8 Small Dining Room Ideas
For takeout night, Friendsgiving, and everything in between.
Whether your dining room is a makeshift home office, a space to invite friends over for homemade bolognese, or the spot where you spend five quick minutes drinking coffee in the morning, dining rooms serve many purposes. If you live in an apartment or condo, chances are your dining area merges into the kitchen or living room as well. Looking for small dining room ideas or dining room inspiration? We've got you. Check out our favorite ideas below for maximizing a small dining room.
1. Begin with the Basics
For small kitchen table ideas, choose a dining table in an aesthetic that you love that will fit into your small space. We recommend furniture with slender silhouettes and narrow, open frames to make your small dining room space feel larger and less cluttered. Most small-sized dining tables can seat up to four people. Round and oval tables are great in high-traffic spaces because they give you more space to walk around. It can be tricky to fit extra seating around a table without corners, though, so opt for a square or rectangular table if you want to add extra seating in a snap. If you host a lot of dinners, consider an extendable dining table. This type of table features a leaf or two, letting you turn a four-person table into a six-person table.
Pro Tip:
If you're super limited on space, consider a dining bench for seating instead of chairs. You can tuck them under the table whenever they aren't in use, creating extra floor space.
Place a buffet or sideboard along an empty wall to really maximize the dining room's vertical space. You can tuck away extra table linens and that sushi-making kit you've only used once. Clear off the top of your sideboard and use it to serve guests buffet-style, that way you can save space on the table for eating, elbows, and a gorgeous seasonal centerpiece.
You can also set a table lamp on the sideboard or hang a pendant light above it. This will create a nice glow if your sideboard is in a corner and will help elevate your dining experience. If your dining room is also in your living room, a pendant light can create an established "zone" above your sideboard, marking it as its own little area.
Pro Tip:
Don't have the space for a sideboard? Try out a bar cart instead. They're amazing for stocking up on the essentials. When you host girl's night in, pour wine from the bar cart then scoot it out of the room to create more space.
If a credenza and a bar cart are both sadly out of the question, don't fret. Opt for floating shelves instead. Wall-mounted shelves won't take up any walking area, making them a great space-saving option for displaying serveware, glassware, and cookbooks. Not to mention floating shelves help elevate small dining room designs.
A mid-century modern Sputnik chandelier or a dramatic, glam globe pendant are just the thing for defining your small dining area. Hang the chandelier or pendant light over a round table to act as the room's primary lighting. Then mount a pair of wall sconces over the sideboard to brighten up dark corners and nooks. The abundance of light will make a small dining room feel wider. Beware of anything that's overly moody like a shaded chandelier light fixture or a spotlight sconce, as it can cast too many shadows and make your dining area feel smaller.
Pro Tip:
Love natural lighting but also need your privacy when dining? We've got you. Opt for lightweight curtains in linen or cotton so you can create a private space while still letting in as much natural light as possible. Hang the curtains from the ceiling right down to the floor instead of letting them float a few inches off the floor – it will make the room appear bigger.
One of our best tips for nailing small dining room ideas and coming up with dining room inspiration is to work a rug into your space. If your dining area and living room are one joint area, position the table and chairs on a rug to define the space. Choose a rug that is big enough for all the chair legs to fit on it, even when pushed back. Shy away from any super-sized rugs, because they can actually make the room feel smaller and more cramped. We recommend choosing a low-pile or flatweave rug, because they're easiest to clean. These types of rugs are usually made from natural fibers like cotton or wool.
Pro Tip:
Outdoor rugs can be used in the dining room, too, and they're so easy to wipe clean.
Hang a mirror in your dining room to reflect sunlight and bounce the rays around the room. A mirror will display the opposite side of the room, making it appear larger. You can also opt for glossy or metallic furniture (think: the bar cart or round table) to reflect even more light and enhance your small dining room designs. Go with white walls to open up the space even more.
A little decor goes a long way when it comes to small dining room ideas. Hang one statement piece of art or create a gallery with a few photos. We love setting out a pretty vase with dried flowers to jazz up the dining table. Keep the decor minimal and uncluttered to make the small space feel bigger and more airy. Stick to a clean, simple color palette and work in a dark color or two via the wall art or a decorative object to create an illusion of depth.
Pro Tip:
Want to make a bold statement? One of our favorite small dining room ideas is applying peel-and-stick wallpaper. Choose a pattern you adore and set aside an afternoon for this project. This upgrade will instantly make your dining room feel bigger.
For an itty-bitty dining room, opt for small space furniture like a pub table and bar stools. Pub tables are tall and slender, meaning they'll take up more vertical space than floor space. When it comes to small kitchen table ideas, a little breakfast nook by a window is ideal for enjoying a morning latte or plopping down to call your mom back.
Ready to bring one of these small dining room ideas back to your place?
