Many of us remember the dining room from our childhood as the separate, formal room that housed the most expensive pieces of furniture and was only used on a handful of special occasions and holidays. These formal rooms are still found in today's homes but you can also find multi-purpose rooms, informal dining rooms and even outdoor dining rooms on the patio. The dining room by nature is a simple space. The focus of any dining room is its table, while the chair choice creates the overall personality of the room. Simply add an overhead light fixture and somewhere to store linens, dishes, serving pieces, and cutlery. 

Today’s dining spaces are more inviting and personal than ever. They provide a space for a variety of functions, including doing homework, paying the bills, working jigsaw puzzles or working on a hobby. And in many homes, dining areas are connected to another room, occupying one end of a kitchen, living room or family room. In fact, many households do most of their dining on bar stools at kitchen islands or at small tables in breakfast nooks with banquette seating. Formal accents in these spaces come from accessories and place settings in lieu of dining furniture or the architecture of the room. Whatever you do, try to keep your dining table from becoming a permanent family drop zone and keep it as a soothing place for your eye to land, enhanced with a centerpiece or candles that suit the season and your personal style, whether that be a glam candelabra or beautiful bowl of fruit.