Deck the Dining Rooms!

It might just be the beginning of September, but the holidays are just around the corner. Pretty soon you’ll be shopping, baking, and preparing for company. How’s your dining room looking these days? Have you been meaning to revamp this oh-so-important family space, but every year the holiday season sneaks up behind you and finds you unprepared for another season full of  dreams of a formal dining space? Well now is the time to start!

{Image Courtesy of Lexington Brands}

This festive time of year can be stressful. Let’s face it. You have expectations, your family has expectations, and so do your guests. Everyone would like their Thanksgiving dinner to look like it came straight out of one of those warm and fuzzy holiday movies that we will all be piling up to watch after we’ve had our fill of turkey and dressing. But somehow this special space so often gets left on the back burner (just like that mystery casserole).

So what makes a classic dining room so memorable? I think the most important aspect is quality. These tables will stand the test of time and become a family heirloom, passed on through generations. What could be more special than coming together with the family and reuniting with pieces that your grandparents worked hard to provide and were so proud to share? Investing in quality sets that will be the center of your holidays for many years to come will create memories that won’t soon be forgotten.

{Images courtesy of Millender Furniture Company}

Newly weds? Just bought your first home? Is it your first time to host the family holiday get together? Perhaps you want something a little edgier than your parents’ traditional set. There’s nothing wrong with making a statement with your dining room furniture. If you’re not into ornate carvings and heavy mahogany, there is still an array of options to express your unique style.

{Images courtesy of Hooker Furniture}

Do you have a talkative grandparent who loves to spotlight each member of the family during these yearly get togethers, resulting in hours spent at the dinner table? Comfy chairs are a nice way to keep the family hanging around a little longer for some quality time. They also provide a way to introduce color, texture, and pattern into your dining space.

 {Images courtesy of Bernhardt}

Formal dining rooms aren’t the only spaces where holiday family time takes place. I personally love breakfast tables and nooks. Morning coffee, reading the paper, a game of cards at the end of the night, or maybe a midnight snack … this space is small enough to feel less intimidating, yet practical enough to make it the ideal place to start and end each day. I think having some type of upholstered piece is important, whether it be the seat or the whole chair. Benches are nice in these smaller spaces as well.

{Images courtesy of Stanley Furniture}

Sometimes the best holiday cheer is spread in the moments in between – appetizers being served, cookies being rolled out, and pies being burned. Whatever the case, the kitchen is usually  the center of the home. People tend to gather and taste-test, share recipes, or just watch and learn. This is where you’ll find children building gingerbread homes and dads carving turkeys. Center islands, when the space allows, can create a dynamic space for entertaining, mingling, and creating.

{Image courtesy of Habersham}

So whether you are just starting out and are investing in your first dining room set, or are ready to take your existing space to the next level, don’t forget how important this space will be in your home for years to come. Make sure that yours is exactly how you’ve always dreamed it would be. Now is the time to get your furniture ordered for the upcoming festivities! While the holidays are more about the people who fill those rooms than the pieces that do, give them something special to come home to this year!

Check out my latest post for Furnitureland about preparing your dining room for the holidays: Forget About The Halls...