conversation pieces when you invite new friends over. Try mixing different materials – like shiny, glazed metal orbs with earthy rattan balls, or colorful gem scatters surrounding a white sculpture – to create a unique look all your own.
Decorating your dining table means more than just focusing on the center – you can actually complete the look with charming place settings. Shiny charger plates and lovely linen napkins tied with ornate napkin rings take your table from everyday dinette to upscale elegance.
Depending on the time of year, you may wish to add some holiday or seasonal flair to your dining table. Use gourds and sunflowers for autumn, a tartan table runner and silver candles for Christmas, tulips and pastel candles for spring, and so on.
When it comes to decorating a dining room table, you don't have to choose just one idea – you can combine them! Use distressed metal urns and a rustic wooden tray to create a farmhouse chic tabletop. Go modern using a cluster of decorative ceramics and colorful jars that pop. Place fresh lemons in a clear glass vase with a pretty yellow table runner underneath for a summery vibe. Or use seashells in a glass bowl on top of a burlap runner to complement a coastal theme. You're only limited by your imagination.
Need more ideas for decorating dining room tables?
Article by Dawn Papandrea
