Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Dining with style

Creating a dining area your guests will never want to leave

It's time to spruce up the style of your kitchen and dining room! Your dining area may be a gathering place for eating casual meals and doing homework, or it may provide an elegant setting for formal dining. No matter what the function, it's easy to update the look of the room with this season's versatile and interchangeable dining pieces.

"Kitchens are becoming a multi-functional gathering place while dining rooms are becoming less formal," says Greg Mononen, Product Developer for Arhaus Furniture, a 19-store lifestyle furniture retailer. Home furnishing trends are leaning towards all-purpose style, quality and function. "Watch for dining furniture that can easily transition into either a formal or casual setting," he suggests.

Personalize your dining space

A new approach to dining furniture is to buy pieces that coordinate but do not necessarily match. "Today's homeowners are putting together eclectic furniture groups that don't resemble 'sets.' They want their dining areas to look like they've evolved over time, similar to a collection of antiques," says Mononen. "This approach gives the home a more personalized feeling."

He recommends using design details to tie a look together when mixing different pieces. For example, the leg detail on a table or chair can determine if it will coordinate with other furniture. Shapely wrought iron curves, hard-carved pedestals or straight Spartan legs will give the furniture a collective look without being exactly the same. Scale can also make a difference in creating a balanced look. For example, larger chairs should go with a larger table.

Another approach to merging different pieces is to mix finishes and colors. Traditionally, designers have shied away from combining dark and light finishes. However, today's styles encourage the mixing of contrasting finishes using similar tones and unique textures. Try using a copper-top sideboard to compliment the warm tones of a distressed pine table.

Natural materials and finishes

This season, watch for dining furniture, such as stone, marble, porcelain and copper (Yes, these materials make wonderful, resilient table tops!). Durable woods, like cherry, maple, pine and poplar are also making an appearance. Dining chairs can be found in rattan or upholstered in leather, rich tapestries or cotton slipcovers. These hearty materials not only add elegance and style to a room setting, but they can also withstand the wear and tear of everyday use.

The Arhaus Italian Mosaic dining table combines several of these natural materials. Its top is made of stone and marble mosaic tiles that sit on a hand-forged, wrought iron base. Mononen suggests pairing this handsome one-of-a-kind table with the Colette Leather dining chairs. "Leather is big in dining right now because it is so durable and easy to maintain," he explains.

Distressed finishes can help bring out the depth and personality of natural materials. An example is a French Cherry dining collection featuring a rich, deep finish that is the result of a labor-intensive, fifteen step antiquing process.

Old is new again

The grace and elegance of the Victorian era are defining current dining trends. Turn-of-the-century styles are updated with a modern twist. For an interesting look, a dining table influenced by a Louis XV French antique may be combined with a contemporary leather side chair. Or, a hand crafted, antique-styled sideboard may share dining quarters with a sleeker, modern table and bright, colorful upholstered chairs.

"The look is more refined and delicate than the heavy, rustic feel of the last several seasons," says Mononen. "We are seeing much more European tailoring in dining furniture." Furniture is enhanced by details such as cabriole legs, shapely aprons, Cameo-backs, hand painted doors, hand carved bases and inlayed marquetry tabletops.

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