51 Formal Dining Room Ideas With Tips And Accessories To Help You Design Yours

Sure, we take snacks at the kitchen island and light lunches in the dining nook, but there’s nothing quite like laying the table in a formal dining room to really set a festive mood. The formal dining room may be used frequently by a large family or mainly for momentous get-togethers and special holidays, but always for making memories. With that in mind, this room deserves a special kind of attention. It should be a space that feels magnetic, to draw family members and friends to it and make them want to linger awhile. This collection of 51 formal dining room ideas provides inspiration, tips and accessories to help you design yours.

Designer: SISSY + MARLEY NYC

Define your best features. This formal dining space draws attention to a set of elegant arched window frames by using a defining black paint finish that contrasts dramatically against soft white surroundings.

Visualizer: ArtPartner Architects

Use screens to set the scene. These arched window frames are softened by fine lattice screens, which lightly shade the influx of natural sunlight to make a mellow mood.

Visualizer: Nada Hossam

Eclectic glamour and golden accents. Assorted upholstery covers these dining chairs with creative, eclectic flair, whilst gold coloured accent pieces introduce a luxe aesthetic.

Visualizer: Asmaa Harb

Ensure even distribution of light. In large spaces with long dining tables, it‘s important to supply good light to the diners situated at each end of the table. These two elongated sputnik chandeliers spread illumination far and wide.

Visualizer: Mai Anh Nguyen

Earth colours. Despite their formality, chic dining rooms can still feel connected to nature. Select rich earth colours to complement a lush garden view and elevate with metallic accents, like this eye-catching golden circle chandelier.

Visualizer: Maryna Grechko

Anchoring light installations. In an open plan living room arrangement, anchor a formal eating area with a commanding light installation like this cluster of unique dining room pendants.

Visualizer: Pj Q. Escozar

Create neat zoning with a dining room rug. Flatweave rugs provide an island of colour and differential texture beneath an open plan dining room. Choose machine-washable options for easy maintenance.

Visualizer: iMax Studio

Disrupt stuffy appearances with unexpected colour. Bring formal dining room schemes into the modern realm by introducing randomly interspersed accent chairs, multicoloured chandeliers, and colour-blocked paint effects.

Visualizer: Alaa Magdy

Dripping with wealth. Nothing takes a sophisticated dining room design more upmarket than a fabulously oversized crystal chandelier–except maybe a classical work of sculpture. If you’re going all out, one of each makes a winning combination.

Visualizer: Alina Dobranitsa

Clear foundations. Lighten the presence of your dining suite in an open concept by selecting a table or chairs with a clear acrylic or glass base.

Visualizer: 梦太初

Luxurious layers. Patterned dining chairs, floor-to-ceiling display shelves, an oversized chandelier, statement art, and a deeply textured feature wall all come together to create a feast for the eyes.

Visualizer: Olga Kondratiuk

Ethereal eating areas. Crisp white drapes, clean white walls, and rose gold accents style a heavenly dining room decor scheme. A delicate dining room chandelier diffuses the light like wisps of cloud across the sun.

Visualizer: Hakim Salama

A great place for a piano. Whether it’s just to build a look of grandeur or to perform at an after dinner soiree, a piano makes an impressive and entertaining addition.

Visualizer: Vinicius Milanese

Living the high life. Draw attention to a high dining room ceiling with attractive wood panelling. Accentuate tall and narrow alcoves to further stretch the vertical plane.

Visualizer: Ahmed Tarek

Delicate additions. Slender slices of white marble and metallic strips thread between bookmatched wooden boards to create an exquisite feature wall. Decorative mirrors and a blossom-like chandelier add bright overlays.

Visualizer: MANARCH Studio

Create your own architectural interest. If you want to get in on the arch trend, you don’t have to move home or rebuild. Fashion a partial arch with a custom-made, open-sided bookcase, which can work double duty as a light permeable room divider.

Visualizer: Abijith M

Bring balance to decorative neoclassical settings with a simple, modern dining set. The decorative intricacies of classical boiserie should not have to compete for their rightful limelight.

Visualizer: Omran Architects

Be there or be square. A square dining table is great for keeping conversation between the whole group whilst seating couples evenly side by side.

Visualizer: PRESSRENDER 3D

Be bold in black and white. It’s simple, it’s crisp, and most of all it’s highly effective.

Visualizer: Maria Papko

The bespoke lighting plan. Mini pendant lights can be clustered or aligned to make a focal lighting feature that is as large or as small as you desire.

