Contemporary Dining Room Ideas

 A contemporary dining room is basically a room in or around a home that features a contemporary style and furniture. The most common characteristics of a contemporary dining room are contemporary art on the walls, wide space, and a big variety of matching tables and chairs. It is not uncommon to have a contemporary dining room with an art gallery or even a restaurant. A contemporary dining room will often serve food and may not be equipped with a kitchen. In many cases, when looking to remodel a contemporary dining room, the goal is to bring it into the 21st century.

Tips for Designing a Contemporary Dining Room

Contemporary dining rooms come in many forms. Some feature contemporary art and furniture, while others are completely modern and have no furniture at all. Modern dining rooms incorporate the latest technological innovations, blending retro styles with sleek modern designs. Before starting a project of remodeling a contemporary dining room one must first consider what modern items that need to be integrated into the room.

Most contemporary dining rooms are wood based. In general, contemporary dining room furniture can be classified into two types: wood and metal. Metal is typically more popular because it is light and easy to maintain. It can be molded into various shapes and designs, which make it great for adding contemporary flair into a home.

Best Contemporary Wood Furniture

Wooden furniture tends to be more expensive, but is more durable and long lasting. Wood furniture can also add a rustic atmosphere to a contemporary dining room. When purchasing contemporary dining room chairs, it is important to pick up chairs that complement the other pieces of furniture that you already have in your dining room. If you have contemporary dining room chairs with bold, shiny metal backs, you may want to purchase chairs that have a wood look with clean lines and are more geometric in shape.

Another way to design your contemporary dining room with contemporary style is by using the key elements from both metal and wood. For instance, if you have a black dining room table and chairs, incorporate some dark wood elements into your design by using an ash finish on the table and using dark wood trim around the edges of the chairs. The effect will be that of solid black. This contrast works well with black chairs, which can either be without arms or have arms that extend straight out from the chair.

Using Contemporary Dining Tables and Chairs

You can complement this contemporary decorating scheme with a contemporary dining table and chairs in oak, cherry, or maple. These materials look contemporary, yet have a unique grain that cannot be duplicated using other materials. For instance, oak furniture has a uniform dark color that doesn't stand out, but when combined with a contemporary table and chairs made of dark wood, it creates a dramatic effect. Cherry and maple, on the other hand, are light colored and have a unique reddish brown tone to them.

If you don't want to go for a contemporary dining room furniture set with the aforementioned key elements, you can still design your space in this contemporary style by adding some interesting pieces of furniture that will fit with your contemporary decorating idea. For instance, an antique console table can look fabulous in your dining space, especially one that is made of solid oak with an ornate top. Cherry or maple chairs in this style can also add a nice touch, while an iron candle holder can give your dining space a very warm feel. An interesting piece of art that has some sort of abstract design to it can also fit well into this contemporary decorating scheme as well, such as a framed painting that is decorated with contrasting colored squares that resemble a checkerboard design.

You don't have to go all out when trying to create a contemporary dining room design. In fact, your dining room can actually be more timeless and traditional than most contemporary designs. This type of design works great if you choose solid wood floors over laminate or other engineered wood surfaces, choose hardwood flooring over plastic flooring, and add touches like wooden chairs and end tables. As long as you choose pieces of furniture that are very carefully designed, you can use even a traditional style dining room table and chairs along with an iron candle holder to create the look you want. All that's left is to place the table somewhere in the middle of your dining area, add some more wooden chairs, and you've got the perfect contemporary dining room that you can enjoy!