{"id":359062,"date":"2025-04-08T11:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T15:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=359062"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:56:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T18:56:47","slug":"dining-room-settings-for-entertaining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/dining-room-settings-for-entertaining\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Inviting Dining Rooms Perfectly Arranged for Entertaining"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Alden
Photo by Peter Vitale<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For the New Orleans home<\/a> of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife, Alden Lovelace, interior designer Tara Shaw<\/a> conceived a dining room suited to keep pace with the couple\u2019s legendary dinner parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaw mixed 18th-<\/a> and 19th-century<\/a> finds with modern elements for a decor that\u2019s both high-minded and relaxing. \u201cThe table is really the anchor,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the balance of mid-century<\/a> or contemporary<\/a> with antiquity<\/a> lends a collected-over-time feel to the room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large 18th-century Italian door frame<\/a>, gilded with silver while retaining its original patina, rests casually against the back wall, fitted with a mirror to visually expand the space. A tiered Baccarat crystal chandelier<\/a> provides sparkle overhead, complementing a set of 18th-century Swedish dining chairs<\/a>, 19th-century Italian consoles<\/a> and carved architectural fragments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silverware<\/a>, serveware<\/a> and European china<\/a> amassed by the Lagasses over the years adorn the table, where a sculpture bust<\/a> paired with live tulips provides a surprising centerpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the pedigree of the furnishings, the space is notably welcoming. \u201cChairs need to be comfortable \u2014 and although these are antiques, I\u2019ve seen people sit for hours in them,\u201d Shaw says. \u201cJust because it\u2019s an antique does not make it impractical or uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Timothy
Photo by Marjorie Preval<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In his former Paris pied-\u00e0-terre<\/a>, in a Haussmannian building from the late 19th century, Timothy Corrigan<\/a> \u200bdevised a dining room that celebrated the decorative arts<\/a> while inviting \u200bconversation. With its original paneling<\/a>, plasterwork,<\/a> parquet<\/a> floors and marble fireplace<\/a>, the space was a sort of salon-cum-\u200bgallery for the designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted the entire apartment to serve as a showplace for decorative arts from the 18th<\/a> through the 20th centuries<\/a>,\u201d he explains, \u201cbut also be a place where I could relax and put my feet up, have a drink and invite friends for an intimate dinner party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the center\u200b of the room, a 1970s Italian dining table<\/a> in black lacquer<\/a> and polished brass<\/a> is surrounded by Louis XVI\u2013style chairs<\/a> upholstered in Corrigan\u2019s Madeleine Velvet and Mandeville fabrics for Schumacher<\/a>.\u200b Behind them, 18th-century Italian urns<\/a> and illustrations by the Comte de Buffon<\/a> serve as neoclassical<\/a> counterpoints to the more modern flourishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corrigan set the table with custom placemats made from the reverse side of his Parc Monceau textile, gold flea-market flatware, embroidered linen napkins and red anemones arranged in gilded vases<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you have the luxury of being able to reserve a room for a highly specific function, it opens up a whole realm of aesthetic possibilities,\u201d Corrigan says. \u201cThe spaces in which you spend the least amount of time, such as powder rooms and formal dining rooms, are the ones in which you can turn up the design volume and really go for a \u2018Wow!\u2019 experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Alessandra
Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Alessandra Branca<\/a> channeled the spirit of ancient Greece to design a dining room as timeless as it is tailored in the Chicago home of a bachelor with a passion for classical architecture<\/a>. \u201cI have always loved Villa K\u00e9rylos<\/a>, and it proved to be an amazing inspiration for this room,\u201d Branca says, referring to the famous early-20th-century Greek Revival<\/a> house museum on the French Riviera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hand-painted wallcovering<\/a>, which took two years to complete and recalls ancient pottery<\/a>, sets the scene. Custom window treatments \u2014 crafted from wool scrim with a mohair<\/a> velvet appliqu\u00e9 in a Greek key<\/a> pattern \u2014 enhance the room\u2019s artisanal feel. The stone floors were treated to appear centuries old, underscoring Branca\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tabletop elements like Giustiniani<\/a> dishes, Baccarat<\/a> glassware and Buccellati<\/a> silverware add opulent touches while resonating with the classical vibe. \u201cMy goal was to create a room that can be comfortable as well as one that continues to inspire,\u201d says Branca. \u201cThis room was a great collaboration between us \u2014 the client, the architects and the artisans and craftsmen. Everyone did their best work and put in great effort. Those are the best rooms anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"At<\/figure>\n
