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From Casual to Formal: Dining Furniture for Any Occasion | Cielo
Published: 05/31/2024
- Categories: Dining -
Gone are the days of stuffy, utilitarian, cookie-cutter dining rooms. Today’s nosh hubs can be anything we want them to be—from a casual spot to enjoy morning coffee and bagels, to a fully decked dining experience to rival the royal palace.
Of course, you need your dining furniture to come to the party. And that means getting the ‘dress code’ right, which (as we all know from personal experience) can sometimes prove a tad tricky.
But don’t get your knickers in a knot—we’ve got it all cleared up for you. Whether you want to dress your dining space for casual family dining, a more formal affair, or go with versatile dining pieces for everyday and special events, we’ve got your need-to-know memo right here on dining furniture for any occasion.
Read on to brush up on how to use the right furniture and other key elements to serve up an ideal dining space that will always be dressed to impress.
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Casual dining: making everyday meals special
For many modern households, especially where open-plan, multi-purpose spaces have become the norm, with our dining spaces serving as a hub for daily family life. This lends itself to more casual dining setups which create a comfy and welcoming space for school-day dinners, homework sessions, and other low-key gatherings.
If you’re wondering ‘how can I make my dining room more inviting?’ here are some casual dining room design tips to create a space that’s more welcoming, comfortable and functional:
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Casual dining room furniture ideas:
Adding a greater feeling of space to any room will help it feel more luxurious. Here are a few tips for organising your bedroom to make it seem more spacious:
- Select sturdy, high quality rattan, plastic or upholstered dining chairs for relaxed yet supportive seating.
- Choose a durable, family-friendly 4-6 seater table depending on your needs and the size of your dining space. Square and round tables lend themselves to more relaxed, conversational spaces, but modest-sized rectangular tables also work fine. Go for hardwoods or other materials that can withstand daily use and won’t be too prone to scratches or knocks.
- Instead of a perfectly matched dining set, try mixing and matching chairs, or pairing a bench with chairs. This eclectic approach lends a laid-back vibe. When mixing and matching, choose at least one unifying element, like a common material or accent colour, to ensure you still achieve a cohesive look.
- Open shelving or a casual server keeps dining essentials handy. Display everyday dishes or pantry staples for a homey feel.
- Incorporate natural materials like wood, rattan, and jute for a relaxing, organic look.
- Opt for a warm, neutral colour scheme for a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
- Aim to position the table near to natural light sources for daytime light.
- Add fresh flowers, potted plants, and artwork or family photos to beautify and personalise the space.
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Top recommendations for casual dining chairs:
Featured Product: Dining Chairs
Formal dining: elevating the dining experience
If you regularly use your dining space for entertaining, you might want to create a more formal dining setup to impress your guests and family on special occasions. From anniversary dinners to holiday meals, the right furnishings can turn your dining area into a sophisticated setting.
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Formal dining room furniture ideas:
- Define the space - unlike the open floor concept of casual dining, formal dining rooms are typically separate, dedicated spaces that are set apart from the rest of the home. You can achieve this in an open plan space by using room dividers (sofa backs, book cases and other large furniture items can also serve the purpose).
- Choose a coordinated and symmetrical dining set with matching chairs to set a formal tone.
- Choose a matching server, credenza or china cabinet to store and display your best dinnerware.
- Select velvet, leather or microfibre suede upholstered dining chairs for luxurious lounging
- Pair your chairs with an 8-12 seater rectangular or oval table in a darker wood like mahogany or chestnut, or one that features a sleek, polished surface like marble or glass.
- Create an opulent feel with a rich colour palette in deep hues and jewel tones like navy, ruby and emerald green.
- Set up a refined bookshelf display or add ornate mirrors to complement the elegant aesthetic.
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Top recommendations for elegant dining chairs:
Featured Product: Dining Chairs
Creating a multipurpose dining space with versatile dining furniture
While it’s great to have a dedicated formal or casual dining space—maybe you’ve even got room for both—for a lot of homeowners, it’s more practical to have a flexible multipurpose dining space.
So how do you choose dining furniture that can dish up what you and your guests require on any given day?
For most of us, designing a versatile dining area means choosing multi-functional dining pieces that are comfortable, practical and informal enough for daily family use, but which can be converted or dressed up for more formal occasions.
Here are some of our favourite versatile dining room ideas.
Choosing the best multi-functional dining furniture pieces:
Choose mid-back or bucket-style chairs that blend plenty of comfort with easy elegance. Upholstered chairs will naturally offer comfort, while the texture and colour of the fabric can be selected to add a touch of sophistication.
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- Invest in a robust multifunctional server that can serve as storage as well as a place to display more formal dinnerware and décor when entertaining guests.
- Use a more neutral colour scheme to keep the area light and casual for daily dining – you can build a more formal look by adding temporary colour and décor accents for special occasions.
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Blending modern and traditional styles for a versatile dining space
If you’re not sure about the particular dining room style you want to go for, blending modern and traditional styles can be a good way to go if you want to create a versatile dining space with a touch of eclectic charm.
The key strategy here is to pair your dining table with contrasting chairs. You might choose a sleek modern dining table and pair it with more traditional style wood chairs. Or you could pick an elegant wood dining table and pair it up with modern metal or acrylic chairs for an interesting juxtaposition.
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Include a versatile server to help bridge the gap between contemporary and classic styles.
With creative pairings, you can create visual interest and have a unique space that caters to all sorts of occasions.
The key is to keep some cohesive harmony. The best way to do this is by choosing a neutral colour palette and incorporating complementary materials like wood, leather and metal across your different pieces.
Scale and proportion are also important. You’ll want to make sure all your chairs have a similar visual weight and that the chairbacks are all more or less the same height—which should be at least a few inches higher than the table.
With mindful mixing and matching, your dining space will exude personality while remaining versatile.
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Affordable dining furniture for any occasion
With the range of stylish and affordable dining furniture available these days, you don’t have to choose between an everyday dining outfit or a sophisticated dining suite to impress the queen—you can have both. By investing in versatile dining furniture, and with just a little extra planning, you can customise your dining room for any occasion, any day of the week.
So how are you envisioning your dining room ‘dress code’? Casual kindred gatherings, upscale celebrations, or a flexible space perfect for any occasion?
Whatever your dining needs, Cielo offers a delectable buffet of stylish dining furniture to cater to all lifestyles, tastes and occasions. Browse our extensive selection of versatile dining chairs and tables online now.