For generations, families ate in their kitchens and only ventured into their dining rooms on special occasions. The dining room was a place for guests, where stiff-backed chairs and fragile china kept everyone on their best behavior.
But as our lives have changed, so have our dining rooms.
Today’s dining rooms are used in more ways than ever before, says HGTV host Genevieve Gorder. They merge comfort and beauty to create a space where people want to linger.
Gorder and interior designers Brian Patrick Flynn of decordemon.com and Betsy Burnham of Burnham Design in Los Angeles share the trends they’ve spotted and offer tips to create a perfect — and perfectly useful — dining room.
• MULTITASKING AT THE TABLE
Many homeowners now see the dining room as a flexible space where meals are not the only priority. In many homes, the dining room table is the go-to location for working on art projects, wrapping gifts and doing homework, says Flynn. So people are seeking durable tables that can withstand plenty of attention, rather than carefully polished ones that are easily scratched.