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    Ten dining rooms where built-in seating provides extra space around the table

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    Our latest lookbook explores homes where built-in benches or banquettes offer an inviting place to sit around the dining table, while also helping to save space.

    Built-in seating is a popular solution in kitchens and dining rooms where the optimal position for a table is along a wall rather than in the centre of the space.
    For homes where space is limited, a fixed bench can provide more seats than would otherwise be possible. It can also be a clever way of integrating extra storage, with concealed compartments under the seat.
    The most straightforward approach is to build a fixed seat along one side of the table and then add dining chairs on the opposite side, although L-shaped or curved seating installations can also be possible, depending on the layout.
    Whatever the design, the key to getting it right is ensuring that the table legs don’t clash with the base of the bench, so that it’s easy for people to get in and out.

    Read on for 10 examples, ranging from a minimalist terrace in London to a warm and tactile family home in Melbourne.
    This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, other recent lookbooks feature colourful shower rooms and kitchens with tiled worktops.
    Photo is by Peter Bennetts10 Fold House, Australia, by Timmins + Whyte
    This extension to a family home in Melbourne, designed by architecture and design studio Timmins + Whyte, includes a casual dining space that slots into a corner between the kitchen counter and the end wall.
    The L-shaped bench is topped with peach-toned cushions, which match the warm tone of the mid-century-style oak table. As well as providing comfort, they conceal storage areas underneath.
    Find out more about 10 Fold House ›
    Photo is by Rory GardinerSpruce House, UK, by Ao-ft
    A bench seat forms an extension of the polished concrete floor in this cross-laminated timber-framed house in east London, designed by Ao-ft founders Liz Tatarintseva and Zach Fluker as their own home.
    This is possible because the living space is slightly sunken. This means the concrete plinth, which actually sits at ground level, is the perfect height for sitting at the table.
    Find out more about Spruce House ›
    Photo is by Tim Van de VeldeKarper, Belgium, by Hé!
    This converted warehouse in Brussels was designed to serve as either a family home or a co-living building, so it features a range of different live and work spaces. One of these is a casual dining space located next to the kitchen on the second floor.
    A custom-made bench anchors this space to the side wall. A matching table has a squashed circle shape, creating the feel of a round table while also aligning with the seating fixture.
    Find out more about Karper ›
    Photo is by Gilbert McCarragherFrame House, UK, by Bureau de Change
    When remodelling this south London terrace, architecture studio Bureau de Change added a three-tiered extension at the property’s rear.
    The stepped terrazzo floor was designed to incorporate casual seating areas, with one of them serving as a seating area for the adjacent dining table.
    Find out more about Frame House ›
    Photo is by Lorenzo ZandriSteele’s Road House, UK, by Neiheiser Argyros
    If a kitchen has a window bay, this can be a good place to create a seating area. This is what London studio Neiheiser Argyros did in its renovation of a Victorian terrace in the west of the city.
    A curved banquette wraps the base of the window, framing a fixed cafe-style round table.
    Find out more about Steele’s Road House ›
    Photo is by José HeviaGirona Street Apartment, Spain, by Raúl Sanchez Architects
    Barcelona studio Raúl Sanchez Architects employed colour-blocking to create the dining space for this renovated apartment in the city’s Dreta de l’Eixample neighbourhood.
    A seating bench and the wall behind it are both painted deep blue, in contrast with the white tones elsewhere, which gives the dining space an increased emphasis.
    Find out more about Girona Street Apartment ›
    Photo is by Tom RossSunday, Australia, by Architecture Architecture
    A kitchen island provides the backdrop to the dining table in this house in Melbourne designed by local studio Architecture Architecture.
    Upholstered in a muted colour textile, the banquette has a cantilevered seat that slots neatly under a long, slender table, while traditional dining chairs are positioned on the opposite side.
    Find out more about Sunday ›

    Scalloped Concrete House, USA, by Laney LA
    California-based studio Laney LA found another way to position a dining space beside a kitchen island for this home in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles.
    Instead of extending out, the bench seat is built into a recess within the wooden volume.
    Find out more about Scalloped Concrete House ›
    Photo is by Ståle EriksenKensington Place, UK, by O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects
    In this extension of a mid-terrace property in London’s Kensington, a built-in bench allowed O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects to fit a dining table into a narrow space.
    Built from plywood, the bench incorporates storage. It is slightly recessed at the base, while a backboard makes it feel more integrated with the wall behind.
    Find out more about Kensington Place ›

