The Standard

10 THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / TRENDS
September 21 to 27 2014
Dining Rooms
Lighting and
simple accessories
turn this
simple space
into a fabulous
understated
elegant dining
area.
Noma Ndlovu
Nothing says “Come Dine with Me” quite
like a well set dining area. I think dining
rooms are spaces of expression because
flowing from the kitchen; this is where
all the passion and beauty of your cooking
is served up with love to your family, friends
and guests. It follows then that the dining area
should be prioritised from the onset whether
the area is a new build, a renovation or just
an update.
Dining rooms can be modern, traditional,
classic, formal or casual, the list goes on. As
always the key is to be sure of what you want.
Structure and choice of furniture are very
important to create a style and a theme that
matches your home. “Keep it simple but work
the detail” is always my cautious advice.
Let’s look at what I consider to be must-haves
when creating a beautiful dining area in your
home.
Colour and Lighting - It goes without saying
that your wall colour sets the tone of your dining
area. I love lots of light and recommend
light colours that reflect light so you don’t
have to switch on lights during the day. If you
love dark colours then use light coloured furniture
to balance the room. In smaller dining
areas, it is best you go with very light colours.
Accentuate the window area so that a lot of
light streams through to give an illusion of
space and freshness. Always have three point
lighting so you can adjust to suit your mood.
Interesting light fixtures make a good focal
point in your dining area.
Mirrors and Décor - Mirrors are multipurpose
in any room. They give an illusion of
space and are great décor pieces. Choose mirrors
that cover a large area and are uniquely
engraved or framed. They can cover a full wall
or be placed strategically over a server or console
table. Mirrors reflect light both natural
and artificial and help create a mood depending
on the time of the day. Décor will refer to
art work that you put up and ultimately create
a focal point for your dining area.
Great Furniture - In the olden days it seemed
odd that you even think of not buying a “dining
room suite” and a matching sideboard or
server. This made the rooms very formal and
almost untouchable. Nowadays you can go all
out and literally custom design your own furniture.
You can mismatch your chairs, use benches,
wood stumps, Perspex chairs, formal dining
chairs and even dining couches. There is no
limit to what you can use as long as it’s in line
with your design theme.
In mismatching be sure that the chairs flow
with each other in terms of form and design.
Mismatching in this case means colour and
design. You can do same design chairs but
different colours or similar tone colour but
different design. I love mismatching because
you can mix different styles and create a more
user friendly dining area.
Great cutlery and dinner ware - Complete
your look with cutlery and dinnerware that
shows off your dining area. It is a presentation
of your eating style. I love white or ivory
glazed dinner ware paired off with silver or
gold plated cutlery for added sophistication.
However, you can go for any colour that you
like. Porcelain or stoneware is great for everyday
dining while you save your best bone china
dinnerware for that special occasion. Take
care though that you buy dishwasher safe dinner
ware and cutlery as most plated items are
not dishwasher safe.
Dining rooms need to be functional but quirky
enough to be interesting. Create a luxurious
look by being bold; experiment with colour,
styles of furniture, décor, dinnerware, cutlery
and top it up with a fine dining experience.
Enjoy your home.
Credits: www.sahomeowner.co.za Luxe
Interiors+Design. www.homedesignlover.com
Noma Ndlovu is an Interior Designer and a
Property Stylist. Feedback on unaminkosi@
yahoo.co.uk. www.facebook.com/unamihomestyle
+263 775 402 083
This fabulous contemporary dining area has mismatched chairs that
blend in with the mixed theme of this space. Match with traditional
porcelain and its sophisticatin guaranteed.
Always choose your décor items so that they complement not overwhelm
your elegant furniture.