How to make your dining room entertainment ready.

By Sherry Moeller

Dining rooms have undergone changes over the last few years – from offering a work-from-home space to transforming back into spots to gather with family and friends. To make the versatile space extra special, designers Tracy Morris, Kelley Proxmire, and Annie Elliott share some tips for creating an entertainment-ready dining room, just in time for the upcoming holiday season.

Add a Complementary Rug

In this dining room, Designer Tracy Morris added a rug by Matt Camron Rugs featuring tones of lavender, cream, gray, and white to allow the darker tones in the table, sideboard, and floor to really pop. “I love the rug in the space because it complements the high-contrast elements in the room,” Morris says. 

With a backdrop of Phillip Jeffries wallpaper, the art titled “Wings” by Kiki Slaughter was purchased from Annie Irwin Fine Art in Atlanta. The sideboard is from Hellman Chang.

Coordinate Wallpaper and Fabrics

The Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper in the dining room designed by Kelley Proxmire sets the tone for the entire space. The host and hostess chairs feature Schumacher velvet on the back with Pindler Lemonade fabric on the front. Illuminated by Niermann Weeks’ Avignon chandelier, the room is a glowing reminder to make every day special, whether enjoying a weekday or holiday meal.

Improvise with Art

With a background as an art historian, designer Annie Elliott is always looking for creative ways to add art to a space. In this dining room, she installed a panel of Schumacher’s Brighton Pavilion on the wall and had her painter frame it in picture molding. “We wanted it to look like part of the room decoration, not a framed piece,” Elliott says.

Among Elliott’s favorite elements in the room is the custom dining room table. “We wanted an antique, but couldn’t find the right one, especially since antiques that will be used, such as dining tables, buffets, and dressers, need to be in terrific shape to stand up to wear and tear,” the designer adds. “We had this table custom made by a company in England. It took a while, but it was worth it.”

The fabric on the host and hostess chairs is from Schumacher, while the reupholstered cane chairs from Restoration Hardware feature Thibaut’s Ashbourne Tweed, which is stain resistant. “We love that fabric for families with kids and pets,” says Elliott.

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