    Nido House, Australia, by Angelucci Architects
    The ground floor spaces of this family home in Melbourne wrap around a glazed courtyard, so an L-shaped seat was the best solution for fitting in a dining table.
    Designed by Angelucci Architects, the space incorporates a green leather banquette and a dining table featuring a marble surface and a base wrapped in ceramic tiles.
    Find out more about Nido House ›

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      in Rooms

      Eight open-plan interiors where dining tables take centre stage

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      A brutalist apartment in Belgium and a coastal house in Australia feature in this lookbook, which collects open-plan interiors where dining tables are the focal point.

      With dining rooms often forming part of larger, multipurpose living areas in our homes, tables are an easy way to create a focal point that subtly breaks up space.
      As demonstrated by this lookbook, dining tables also present an opportunity for homeowners to bring personal style into a room while carving out an intimate setting to entertain guests.
      This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks that feature interiors with reclaimed materials, art deco influences and sunny yellow finishes.
      Photo by Jose HeviaLandaburu Borda, Spain, by Jordi Hidalgo Tané

      A dining table takes centre stage in this house extension, which architecture studio Jordi Hidalgo Tané added to Landaburu Borda in rural Navarra.
      Supported by chunky metal legs, the table is formed of two giant pieces of wood and paired with bright red chairs that help it pop against a backdrop of concrete walls.
      Find out more about Landaburu Borda ›
      Photo by Olmo PeetersRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
      Studio Okami Architecten used the dining table as an opportunity to inject colour into this concrete apartment, which is located in a brutalist tower in Antwerp.
      The bright aquamarine tabletop was married with slender red-metal legs, which draw the eye to the dining area with the help of a black ceramic chandelier plunging overhead.
      Find out more about the Riverside Tower apartment ›
      Photo by Timothy KayeBarwon Heads House, Australia, by Adam Kane Architects
      Slabs of travertine form this monolithic table, located in the large living and dining room at a coastal home in Barwon Heads.
      It brings a lavish aesthetic to the otherwise understated room, which features black wooden chairs, sheer curtains and a pared-back colour palette.
      At one end is a sink, allowing the table to also be used as an island for food preperation.
      Find out more about Barwon Heads House ›
      Photo by Megan TaylorSunderland Road house, UK, by 2LG Studio
      Pink was used throughout this renovated Edwardian house in London by 2LG Studio, including in the playful dining room set.
      Set against white walls and a baby-blue vitrine, the statement table has a top made from waste wood chips and resin and matching sculptural pink chairs.
      Find out more about the Sunderland Road house ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherThree Chimney House, USA, by T W Ryan Architecture
      A mottled-brass chandelier was suspended over this big eight-seater table, which sits at the heart of Three Chimney House in Virginia.
      Its minimalist yet striking wooden form stands boldly against white walls, a pale-brick chimney and delicate spindle-back chairs.
      Find out more about Three Chimney House ›
      Photo by Read McKendreeSag Harbor 2, USA, by Kevin O’Sullivan + Associates
      Smooth edges and a curved cut-out give a sculptural look to the wooden legs beneath this chunky dining table.
      Teamed with vintage Fresco dining chairs by G Plan, it brings a mid-century-style focal point to the contemporary interior of Sag Harbor 2.
      Find out more about Sag Harbor 2 ›
      Photo by Jose CamposNieby Crofters Cottage, Germany, by Jan Henrik Jansen and Marshall Blecher
      Architects Jan Henrik Jansen and Marshall Blecher designed this dining table as an extension of the island in the kitchen at Nieby Crofters Cottage.
      Illuminated by low-hanging pendant lights, the table was surrounded by eight of Hans Wegner’s Wishbone chairs and creates an opportunity for the owner to entertain guests while preparing food.
      Find out more about Nieby Crofters Cottage ›
      Photo by Michael SinclairTelevision Centre apartment, UK, by Waldo Works
      Flanked by a black fireplace and kitchen cabinetry, this dining table stands out because of its glossy pine-green top.
      Waldo Works contrasted it with saffron-coloured chairs a mustard-yellow rug, which helps establish it as the focal point and social heart of the open-plan room.
      Find out more about the Television Centre apartment ›
      This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks that feature interiors with reclaimed materials, art deco influences and sunny yellow finishes.