Visualizer: Jingai Vision

Create a courtyard connection. Art is nice, but Mother Nature’s own creation is unbeatable.

Visualizer: Olha Karaliash

Curate a sculptural focal point with artistic dining room pendant lights.

Photographer: Nour El Refai

When the table isn’t set for diners, it should be made presentable for the rest of the day. Decorative bowls and vases make simple centrepieces that are easily removed when meal times roll around once more.

Visualizer: Noura Faris Designs

Symmetrical style. Not only do these luxe gold wall sconces complement a stunning central light fixture, but they evenly flank a fabulous feature wall and gold trimmed buffet. Tufted accent chairs place a pop of mirrored colour at either end of the table.

Visualizer: Lawasha Studio

Bask under skylights. This glass ceiling treatment allows sunlight to illuminate the warmth of woodtone panels behind an integrated bookcase.

Designer: Antonio Pernas Varela Visualizer: Cristian Andrade

Play with scale. If there is only space for a small dining set, make the area into a larger statement with a sprawling modern light fixture.

Visualizer: Mohamed Ayman

Create visual stops in a centrally situated dining space. Use striking storage units and mature indoor plants to slow the eye from gliding straight past.

Via: Dwell

Exaggerate a round dining set with a much larger round rug, the combination will create a visual pull toward the centre of the arrangement.

Source: Minacciolo

A striped rug contributes easy interest to a plain dining room decor scheme. Select a wireframe pendant light shade to complement the linear pattern.

Source: MDF Italia

Areas of attraction. It doesn’t take a lot to elevate a small dining area; select just one piece of 3D wall art and a striking modern fireplace to completely transform the essence of the room.

Visualizer: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Where natural light doesn’t quite make it from the windows to the table, install high-gloss floor tiles to help light reflections travel.

Visualizer: Rosendo Maximiliano Mesillas Alvarado

Marvellous marble. Marble tables, artistic marble focal walls, and marbled rugs, we love them all.

Visualizer: Muhammed Faisal

Instate a stately dining room design with not just one but several exquisite chandeliers. Follow up with deeply decorative crown moulding, boiserie, gilded mirrors, and sensational dining chairs.

Visualizer: Vogue Architects

Colour kissed. Whilst boiserie remains under a graceful cloak of white, upholstered dining chairs and a floral mural add just a kiss of teal.

Visualizer: Muhamed Khaled

Counteract the linearity of a wainscot or boiserie panelled room with a round dining table and curved dining chairs. In this example, a modern buffet unit continues the curvaceous motif.

Visualizer: Amir Omar

Be inspired by art, like this abstract, red accent dining room.

Designer: Land & Houses Public Co.

Complement your architecture. Airy, open plan layouts and light filled dining areas require sizeable furniture sets, otherwise nothing makes sense to the eye. Team with a large area rug and a substantial buffet to amp up the impact.

Designer: Masar Architects Visualizer: Soha Khaled

Green, gold and glamorous. Emerald green dining chairs set a rich aesthetic alongside gold framed mirrors and a luxurious gold-trimmed sideboard.

Visualizer: Javier Guevara

White stone and simple lines fashion a formal minimalist dining room.

Designer: PanoramicStudio

Where formal dining rooms are attached to the kitchen, create a cohesive flow with similar materials and complementary tones.

Visualizer: Mohamed Waleed

Sapphire accents, spectacular modern chandeliers, and marble flooring make striking companions for the counteractive industrial properties of a raw concrete feature wall.

Visualizer: Duc Vu

Widen the dining party staging area with a double-width wooden dining table and a complementary wood slatted ceiling.

Visualizer: Trung-Chung Nguyễn

A racetrack shaped dining table will put your room bang on trend. Accompany the trendy furniture piece with equally curvaceous chairs and gently rounded alcoves.

Visualizer: bside visuals

Hitting on another popular trend, rattan dining chairs aren’t only for relaxed boho settings. Match this earthy aesthetic with a high-end table and designer pendant lights to retain an air of elegant formality.

Visualizer: VizLine Studio

Wooden dining sets sit well in industrial surroundings where they achieve a warming effect on cool metal elements, exposed brickwork, and raw concrete.

Visualizer: Lucas Schaefer

Look up. The view just gets better and better with atmospherically illuminated ceiling beams and a pool of overlapping circle chandeliers.

Visualizer: Esmael Abdelhamed

Grounded in grey, this suave dining room design is boosted by decorative wall mirrors, large light installations, and the iconic Easy Chair by Pierre Jeanneret.

Visualizer: Fawzy Designs