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Ideas & Advice > Dining Room Ideas > Alternative Dining Room Ideas

Ideas & Advice

Alternative Dining Room Ideas

Dining spaces are a key part of any home. Whether you have a designated dining room or a table in a living room or kitchen, it's important to consider how your table is placed and styled. If you're looking for unconventional, alternative dining room ideas, you're in luck--we've created a list of our best alternative dining spaces and provided tips and tricks for designing your own dining room.

Queen Size Runner Rug

Open-ish Concept

Modern open concept homes present a lot of unique opportunities and challenges when it comes to design. If you find yourself struggling with an open concept dining room, consider separating the area with a well placed bookcase or another wall. Not only will that set your dining room apart, but it'll also allow you to convey your style in unique ways.

Simple Connections

Perhaps your home doesn't have a separate space for a dining table. In these cases, it's wise to have some style similarities between the dining furniture and any other furniture sharing the space. Here, the chairs and sofa both have the same caning, modern detailing, and fall into the same style. Allow this room to serve as inspiration of how a dining area can seamlessly tie back to an adjacent space.

Round rug for queen size bed
Queen Size Runner Rug

Separation

Even if your dining table does share a space with a kitchen or living room, you may elect to have each area stand separately from one another with different colors, styles, and finishes. Here, the dining furniture is cleanly mid century modern while the kitchen leans in a more modern direction. What ties the two together is the use of wood, generally clean lines, and plantlife. You may similarly design two areas to bounce off one another without matching perfectly.

Tasteful Traditions

Oriental and Persian area rugs are classics that work in just about any space. A round oriental rug like the one shown here can elevate your dining room's aesthetic and ground a small, round table and chairs.

Round rug for queen size bed

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Queen Size Runner Rug

Consider The View

When you host guests at your home, it's important to consider where they'll sit and what their eyes will rest on. Here, this small dining table is very intentionally placed by the glass windows and set to face the gorgeous view outside. Consider your home and what focal points you can accentuate with the chairs' placements.

Intimate Dining

Not every home has the room (or need) for a large dining table. There's nothing wrong with just setting up a small table for two, where you and a friend/partner can enjoy an intimate meal together.

Round rug for queen size bed
Queen Size Runner Rug

Kitchen Dining

There are many reasons why people include a table in the kitchen. Small apartments may not have space for a separate dining room, or the kitchen may simply be large enough to accomodate a breakfast nook. No matter the case, adding a small dining set to your kitchen may be as practical as it is beautiful.

Beautiful Benches

If you want flexible seating at your dining table, consider an alternative form of seating like a dining bench. Benches can fit multiple people, encourage comfort, and fit in with your room's overarching style.

Round rug for queen size bed
Queen Size Runner Rug

Salvaged Pieces

Salvaged and reclaimed furniture is becoming popular in today's interior design landscape. These pieces have an air of authenticity to them with their worn look and unpolished finishes. A reclaimed dining table can make your entire dining room feel more homey, comfortable, and welcoming for you and your guests.

Oversized Style

Whether you have a large dining room or a small dining room, you can use oversized furniture to make the room feel more grand. Of course, when you do so, it's still important to make sure that you have room for everyone to comfortably sit and walk around. This room has plenty of space even with the grand table, oversized plant in the corner, and buffet, but you may need to make adjustments to fit your room's floor plan.

Round rug for queen size bed
Queen Size Runner Rug

Soft Impressions

In general, soft rounded edges convey a more gentle tone and aesthetic. Your alternative dining room can use rounded shapes and edges to convey the proper tone, connect to the room's architecture, and tie back to neighboring spaces just like this example does.

Form and Function

Although this dining table has plenty of room for more chairs, this homeowner has elected to just have four chairs at the table. This room is a great reminder that just because you have the space for more chairs or whatever doesn't mean you have to fill it. Decorate and furnish your room according to your family's needs, not expected conventions.

Round rug for queen size bed

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Tucked Away

Everyone lives different lives, and their homes reflect that. Here, the living room dominates the majority of the room while the dining table is tucked away by a wall and near the corner. Ultimately, you must assess your own space and decide how to lay it out to suit your lifestyle.

Dare To Go Dark

Many modern dining rooms feature light and bright color schemes. However, if you dare to go dark with black seats and a navy blue rug, you can create a dramatic impression and a unique style statement.

Breaking Tradition

Typically, round area rugs are used with round tables and rectangular rugs with rectangular tables. However, if you're looking to break away from normal conventions, you can switch things up with a square/rectangular rug and a round table. As this room shows, you can still create beautiful visual balance even when going for an alternative dining room design.


Alternative dining rooms can stand out with their unique styles, placement, and functionality. Now that you've seen our best alternative dining room ideas and guidelines, you can take whatever space you have and tailor it to suit your needs and your unique aesthetic.

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