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      in Rooms

      Eight welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve selected eight dining rooms from the Dezeen archive where wooden panelling was used to create cosy, earthy environments with an organic feel.

      From South America to Europe, these wood-panelled dining rooms serve as focal points in the interiors and create social spaces for residents and guests.
      Whether they’re made from timber, pine or plywood, the wooden finishes on these statement walls and ceilings have been used to create welcoming environments with peaceful atmospheres.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with focal point wardrobes, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.
      Photography is by Fran Parente and image production is by Victor CorreaER Apartment, Brazil, Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos

      This apartment in São Paulo has an exposed concrete ceiling and uses natural materials, such as walnut, bronze, onyx and stone in its furnishings and finishes.
      Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos used vertical timber cladding, local art and furniture by Brazilian architects and designers Oscar Niemeyer and Claudia Moreira Salles in the dining room to make the space “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan”.
      Find out more about ER Apartment ›
      Photography is by Eric PetschekCarroll Gardens Townhouse, US, Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design
      Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design combined two units in a Brooklyn townhouse to create this family home. The townhouse features Belgian white oak on the flooring and along the corridor, stairs, mudroom, kitchen and dining area.
      The New York-based studios used neutral tones to decorate the five-story house. In the dining room, wooden cabinets and decorative lamellas match the floor and ceiling.
      Find out more about Carroll Gardens Townhouse ›
      Photography is by Tim CrokerDragon Flat, UK, Tsuruta Architects
      Artificial intelligence (AI) was used to design the patterns engraved on plywood panels that decorate the dining room of the Dragon Flat in London’s Notting Hill. Tsuruta Architects used a CNC router – a computer-controlled cutting machine – to engrave a pattern of the River Thames on the wall.
      The architecture studio also updated the two-level maisonette to include a walk-in wardrobe and tatami room, which features an engraved design on its panelled walls.
      Find out more about Dragon Flat ›
      Photography is by David GrandorgeHomerton College, UK, Feilden Fowles
      Homerton College at the University of Cambridge includes a dining hall by London architecture studio Feilden Fowles made from concrete, timber and 3,200 faience tiles.
      The building, which was constructed with chestnut-laminated timber frames and clerestory windows, features a larger eating space, a smaller eating room, the kitchen and staff amenities.
      It was designed to celebrate handcrafting techniques and contemporary construction and engineering.
      Find out more about Homerton College ›
      Photography is by Roland HalbeHouse in El Peumo, Chile, Cristián Izquierdo Lehmann
      This house, designed by Cristián Izquierdo Lehmann, centres around an open-plan kitchen and dining room with a vaulted ceiling that is used for cooking, dining and socialising.
      A minimalist decor compliments the dramatic ceiling, with red stools used for dining and a bookcase lining the wall.
      Located in El Peumo, Chile, the house was clad with laminated pine and features concrete floors and large windows for the owners to enjoy the green exterior.
      Find out more about House in El Peumo ›

      Another Seedbed, US, Future Projects
      The Another Seedbed loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, serves as both a home and performance space for its owner. To function as both, the space is predominately open, with hidden rooms located around the apartment.
      Warm pine walls mark the dining space, which features a complementary red angular table and wooden sculptural chairs.
      Other walls in the loft are covered in hand-troweled earthen clay plaster, blue penny-round tiles and floor-to-ceiling shelving.
      Find out more about Another Seedbed ›
      Photography is by Art GrayStone Creek Camp, US, Andersson-Wise Architects
      US-based Andersson-Wise Architects designed the Stone Creek Camp in Big Fork, Montana, as a family retreat of cabins and cottages.
      While it is wood-clad, the kitchen and dining area does not feature traditional panelled walls. Instead, one wall is made from wooden logs that have been assembled to create an unusual wall with a highly textured surface.
      The ceiling was clad in wooden panels that match the floorboards in the home.
      Find out more about Stone Creek Camp ›
      Photography is by Marc GoodwinGeilo Valley Cabin, Norway, Lund Hagem
      Panelled with blackened timber, this Norwegian ski cabin shelters residents from harsh weather conditions and offers panoramic views of the Geilo Valley. The cabin’s exterior concrete walls have also been tinted black to reflect the interior panels.
      The walls and ceiling of the dining room use the same timber cladding, matching the kitchen island to create a cosy, coherent atmosphere.
      “The dark tone allows the nature outside to come closer and creates a darkness that contrasts with the white winter landscape,” said the project’s architects Lund Hagem.
      Find out more about Geilo Valley Cabin ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with focal point wardrobes, statement headboards and homes with pergolas.

