#1SquareMeterIdeas: 4 Tips to Make Your Dining Experience More Sumptuous
When people go out for dinner in a fancy place, they appreciate the ambience of the place; how the mood is set. Next comes the table and how all of it is set. It just makes the food seem a lot more delicious. Conversely, we rarely pay attention to our own dining rooms; leaving the place for granted as a place to just sit and eat.
Which is why we were compelled to pay more attention to our dining room and make it functional yet minimalist, stylish yet subdued. We will leave you with tips to make your small dining room a place to wine and dine, somewhere your food will seem more delicious. Ready? Here we go.
Step 1: Setting the Tone
We have established that lighting is a very important aspect in every room. It sets the tone. The amount of light emanated from its source dictates the mood. Let us start with something basic. A low-hanging pendant lamp is great for the dining area. The amount of illumination depends on how high or low the light is hanging.
The IKEA RANARP is a very basic pendant lamp. It is painted black to make it blend with whatever hue you decided to paint your dining area. Black is the easiest option because it is so ubiquitous. The more adventurous choice would be this oriental-looking BOJA pendant lamp. This piece is made of rattan fibers only found in Southeast Asia. And because each fiber is natural, every BOJA has a shade you will not find in others; like a fingerprint or a zebra’s stripes. Unique, yes?
IKEA RANARP pendant lamp, $69.90
IKEA BOJA pendant lamp, $149
But if you are looking for unique, you cannot go wrong with this IKEA PS 2014 pendant lamp. You can choose the intensity of the light. And looking at it will make you wonder about the intricacy and craftsmanship that went into designing it. But if you would rather have a pendant lamp in its most basic form, the FOTO won’t let you down.
Step 2: Putting all your cards on The Table
After taking care of the lights, we now set our sights to the perfect dining table. Since we urban dwellers thrive in quite small places, an efficient table is essential. The IKEA LERHAMN set is an attractive but functional set. It has a classic stained top, and similarly colored vittaryd beige chairs. Some people say that contrasting elements and colors make for good taste. With the VANGSTA / TEODORES, that statement seems to be correct. A clean white table goes well with spicy orange chairs.
IKEA NORRAKER bench, $199
Another take on subtle contrasts is the IKEA NORDEN table. It looks antique from every angle. And yet, when the situation - and the number of guests - called for it, it can be extended easily. That touch of modernity in a package so retro is really hard to beat. When the space is sparse these EKEDALEN and NORRAKER benches make more sense than individual chairs. The benches can also be a substitute table for tea and biscuits.
Step 3: In the Mood for Food
On this part of the topic, we now tackle the actual dining. Before setting plates and utensils on the table, it would be wise to put place mats. IKEA’s SLUTEN palm placemats are nice to the touch. They are also made from a natural material: palm. More natural goodness: the BLANDA MATT is a serving bowl made out of bamboo.
Now to increase your dining enjoyment, having the SNUDDA lazy susan means you can serve a couple of dishes put them on it. You can just turn the lazy susan around and get whatever dish that gets your fancy. For the ultimate wine and dine experience, it requires some wine. The KitchenShop winerack is relatively lightweight and minimal enough to put on the counter close to the dining table. Merlot, anyone?
Step 4: More Storage
When space is limited, we all know it is best to have a small, moving, and modular storage. What better way to exploit this idea than with the IKEA RASKOG trolley? It has three layers of storage; the mid-level one can be adjusted to suit the contents’ size. And it has castors so taking it anywhere should be a breeze. The RASKOG is one versatile piece in that you can use it everywhere, dining rooms and kitchens, especially.
Meanwhile, the STENSTORP trolley can serve as an extension of the dining table. It can have the plates and utensils at the ready when you need them and need not go to the kitchen.
IKEA RASKOG trolley, $85
IKEA STENSTORP trolley, $379
There you go, our four tips to make more dining enjoyable at home. When you are done with your own dining room design, you will surely go, “Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!” everytime you set foot in it.
