Furniture Position in a Dining Room

Ideas and tips for positioning furniture in dining rooms: furniture position in a dining room.

In a dining room, comfort for service and simplicity are the most valuable attributes, but simplicity should not imply lack of brightness. Little things, like the full use of a polished table top with a strip of old velvet or brocade on the table instead of a cloth ; the display of old glass ; the employment of tinted table lights, such things combine to build up the living interest that stamps a room with personality. And again, most rooms gather something additional in this way by the presence of books.

The corners of a room are often baffling, but it is a mistake to fill them with articles that appear suitable. Corners generally work out satisfactorily if they are not considered at all. The cosy corner that appeared in the late Victorian era, or perhaps a little earlier, has not survived, for we have no desire today to make any part of our rooms look like the angle of a railway compartment. A corner cupboard, a small bureau placed across the angle, a tall floor standard with an attractive shade; such things can furnish a corner, if it really demands furnishing; but unless they are going to have some actual bearing on the comfort of the room, or contribute towards the decorative effect, special corner features need not worry us.

We have said that simplicity should characterise the position and arranging of furniture in a dining room, and one of the furnishing conventions that may be abandoned is that a set of chairs is essential. A Sheraton extending mahogany table may be surrounded by chairs that differ widely in style and period, but which are collectively harmonious in appearance. There might be a Queen Anne chair in walnut with a rush seat, a pair of spindle-backed chairs with rush seats, two or three ladder backed chairs, with a plain mahogany Chippendale armchair at the head of the table. As another example, we may take an oak refectory table in conjunction with three or four leather-seated and leather-backed Cromwellian chairs, some with plain under frames, and some with turned and twisted legs and rails. At the head there could be put a Stuart armchair with a high caned back and a caned or cushioned seat. The association of different styles if carried out with care and discrimination can only lead to pleasant results in furnishing.

Next: Bedroom Furniture Placement.