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      in Style Tips

      Summer Dining Room Mood Board (Shades of Green, White, and Blue!)

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      This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

      Get inspired for your home with this summer dining room mood board in shades of green, white and blue! 
      Mondays aren’t always the most inspiring day of the week and not a day we look forward to after a fun weekend, but I hope to change that with our Monday Mood Boards! I hope these mood boards can be an inspiration to you and your home.

      Takeaway Tips to Bring this Look to Your Own Home:
      How would you describe the mood of this room? To me it feels so homey and cheerful. Can’t you just picture being in this room on a lovely day with the sunshine streaming in and music softly playing in the background? Imagine sitting down at the table with a friend to have a yummy lunch! I love it.
      To create a cozy look like this, layer it with a variety of textures. Here we included the versatile jute rug, chunky rattan chairs, pleated lampshade, distressing on the green cabinet, wood table top, seagrass lining the tops of the white wood lidded boxes, and more. Texture is a key decorating element every room needs, but how you choose to layer them together will alter the feel of the room.
      The design pieces in this room are all classics, so they will stand the test of time. It’s a room you could have fun decorating every season without changing any of the furniture! The pop of deep olive green on the cabinet provides a striking color contrast that would be beautiful all year around. Any time you add green to a room it comes to life!
      The brass lantern pendant adds warmth (as opposed to using a cool metal such as chrome, for example). I love the candlelight bulbs, adding a dimmer would make the mood of this room extra inviting at dinnertime!
      The adorable gingham pleated lampshade on the accent lamp will add light to any dark dreary corner in the evenings.
      The heron artwork speaks to my coastal loving heart, but the art could be easily swapped out to suit any design style!
      Subtle striped curtains add a bit of pattern and interest without overpowering the room. I love this simple look for summer, but you could even have fun swapping out the curtain panels in winter for a different look (like a more moody color, a bolder pattern, even a cozy velvet…endless possibilities!).
      This would also be such a fun room to set up different tablescapes! I love this spring/summer look with these solid green plates layered with a hydrangea salad plate (comes as a set with other flower designs). I recently shared a fun spring tablescape we set up in this post!
      A simple vase of blue hydrangeas is the perfect nod to summer (the flowers in the mood board are faux so you can enjoy them longer as well as use them year after year! See photos of them in my home here).
      Mood board source links are below. You can use these mood boards to recreate the whole look or choose a favorite element and add to your own sense of style. Save this to your Pinterest boards for future inspiration!

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      Rattan Dining Arm Chair
      Striped Linen/Cotton Curtains (color options)
      Green 2 Door Accent Cabinet
      4 Light Lantern Chandelier
      Faux Blue Hydrangeas (I have these in a few colors, see more photos of mine in this post)
      Pedestal Dining Table with Wood Top
      Green Plates
      Botanic Garden Plates (set of 6 with different flowers)
      Table Lamp with Gingham Pleated Shade
      Jute Rug (almost 20,000 great reviews!)
      Blue Heron Painting
      White Wood Lidded Boxes with Seagrass Tops (I have these!)
      Do you enjoy mood boards? You can find more HERE, and you can also follow our @theinspiredroomstyle Instagram for more mood boards and decor finds.
      Related:
      Cozy and Inviting Dining Room – Get the Look
      Dining Room Mood Boards with Simple Swaps
      Browse all dining room inspiration in our Dining Room gallery here
      My dining room inspiration board on Pinterest More

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      in Rooms

      Ten dining areas brightened by statement suspended lighting

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      A brutalist apartment in Antwerp and a house in rural Virginia feature in our next lookbook, which showcases 10 dining spaces that use sculptural hanging lights as their centrepiece.

      Hanging, dropped or suspended ceiling lighting is an easy and popular way to create a focal point and ambience in any room.
      These lights are commonly found in two styles: pendants, which hang from a single cord with just one or two bulbs, and chandeliers, which are comprised of multiple lamps and branches.
      The contemporary examples listed below demonstrate how pendants and chandeliers can add flourish to a dining area and create an intimate atmosphere around a dinner table.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with French doors, bedrooms with balconies and bathrooms with statement tiles.

