3 Quick Tips to Create a Great Dining Room

This blog has evolved a lot. Initially it began just to talk about Slow Home principles, but has become so much more.The idea of a Slow Home still really appeals though, and I think so many of us would benefit from adopting some of the ideas behind it.Where better to start than the dining room? Eating is part of our every day, so why not make it an integral part of our Slow home?Three quick ways to enhance this important, yet often overlooked part of the house:

1. Good Circulation

Try to have at least one metre of empty space on all sides of your dining table. This allows for plenty of room to circulate the table, even when the chairs are in use.

Feeling cramped means you're far less likely to enjoy sitting at the dining table, and you'll be far less likely to actually use it. (Hello, dinner on the lounge!)

2. Declutter

If you have to move mountains of papers, handbags and folded laundry before you even sit down for a meal, do you think you will actually use the dining table? (My number one decluttering tip can be found here.)

Keep decorations to a minimum and make them easy to shift at meal times.

A designated Entryway Landing Strip will help with the table clutter.

And a designated admin area will eliminate most of the paper clutter before it becomes an issue.

3. Great lighting

A light and airy dining room is perfect, but artificial light is just as important when it comes to eating and entertaining.

Downlights are a good option, as they give strong light - great for family dinner time. But to inject some personality and mood to the room, consider a large statement light over the table. Fabulous for entertaining and having a large feature light means you need less (or zero) table decorations - cutting down further on clutter.

(This is the project I'm currently working on. I can't wait to finish it...some time in 2018.)

If you still find yourself not using the "formal" dining area so many homes have, consider changing the room completely. Maybe it would be a good office or toy room? Providing you have somewhere else to sit and dine, it may be an inexpensive way to gain an extra room in your house.Do you find yourself dining on the lounge most nights? Or is dining at the table an important part of your day?