Photo by Stephen Karlisch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the 2021 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas<\/a>, Corey Damen Jenkins<\/a> transformed a large area in a Georgian manse in Old Preston Hollow into a bold French imperial<\/a> dining room. Jenkins tented the space in more than 500 yards of Zoffany and Sanderson fabrics, a nod to the Napoleonic<\/a> military campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 1920s Empire-style chandelier<\/a> at the peak of the tent hangs in dramatic contrast to abstract art by Jason Trotter. Rather than place one long dining table in the room, Jenkins brought in a pair of four-seaters made from crisp Cambria white quartz. Louis XVI chairs<\/a> from Embree & Lake<\/a> with backs upholstered in imperial-sash stripes give the space what Jenkins calls a \u201csaucy moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese export porcelain<\/a>, an ornate Louis XVI console<\/a> and custom floors by Parquet de Versailles<\/a> reinforce the room\u2019s French glamour \u2014 an inventive, indulgent take on tradition made whimsical with Jenkins\u2019s unmistakable flair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Thomas
Photo by Jonathan Wallen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For a sailing family, Thomas Jayne<\/a> partnered with Peter Pennoyer Architects<\/a> to create a shingle-style house<\/a> in Liberty, Maine, that draws from the area\u2019s maritime heritage. With its subtle nautical details and antique accents, the interiors exhibit Jayne\u2019s signature blend of historical nods and quiet sophistication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The centralized dining room recalls the wheelhouse of a boat. Jayne lined the curved bay windows with custom banquettes<\/a>, built low so as not to obstruct the high-perch vista of Penobscot Bay. A trad English dining table<\/a> is surrounded by early-19th-century neoclassical chairs<\/a>, which Jayne says are likely Scandinavian. It’s set with pieces from the clients\u2019 collection, including blue-glass candelabras<\/a> and vintage colored glassware<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe focused the design around the beautiful water views,\u201d says Jayne, \u201cwith the painted chairs<\/a>, textiles and tableware reflecting a palette of green and blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always tell clients a dining room is a great luxury \u2014 a dedicated place for gathering with friends and family and for celebrating,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt provides a sense of occasion and should be decorated with that in mind, although it should also be comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bobby
Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In the open-plan living-and-dining area of his self-designed Atlanta home<\/a>, architect Bobby McAlpine<\/a> layers old-world elements within a contemporary structure \u2014 a style he has dubbed \u201cnew romantic modernism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contemporary comforts intermingle with exotic Continental finds evoking the European grand tour<\/a>. \u201cContradictions swing the pendulum here,\u201d says McAlpine<\/a>, who embraces the tension between refinement and patina, symmetry and imperfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dining area features a cage-based pedestal table<\/a> met by klismos chairs<\/a> and tall white-upholstered banquettes<\/a> framed with gold molding. Outsize Venetian-style lanterns<\/a> loom over terracotta lions<\/a>, giltwood tables<\/a> and a giant egg sculpture<\/a>, heightening the sense of theatricality. \u201cThe weathered slatted walls portray the house as a crate holding precious, imperfect objects,\u201d the designer muses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Ken
Photo by James McDonald<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

At last year’s WOW!house<\/a> exhibition, in London, Ken Fulk<\/a> concocted a dining room, chock-full of opulent eclecticism, that was inspired by a fictional character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe envisioned the home of a grand-dame hostess who was also an eccentric animal lover,\u201d says the San Francisco\u2013based designer and antiques seller<\/a>. \u201cIt was easy to imagine the long, boozy brunches she might host and the cast of characters that would come over for salon-style conversations by the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fulk\u2019s A Life Reflected carpet, produced by The Rug Company<\/a>, was the starting point for the room\u2019s narrative, its blue-and-white pattern recalling 14th-century Delftware<\/a> and azulejo tilework<\/a>. On it sits a stately 20th-century mahogany dining table<\/a>, laid with Sharland England<\/a> tableware and illuminated by Thierry Jeannot\u2019s undulating chandelier fashioned from recycled clear-plastic bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fulk packed the space with painterly detail: Linda Fahey\u2019s sculptural works, Fromental wallpaper and other touches in a blue-green palette inspired by William Morris<\/a>\u2019s Green Dining Room, which resides in the nearby Victoria & Albert museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe dining room encapsulates all of our favorite rituals,\u201d Fulk says. \u201cSpecial celebrations and unforgettable memories of shared meals, great conversation and beautiful settings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Exotic<\/figure>\n
