The dining area in your home is a great space to entertain friends and family or just have a cozy and intimate dinner for two. Anna Nowak of Anna Nowak Interiors and Lionspaw & Co. Staging tells us that good lighting is key. As a longtime design consultant, she gave us her recommendations for creating a dining space that is as welcoming as it is luxurious.
"Start by creating an inviting feel with luxurious table clothes, placemats, runners, napkins, votives, gourds, pumpkins, autumn leaves, berries and grapevine garlands," she suggests. "Mix the accents and accessories as your centerpiece to run the length of the table for the decor to flow like a fall harvest. Work with some bold colors for a bit of pop at the table and throughout the room. Flowering cabbage and fall flowers are also lovely mixed in among the tablescape."
She emphasizes that side seating, conversation areas and serving tables are important in eliminating a cramped feel in the dining area, noting that "trend is in and out overnight—but classic, elegant and eclectic will stand the test of time."
As a design consultant, Nowak's passion for helping home owners, realtors, stagers, event planners, and "anyone who appreciates a great eye for visual aesthetics" is shown beautifully through her work.
When staging for events or simply providing tips for couples and families at home, Nowak prefers her tablescapes to tell a story. "Creating a festive table allows me to bring in many different elements of layering textiles, florals, votives, vintage glass, bisque flatware and serving pieces in varied sizes along with ornamental objects that can create a story," she notes.
She explains the importance of "making ample room to elevate the dining space" by adding areas with soft lights and candles, bud vases with sweet, floral accents and a few extra seats for a conversation area. "People are drawn to soft lighting and colorful, well-placed table settings." Nowak states. "Soft background music also creates that special touch."
When setting a beautiful table and prepping a room for a function, Nowak explains there needs to be key elements to make it feel luxurious and fun. First, the tablecloth and linens. "How we layer the look with the right colors, choice of dishes, glasses, flatware & stemware really matter," she notes. For the centerpiece, you want to make sure you're bringing in interesting pieces and varied heights that will add to a more "unusual" table design.
"Break up your dish sets and remember that not everything needs to match in order for it to look super," Nowak says. "Everything around the centerpiece can be moved and placed to create a vignette or story that flows with the rest of the decor."
She encourages not to "over set" a table that is "too tightly set," emphasizing that you need to leave room for elbow space. "While many occasions and gatherings tend to have a more relaxed vibe with table settings that are simple and clean, I still suggest fun, colorful linens to create a happy feeling."
Her final style recommendation is to "bring in a few lovely paintings and artwork of your choice to enhance the look and feeling in the room. And most importantly, have fun when entertaining."
"While many occasions and gatherings tend to have a more relaxed vibe with table settings that are simple and clean, I still suggest fun, colorful linens to create a happy feeling."