11 Small Dining Room Ideas You’ll Love

A small dining room shouldn’t prevent you from creating your dream space. Don’t forget that sometimes little is more. These small dining room ideas will hit it out of the park with every guest, friend and family you might receive.

However, if you are not the formal dining room type of person, there are plenty of alternative ideas for a dining room space, don’t worry about it. But before you go to that space, you first have to ask yourself – How do I spruce up my dining room?

Small Dining Room Ideas that Will Blow Your Mind

We’ll start with a few pieces of advice on keeping your dining room light and making your space seem taller and bigger. Then, we’ll share a few simple dining room wall decor tricks that will add that extra “wow” feeling to your space.

We’ll end it with some glorious dining room mirror ideas and alternatives to turn your dining space into if you don’t use it.

But that’s enough teasing, let’s get to it! How can you design a small dining room?

1. Make people look up

Well, don’t listen to them when they say, “Don’t Look Up“. In a small dining room, you should definitely draw the eye of the visitor to the ceiling. 

Light up the room with an imposing chandelier that will take the focus of the room upwards. It will really make the room seem taller. Besides, if you manage to find and fit a quirky-looking or just purely elegant chandelier, everyone will just be in awe of it.

It will also help if you let in as much natural light as possible. Don’t rely on the chandelier to provide the light. It should be primarily a focal piece of furniture. Large windows that let light in will make the space feel even larger.

2. Cheat and make everything open-plan

Look, you don’t need to respect the confines of a small dining place. If you have the possibility to open it up, then do it. It won’t steal away its wow factor.

Embrace a more informal formula of blending in the kitchen space with the living or lounge spaces. Open it up if you have a balcony, and let the air and light come in.

You could go even further as to arrange a dining area on the terrace. I mean, why not? Especially if it’s near the kitchen!

You know what else you could do? Arrange a dining area in a large open-plan hallway. Use a round dining table for more space and maybe incorporate a book-filled library in the decor. That would be nice. If you feel the space is just too small, call in the cafe culture.

What do we mean? Choose a round, bistro-like coffee table that will provide just the right type of Parisian chic you need.

3. Turn the kitchen island into a dining table

You know what? Give up on that dining table, buy some bar-height chairs and turn your big kitchen island into a table for dinner. Why not?

What you could also do is buy one of those sleek, modern-looking kitchen islands with a dining table slope. They do look interesting, to say the least.

4. Window seats are also good small dining room ideas

Do you have a big window with the possibility of installing a window seat in your dining room? Do it. You solve two issues with just one shot. First, you create a cozy nook for you to soak up the sun and read in peace. Secondly, you can use the built-in bench as dining table seats.

Yes, bring the table closer to the window, and you’ve got yourself both a nook and a dining area. Moreover, it’s cozy, intimate and homelike. You’ll love it.

5. Monochrome is better for small dining rooms

Monochromatic color schemes make small places seem bigger. It’s a known fact. So, pick your favorite color and only use various shades and variations of it. In this way, your dining area will feel calm, serene and relaxed.

However, a touch of contrast never hurt nobody. So, add a contrasting wood flooring or rug to make it all the more riveting.

6. Go vintage with your dining room wall art

As far as dining room wall art decor ideas go, there are countless possibilities.

If you are a fan of exciting flea market finds, you surely know what we’re talking about. Vintage wall decors like reproductions of classing paintings or old photographs will surely make your dining room captivating. However, make sure you’re not cluttering it.

7. Paint a monochromatic statement wall

Monochrome colors make almost everything more attractive. If you have chosen a monochromatic color scheme, then go the extra mile and paint one of the walls in the main color. Then, you can play with different shades. It will look spectacular.

8. Go industrial-modern with a big chalkboard as wall decor

If your take is that of an industrial, modern dining room with a whimsical flair, then the focal point should be a giant chalkboard. You can write all sorts of funny, witty messages on it, and it would definitely make a statement.

9. Don’t underestimate dining room rugs

As far as dining room rugs ideas go, they can set the tone for your entire room. So, don’t underestimate their aesthetic power.

If you want a rustic dining room, pick a rustic rug in yellow, red and brownish tones. They us remind of nature.

If you don’t care much about the styles – Victorian, country, oriental- then pick a simple, a bit fluffy, but light rug that will make the dining area seem comfy and homey. That’s the most important thing, right?

Cream rugs with wood floors work very well. No, they’re not boring; they’re actually quite cozy.

If you want something more dynamic and quirky, then go for dining room rugs with different lively patterns that would also add a sense of space to your interior.

10. Use mirrors to reflect light

It’s not a secret that mirrors make spaces seem larger. So, one of the best dining room mirror ideas you could follow is to position mirrors in such a way that they reflect a light fixture.

Your dining room lighting is important, and we’ll get to that, too. But think about it. You have a table set against a blank wall. Rather than using wall artworks, just place one medium-sized framed mirror on the wall. Make sure it’s positioned high enough so your dining room light fixtures will reflect right in the mirror. Moreover, you don’t want to look in the mirror all the time while having dinner.

Therefore, place the mirror strategically so that it emphasizes your dining area. It will look amazing, believe us!

11. Small dining room lighting ideas

Light is essential to a room, any room. Natural light is better than anything. However, when we dine, it’s dark outside. So, you need to make use of artificial lights. So, suddenly, you find yourself with various possibilities on hand.

A minimalist glass globe could suffice if you want to keep it simple. Look for light globes made of organic elements. It will make you feel closer to nature.

If you want to make a statement but don’t want a chandelier like in the example above, you can always go for a flat light fixture with an open metal frame. It looks artful and could light up your dining table just right.

For an industrial atmosphere, dome pendant lights with brass-finished interiors are just perfect.

But if you want your dining room to be chic and sophisticated, then you surely need a floor lamp. It will provide just the right amount of glam and ambiance you need for a cozy family dinner.

Did it help?

Now, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and make a few decisions regarding your dining room. If none of these ideas works for you, you can always repurpose your dining room.

Some really viable alternative ideas for dining room space include turning it into an office, a playroom for the kids, a guest bedroom or even a tiny home gym. But that’s an article for another day.

We hope these small dining room ideas helped and inspired you. Good luck with your design projects!