      Photo is by Olmo PeetersRiverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten
      A black ceramic light plunges down through the double-height dining room of this apartment, which Studio Okami Architecten overhauled for its founder in the brutalist Riverside Tower in Antwerp.
      The light’s sculptural form, designed by Polish creative Pani Jurek, helps soften the home’s exposed concrete shell in tandem with various artworks dotted throughout.
      Find out more about Riverside Tower apartment ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherThree Chimney House, USA, by T W Ryan Architecture
      The focal point in the dining area of the Three Chimney House in rural Virginia is an ornamental Drop System Chandelier designed by Lindsey Adelman.
      It has a mottled brass finish and spherical bulbs that pop out against the wooden furniture below and a white-brick chimney that forms a backdrop to the room.
      Find out more about Three Chimney House ›
      Photo is by Fernando Guerra and ExtrastudioRed House, Portugal, by Extrastudio
      A delicate paper-like shade characterises this pendant light, which hangs from the ceiling in a pared-back house Extrastudio created in an old Portuguese winery.
      Its minimalist design complements the airy feel of the home’s interior that is achieved with white-painted walls, large windows and a series of skylights.
      Find out more about Red House ›
      Photo is by Charlie SchuckThe Cedars, USA, by Michael Yarinsky
      The adjustable Shape Up light, designed by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, anchors the dining area in The Cedars, a house on Long Island by Brooklyn designer Michael Yarinsky.
      Resembling a piece of art, the ornate fixture comprises three different-shaped pendants made from mouth-blown glass and metal that hang from cords threaded through pulleys.
      Find out more about The Cedars ›
      Photo is by Ståle EriksenAC Residence, UK, by DeDraft
      Three tubular brass branches capped by spherical white bulbs define the Slingshot Chandelier, which architecture studio DeDraft used as a centrepiece in the opulent AC Residence in London.
      The light, which is designed by Doozie Light Studio, is teamed with white walls, wooden chairs and a marbled Tulip Table designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll.
      Find out more about AC Residence ›
      Photo is by Riley SnellingWalker House, Canada, by Reflect Architecture
      Pearlescent glass lamps resembling unravelling ribbons form this chandelier, which Reflect Architecture used in the open-plan kitchen and dining area of a house in Toronto.
      The light forms part of Canadian design company Bocci’s 87 series and is crafted from hot glass that is pulled, stretched and folded like taffy.
      Find out more about Walker House ›
      Photo is by Matthew MillmanRiverbend, USA, by CLB Architects
      This molecular chandelier draws the eye to the dining table of the Riverbend residence, which CLB Architects created near Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
      Its metal branches are capped with circular glass shades in earthy tones that echo the wooden finishes of the furniture below and the ceiling overhead.
      Find out more about Riverbend ›
      Photo is by Adolf BereuterHaus im Obstgarten, Austria, by Firm Architekten
      Haus im Obstgarten features an open-plan kitchen and dining room with simple finishes that draw attention to an ornamental suspended pendant at its centre.
      The sculpture-like light, designed by Michael Anastassiades for Italian brand Flos, features three geometric forms that are made from black powder-coated aluminium parts which can be rearranged in various configurations.
      Find out more about Haus im Obstgarten ›
      Photo is by Doublespace PhotographyBaby Point Residence, Canada, by Batay-Csorba Architects
      This draped chandelier is found in the white-walled dining room of a Batay-Csorba Architects-designed house in Toronto.
      Named Vitis, the light is designed by US lighting brand RBW and features nylon-wrapped fabric that swoops from the ceiling and supports hand-blown frosted glass lamps.
      Find out more about Baby Point Residence ›
      Photo is by Rory GardinerCasa Mérida, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
      These inky black pendant lights hang low over the dining table at Casa Mérida, matching the upholstery of the mid-century-style chairs beneath.
      Their bold yet minimalist design is a fitting accompaniment to the brutalist form of the Mexican house, which sees exposed concrete used across all of its main volumes.
      Find out more about Casa Mérida ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with French doors, bedrooms with balconies and bathrooms with statement tiles.

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      in Decorating

      How to Make Simple Slipcovers for Dining Room Chairs

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      How to make simple slipcovers for dining room chairs using inexpensive neutral fabric with an easy to follow step-by-step photo tutorial. Way back in 1994 I made simple slipcovers for a friend’s dining room chairs.  (They are in the upper right in the photo below.) They became a project in my book Instant Decorating.  Since […] More