Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 5 Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors That Will Never Go Out of Style, According to Interior Designers

      5 Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors That Will Never Go Out of Style, According to Interior Designers

      Choose a shade that works with a range of backsplash and countertop materials. Read More
    • Let Go of These 8 Household Items as We Start the New Year

      Let Go of These 8 Household Items as We Start the New Year

      Reclaim your space by parting with things in your home you no longer use or have been damaged over time. Read More
    • 93 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes to Make Any Night of the Week

      93 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes to Make Any Night of the Week

      From chili and chicken cutlets to spaghetti and meatballs and sheet-pan salmon, consider this your ultimate guide to making a fast weeknight dinner. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    93 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes to Make Any Night of the Week

    93 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes to Make Any Night of the Week

    From chili and chicken cutlets to spaghetti and meatballs and sheet-pan salmon, consider this your ultimate guide to making a fast weeknight dinner.
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    40 Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes That You'll Fall in Love With

    40 Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes That You'll Fall in Love With

    The sweetest way to say "I love you" is with one of these heartfelt, homemade Valentine's Day desserts. Whether you're looking for a treat for your partner, your Galentine's crew, or the co-workers who adore your home baking, you'll find plenty of inspiration in this collection, filled with heart-shaped cakes, cupcakes, and cookies—plus, easy chocolate truffles and decadent mousses and parfaits. Our recipes include desserts for two to share and sweets that feed a crowd. We rate them all above a bunch of red roses any day.
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    6 Things to Always Clean Before Guests Come Over

    6 Things to Always Clean Before Guests Come Over

    You don't have to give your house a top-to-bottom scrub before guests arrive, but there are a few areas you should pay attention to.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Halloween Party Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • Adult Halloween Costumes
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    6 Kitchen Paint Trends to Consider in 2023

    6 Kitchen Paint Trends to Consider in 2023

    Bolder tones, like cherry red and deep olive green, will dominate in the heart of the home.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    How to Winter Sow—Plus, 6 Expert-Approved Seeds to Plant During the Cold-Weather Months

    How to Winter Sow—Plus, 6 Expert-Approved Seeds to Plant During the Cold-Weather Months

    These blooms are tolerant to the chilly conditions, which will allow you to get ahead on your spring flower garden.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Remove Hard Water Stains From a Glass Shower—and Prevent Future Build-Up Before It Forms

    How to Remove Hard Water Stains From a Glass Shower—and Prevent Future Build-Up Before It Forms

    The spots develop when water dries on glass and leaves behind the minerals that were trapped inside.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Experts Say These Are the 7 Things Happy Couples Regularly Do Together

    Experts Say These Are the 7 Things Happy Couples Regularly Do Together

    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    Ready for a New Hobby? These Are the 8 Craft Trends to Try in 2023

    Ready for a New Hobby? These Are the 8 Craft Trends to Try in 2023

    From disco ball art to punch needle embroidery, these are the projects that will dominate the DIY world in the new year, experts say.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    The Truth About Slugging: Will Applying Petrolatum Jelly to Your Skin Really Make It Glow?

    The Truth About Slugging: Will Applying Petrolatum Jelly to Your Skin Really Make It Glow?

    In short, yes—should you have a skin type that might benefit from an occlusive product.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    9 Dog Breeds That Look Like Puppies Even When They're Fully Grown

    9 Dog Breeds That Look Like Puppies Even When They're Fully Grown

    Puppies are irresistible. We fall in love with their big eyes, little button noses, fluffy tails, and clumsy paws. And yet, like any pet, puppies grow up and turn into dogs. Some breeds, like the Old English Sheepdog or Great Dane, will grow to become larger in size than most people. But not all dogs are destined to become giants. There are some breeds that stay small in size even when they're fully grown. You may want a forever puppy if you are used to smaller animals. Maybe you have a small apartment or just want a canine companion that you can easily carry along with you anywhere you go. Small dogs are also great for families with young children or those of senior age who are best matched with a breed they can physically handle. Fortunately, some specialty dog breeds are mixed to look like puppies throughout their entire lives—and they are sure to melt your heart the second you lay your eyes on them. 
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. Home
  3. Home Design & Decor
  4. Dining Room Design Ideas
  5. Dining Room Ideas from Real Homes That Are Guaranteed to Inspire Your Own