Photo by Dan Forer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a classic Bahamian Georgian\u2013style home on Florida\u2019s Johns Island<\/a>, Tom Stringer<\/a> created a dining room that feels like a journey across time and continents, especially when bathed in an amber glow at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDining rooms, in my mind, are designed for candlelight and a touch of drama,\u201d says Stringer, who worked with the clients to enliven their existing pieces while layering in time-honored antiques and handcrafted details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stringer\u2019s team refurbished the clients\u2019 existing dining table, surrounding it with Dessin Fournir<\/a> Regency-style armchairs from Baker, Knapp & Tubbs<\/a>, reupholstered in Brunschwig & Fils<\/a>\u2019s Lord Byron woven stripe. A Victorian mahogany sideboard, circa 1850, sounds a note of gravitas, while a pair of William IV game tables<\/a> offer flexibility for entertaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For lighting, Stringer deployed Vaughan<\/a> glass-column lamps with hand-painted shades and a Paul Ferrante<\/a> iron lantern and wall sconces. Vintage Tiffany candleholders<\/a>, hand-blown Baccarat crystal glasses<\/a> and William Yeoward<\/a> hand-painted porcelain and silverware complete the table settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A selection of premodern art introduces a sense of history and worldliness. Two Tang dynasty<\/a> (618\u2013907 CE) camel sculptures from the Golden Triangle<\/a> seem to have wandered out of the 19th-century Dutch painting of the Egyptian pyramids behind them. And a series of 18th-century \u201cHindoos\u201d prints by Edward Orme<\/a> adds another cultural layer to the hallway beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur clients asked for an interior that felt classic and timeless and evoked memories of an elegant era of entertaining,\u201d Stringer says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bloomingdale's
Photo by Amy Neunsinger<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Among Bennett Leifer<\/a>\u2019s many talents, his particular forte is color. Proof? This dining area in a restored Garrison, New York estate the he staged for Bloomingdale\u2019s Mix Masters campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We wanted to bring the space to life with foliage, green tones and simple profiles,” explains the New York\u2013based designer. “The relatively small room has gorgeous garden views that inspired the interior selections.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further enlivening the space are a vintage crystal chandelier, a Caracole<\/a> table and Calligaris<\/a> chairs, which together lend it an undeniable allure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hamptons
Photo by Richard Powers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

“The inspiration was completely taken from the location,” say the Thorp<\/a> principals who crafted this cool and beach-friendly Hamptons<\/a> dining room. “Our aim was to create a coastal home in a contemporary style. We wanted to keep the schemes fresh throughout.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The palette of soft grays and blues offers the perfect backdrop for the standout piece: a bespoke polished-wood dining table commissioned from Rupert Bevan. The antique chairs are from James Graham Stewart<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"dining
Photo by Mali Azima<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For the dining room in a 1930s home in Atlanta<\/a>, Melanie Turner <\/a>took a “fresh approach to a classical design.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lavender accents bring a feminine flair to the more traditional mid-century glassware, antique oushak rug<\/a> and de Gournay silk wallpaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n
Photos by Joshua McHugh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“The indoor and outdoor spaces of this gracious, relaxing compound are perfect for intimate and large-scale gatherings alike,” says Pamela Katch<\/a>, describing the home on Sag Harbor\u2019s waterfront<\/a> her firm designed to accommodate three generations of one family. “Simple, contemporary furniture forms combine with an array of textural, natural materials to create an environment of ease, warmth and hospitality.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the dining room, Katch set the stage for entertaining with china by Mud Australia and Roman and Williams Guild<\/a>, which also designed the striped runner, and a candleholder by Dina No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"JKA
Photo by Matthew Millman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In crafting this dining room of a Parisian-style San Francisco residence<\/a>, JKA Design<\/a>\u2019s John K. Anderson<\/a> aimed for a certain aesthetic tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was to be modern within the classic envelope of the home, which we took in a Parisian<\/a> direction during the renovation,” says Anderson. He brought the decor up-to-date with an Alexander McQueen<\/a> rug and Richard Learoyd painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Kristen
