There are no strict guidelines for the items you can incorporate into a dining room beyond the essential table. The selection of additional pieces depends on your intended use and the available space. Here are the top 5 items interior designers add to a dining room (besides a table!)

While open dressers have a lovely traditional feel, cabinets with closed doors or glazed doors prevent the need for constant dusting, plus, ‘glass door cabinets work well for homeowners wanting to display their dishes,’ says interior designer Noelle Isbell of Noelle Interiors.

There are plenty of freestanding cabinets and dressers available, alternatively, fitting alcoves with bespoke cabinets makes a perfect small dining room idea.

(Image credit: Polly Wreford)

‘Introducing a home bar idea within a dining room not only creates the perfect opportunity for after-dinner drinks, but on a more practical level it adds useful storage to conceal the less decorative and more habitually used tableware and practical accessories,’ says Clara Ewart, head of design at Kitesgrove.

Alternatively, if you don’t have space for a bespoke, fitted bar area, consider a flexible bar cart idea which can easily be repositioned throughout the room or stored elsewhere and wheeled into the space for serving cocktails and aperitifs.

(Image credit: Mary wadsworth)

As well as offering a surface to serve food, it can double as a dining room storage idea for serving dishes, or as a drinks cabinet. Plus, when not in use you can style a console table with table lamps to give a warm glow or with decorative objects to create a display.

‘Dining rooms are being utilized for so much more than dining. Tables are being used for work and study. Add a buffet to allow for additional dish storage (or to store a printer!) and serving food,’ advises interior designer Tracy Morris.

(Image credit: Project Tracy Morris / photograph Greg Powers)

Seating is an integral part of a dining room design and ‘what kind of dining chairs are best?’ is another key question to address during the design process. The seating you choose will depend on the atmosphere you want to create and ultimately what you find most comfortable.

For those looking for a formal setting with a sense of occasion that you don’t get from a kitchen diner, you can’t go wrong with upholstered dining chairs suggests Simon Temprell of Neptune. ‘Upholstered dining chairs are more luxurious, and they bring a feeling of softness and warmth into a space.’

(Image credit: Anna Spiro / Tim Salisbury)

When it comes to seating for a kitchen diner ideas, benches are a good way to evoke a more casual feel.

‘If you have an open plan kitchen/dining room, then relaxed bench seating paired with a wooden table is a great idea, suggests Louise Wicksteed, design director of Sims Hilditch. ‘A kitchen/dining room should be a social space that is designed to encourage people to spend time there, and comfortable bench seating does just that.’

(Image credit: Sims Hilditch)

Noelle Isbell was featured recently in the story above from HOMES & GARDENS.

Read the full article by PIPPA BLENKINSOP