Dining Room Ideas from Real Homes That Are Guaranteed to Inspire Your Own

Emily Popp, Freelance Writer
By Emily Popp Updated November 24, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Pin
kettle cove home tour dining room art gallery
Credit: Justin Levesque

Let these beautiful spaces—all the centerpieces of real homes across the country—guide you on your journey to decorating and reclaiming your own dining room.

Start Slideshow

1 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
kettle cove home tour dining room art gallery
Credit: Justin Levesque

Your dining room is a space of deep connection, memorable family meals, and the center of holiday gatherings. Yet for as important as this space can be, when it comes to revamping your own home, you're probably more focused on redesigns in other rooms, such as the kitchen or bathroom. We urge you to reconsider. While a beautiful kitchen and a luxurious bathroom are two undeniably nice amenities, if you have you choose just one project to tackle right now, don't discount the power of a well-appointed dining room. After all, in many ways, it's the heart of the home. If you've been searching for innovative dining room ideas, look no further. We've pulled together some of the most gorgeous dining room designs from real homes to give you instant inspiration.

First and foremost, if you're on the prowl for dining room ideas for a renovation project, don't feel like you need to start entirely from scratch. In fact, we suggest starting small. Think about what aspects of your space you want to draw attention to and where you want to pull focus. Do you have built-in-bookshelves where you can display family photos and artwork? Does your dining room have gorgeous natural light? Do you have an accent wall painted in a bold color? When considering a redesign, ask yourself "What about this space stands out the most?" and then expand your ideas from there.

Also consider where you want to splurge. Maybe you want to make the statement piece in your dining room a marble table, in which case the rest of your décor may be more understated or sourced from second-hand stores. Or maybe you want to reupholster your tufted dining room chairs in a luxury fabric. Another beautiful route is to invest in art and make an original painting the centerpiece of your space. Think about where you want to sink in the most resources and then work from there.

Whatever your end goal, use these photos as a way to start thinking about how you'll liven up your room. As long as the end result is a space where you and your family can create lasting memories, you've done exactly what you set out to do.

1 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Built-in-Bookshelf Backdrop

kitchen renovation after

A winning dining room idea is to create a backdrop for the entire living room by focusing on built-in-bookshelves, like this one which Debi Traub remodeled. Take advantage of the surface area as a way to add touches like family photographs or artwork that has personal meaning.

2 of 17

3 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mismatched Dining Chairs

dining room with wood accents and glass chandelier

When it comes to unique ideas, this small dining room uses mismatched chairs as a great way to add extra visual interest. 

3 of 17

Advertisement

4 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Focus on Natural Light

Hancock Park Home Tour dining room
Credit: Tessa Neustadt

If your dining room has beautiful natural light, make that the focal point and keep the rest of the tablescape simple and edited, like designer Isabelle Dahlin, from firm DeKor Living, accomplished here.

4 of 17

5 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Patterned Upholstery

dania colorful home redo dining room

Choose a bold statement piece, like patterned fabric chairs, and then pull the room together by hanging a piece of artwork with pops of complementing colors, like Dania Ahmad did here. 

  • Gorgeous Dining Room Decorating Ideas

5 of 17

6 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cowhide Rug

Peek Inside Three of the Country's Most Beautiful Coastal Homes

Tie together natural wood finishes with a cowhide (or faux hide) rug, like this coastal home, as featured in Nina Freudenberger's book, Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water ($22.88, amazon.com).

6 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Natural Wood Beams

dining room table set for holiday dinner
Credit: PAOLA + MURRAY

If your dining room has dark wood beams, use that as a source of inspiration and heighten their natural beauty by playing into the cozy ski lodge aesthetic, as seen in chef Clare de Boer's home, pictured here. 