Photo by Michael Hunter<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

“Our inspiration was the client’s love for cooking and entertaining,” Kristen Nix<\/a> says, referring to the dining area of a home in Austin’s Pemberton Heights neighborhood<\/a>. “This room was more in her territory, with the opportunity to be more feminine.” Seizing the opportunity, she deployed a pastel palette, adorning the walls, for instance, with a Catherine Booker Jones painting and a Chinoiserie-inspired print from Miles Redd<\/a>\u2019s collaboration with Schumacher<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nix is particularly proud of the light fixture. “It’s J. Randall Powers<\/a> for Circa Lighting<\/a>,” she explains. “We were lucky to get the last one before it was discontinued.” She also points to the antique chairs and table \u2014 laid with plates by Bordallo Pinheir<\/a>o<\/a> \u2014 which the homeowners purchased with the house. It was cool, Nix notes “to incorporate something that had been in the house for over 20 years.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Sofia
Photo by D BOX<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Like many designers, Sofia Joelsson<\/a> takes cues from the surrounding landscape in crafting her interiors. And this dining room in a Miami Beach penthouse<\/a> is no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Fosali glass light fixture was designed to resemble jellyfish in the water like an organic constellation,” she says. “The sculptural Gallotti & Radice<\/a> dining chairs are soft movements of the ocean making marks in the sand.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photos by Emily Gilbert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This stunning dining room may be in a historic Maine cottage<\/a>, but in designing it, Kathryn Davis<\/a> looked to Italy for inspiration. “The homeowners honeymooned in Venice and return there often,” she explains. “In fact, they had the chandelier custom made at a glass factory in Murano<\/a> on their first trip to Venice.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most eye-catching element? It’s a close race between the Bungalow 5 chairs and the landscape by well-known Cranberry Island artist Henry Isaacs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"2017
Photo by Douglas Freidman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An Upper East Side woman who harbors escaped zoo animals in her stylish apartment. That’s who Ken Fulk<\/a> pictured in outfitting his designated space in New York\u2019s Kips Bay Showhouse<\/a>, the second-floor dining room, in a twist similar to what he later designed for WOW!house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this fictional muse in mind, the ultra-maximalist arrayed the space in plush textures and mesmerizing patterns. The plethora of colors all come together in the custom hand-painted silk de Gournay<\/a> wallpaper, which serves as backdrop to a slew of antiques from Newel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Casa
Photo by Giorgio Baroni<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For the Tribeca home of Lord Justin Portman<\/a> and his now ex-wife, Casa Q\u2019s Erin Quiros<\/a> ordered every single element, including the windows and flooring, directly from Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The couple was accustomed to spending many months on the island,” of Sardenia, Quiros explains, “and had grown very fond of the juxtaposition of its sleek and contemporary architecture and the warm inviting interiors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To emulate this coveted vibe, she outfitted the massive dining area, with its blazing hearth, in both rich- and cool-toned woods and clean-lined pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Country
Photo by Gianni Franchellucci<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted something like an orangerie, with the double exposure,\u201d says Robert Couturier<\/a>, describing this dining room in a Connecticut country home<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Couturier hung the French doors with Lesage<\/a> linen curtains custom embroidered in a Mughal motif, softening the natural light that floods in. The 17th-century chandelier is Dutch, and the chairs are Louis XIV<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photos by Jonathan Bond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“Given that this was a converted cowshed, the interior had to speak to its organic roots,” says Samantha Todhunter<\/a>, explaining her design for this room in a repurposed barn in Dorset, England<\/a>. “Nothing could be too precious or overdesigned. Our intention was to create an easy, relaxed, informal living-dining space for as many or as few people as needed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To accommodate the upper limit, Todhunter opted for a large vintage farmhouse-style table and chairs from the Battersea Decorative Antiques & Textiles fair. And she surrounded these with colorful pieces. “Collections of plates are always lovely arranged on a wall as an alternative to artwork,” she notes. “Puglian pottery<\/a> or Solimene from Sorento is always wonderful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\t

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