7 of 17

8 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Narrow Dining Space

dining room with long wooden table and picture window
Credit: Bethany Nauert

In a "railroad style" dining space—or a repurposed room that once a smaller, like a porch—have one side of the table set with chairs while the other is a bench to save coveted square footage. Isabelle Dahlin, the California-based designer behind DeKor Living, accomplished just that here.

8 of 17

9 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Joyful Color

lavender-blue dining room decorated with greenery
Credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Paint the walls a color that invites joy, like periwinkle blue, and then design the dining space around that color, like designer Pamela Harvey did in this space. Offset its brightness with greenery and neutral décor.

9 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bright Black and White

neutral-colored dining room with black fireplace
Credit: Haris Kenjar

A minimalistic, black and white dining room does not have to be boring. Add visual interest with a non-traditional floral centerpiece and by installing a modern overhead light fixture, just as Andy Beers of Ore Studios accomplished in this dining space. 

10 of 17

11 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Library-Meets-Dining Room

Pittsburgh Dining Room
Credit: William Abranowicz

If you've always wanted a library but don't have a spare room, consider Colleen Simond's approach of combining your dining area with your impressive book collection. A window seat can double as a reading nook.

11 of 17

12 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Modern "Beachy" Dining Room

handmade plaster chandelier hanging above white dining room table
Credit: Courtesy of Tharon Anderson

If you want a less literal interpretation of "beachy," consider an oatmeal and white color palette with one pop of turquoise that's reminiscent of the ocean as seen in this Nantucket home by interior designer Tharon Anderson. Avoid more traditional materials like wicker.

12 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Make Storage a Display Piece

front porch with rustic outdoor dining room
Credit: Jessica Antola

Instead of storing items, like your collection of straw hats, make them a display piece by hanging them on the wall (and you'll also save some precious closet space). Alex Bates and Andrew Hoffman's Fire Island home is the epitome of beachy-meets-rustic. 

  • Home Experts Share Their Favorite Finishing Touches—and Explain Exactly Where to Find Them

13 of 17

14 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Marble Dining Table

light colored dining room with black and brown accents
Credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

If you're splurging on a high-quality marble tabletop, draw focus to your statement piece by keeping the rest of the décor to a minimum. This Maryland home merges modern and rustic details for a unique style, an idea executed by Alison Giese Interiors.

14 of 17

15 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Geometric Design

unfinished wooden dining table with black wooden chairs and cream colored cushions
Credit: Lauren Pressey

Interior designer Kate Lester created clean lines with geometric light fixtures and patterns in neutral and solid black finishes for this California home.

15 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Intricate Rug

Dining area with large woven rug and wooden table and chairs
Credit: Lauren Miller

Interior designer Ashley Montgomery added a hand-woven kilim rug to this unique Toronto home's dining room. Incorporating dimension and grounding a more neutrally-decorated dining space.

16 of 17

17 of 17

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mixed Motifs

Dining area with marble table top and dark green chairs
Credit: John Merkl

Interior designer Kristina Braun of Braun + Adams blended a variety of motifs for a unique—but still clean—effect. Marble, wood, and jewel-toned velvet can coexist beautifully like they do in this San Francisco home. 

17 of 17

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Emily Popp

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 17
    2 of 17 Built-in-Bookshelf Backdrop
    3 of 17 Mismatched Dining Chairs
    4 of 17 Focus on Natural Light
    5 of 17 Patterned Upholstery
    6 of 17 Cowhide Rug
    7 of 17 Natural Wood Beams
    8 of 17 Narrow Dining Space
    9 of 17 Joyful Color
    10 of 17 Bright Black and White
    11 of 17 Library-Meets-Dining Room
    12 of 17 Modern "Beachy" Dining Room
    13 of 17 Make Storage a Display Piece
    14 of 17 Marble Dining Table
    15 of 17 Geometric Design
    16 of 17 Intricate Rug
    17 of 17 Mixed Motifs

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Dining Room Ideas from Real Homes That Are Guaranteed to Inspire Your Own
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.