Dining Room | Design Tips

The kitchen has now become a central hub of the home and one of the challenges of designing an open plan kitchen space that includes a kitchen, dining and soft seating area is keeping a consistent flow and overall design aesthetic that works seamlessly across each of the key areas. Whilst many clients still love the idea of a formal dining room separate to the kitchen, most will now opt for an informal dining area in an open plan, carefully zoned space that can be scaled up and down depending on the number having dinner.

Banquette seating can be specified in projects of all shapes and sizes and provides an opportunity for informal, comfortable dining in the kitchen when a larger dining table may not be available in the space, or if there’s a formal dining room nearby.

When considering a dining space whether it be in an open plan kitchen or separate room, start with the size of the table – how many do you ideally need to fit around it?

Dining tables are deeply personal pieces of furniture that can make or break a kitchen or dining space and choosing the right table can be difficult. If like many of our clients you are looking for a durable, beautiful, made to order dining table, then bespoke may be the best choice. We offer a range of dining tables to choose from as well as seating.

Here are a couple from recent projects to give you an idea:

B L A K E N E Y  D I N I N G  T A B L E

Sitting proudly in the Barnes Village project is this Blakeney dining table finished in Berkeley oak with a quartz worktop. Seating 6-8 people, this table is the ultimate in luxury and looks absolutely stunning in this light and bright, open plan space.

The Blakeney table is available in three finishes: Classic oak, Portobello oak and Berkeley oak, and three sizes: 900mm x 2400mm (6-8 people), 9000mm x 3000mm (8-10 people) and 900mm x 3600mm (10-12 people).

L E X I N G T O N  D I N I N G  T A B L E

If you are looking for a table that suits both classic and contemporary spaces, but has an elegant edge, the Lexington (pictured in the North London project above) might just be the perfect choice. The base of the table features intricate solid pedestal legs that offer an effortless luxurious look and feel which can be painted in a Humphrey Munson colour (exclusive to HM by Mylands).

The Lexington table is available in three finishes: Classic oak, Portobello oak and Berkeley oak, and three sizes: 1100mm x 2400mm (6-8 people), 1100mm x 3000mm (8-10 people) and 1100mm x 3600mm (10-12 people).

L A N G H A M  R O U N D  P E D E S T A L  T A B L E

The Langham round pedestal table is a firm favourite whether it’s designed in a space on its own such as the Bedfordshire project (pictured above) or with banquette seating (such as the Walton barn project).

The Langham round pedestal table is available in three finishes: Classic oak, Portobello oak and Berkeley oak, and three sizes: 1100mm (6-8 people), 1300mm (8-10 people) and 1500mm (10-12 people).

A chair that features heavily in the majority of the dining spaces we design at Humphrey Munson is the Havisham dining chair. The classic contemporary design of the Havisham dining chair lends itself perfectly to modern living. The solid wood frames are handmade using traditional joinery techniques and can be finished in our range of bespoke accents woods including natural oak, Portobello oak, Smithfield weathered oak or the new Berkeley oak so that the finishes tie in with the main kitchen. The upholstered seating is finished in the finest quality Italian leather creating a beautiful yet highly practical finish perfect for relaxing family-centric living.

Many of our projects involve designing and installing cabinetry in other rooms in the house which really helps to ensure a sense of consistency and flow throughout the space. Installing cabinetry in the same design as the main kitchen is key to keeping the overall look and feel of the project really consistent and because it’s bespoke, it means the cabinetry fits the scale and proportion of the space perfectly.

A mirrored interior and glass shelves in glazed cabinetry which are typically designed as part of a dining room, creates the feeling of more space (such as the Bedfordshire project above), plus it looks particularly wonderful in the evenings when illuminated and provides additional mood lighting during dinners.

In more traditional spaces, mirrored interiors may not work as well. The Hertfordshire project for example is a kitchen and dining space with a quiet sense of calm. The dresser was specified with a Classic oak interior and painted exterior finished in HM paint colour ‘Farthing’ to match the perimeter cabinetry of the main kitchen. The two finishes contrast beautifully and the classic oak brings a real sense of warmth when opened.

When considering additional cabinetry, ask yourself what it is going to be used for. This beautiful glazed cabinetry at the Warwickshire project (pictured above) was specified as a place to store glassware and provides a space for preparing and serving cocktails and pre-dinner drinks.

Finished in HM paint colour ‘Mainsail’ it is located behind the dining table – perfect for setting the table and serving drinks without disturbing the cook working away in the main kitchen. If of course serving drinks is your aim in a formal dining space, consider including an under-counter drinks fridge or drawer for maximum convenience.

Where space is a virtue, and entertaining is often, a tall run of cabinetry works wonderfully. The Kent project as an example has a large open plan kitchen and dining space, the latter has a hidden door which leads through to a cosy sitting room but doesn’t break up the run. Finished in Berkeley oak the secret room is at centre of the run which is flanked by Gaggenau wine refrigeration and glazed crockery cupboards at either end.

The tall run of cabinetry at the Wimbledon project offers a hive of storage as well as as two drinks cupboards with bi-fold doors (alcoholic to the left and hot drinks to the right). This impressive dining room space is painted in HM colour ‘Duffle’ with a Berkeley oak interior and has been designed to contain crockery, glassware, cook books, napkins and anything else the client could think of!

To find out more about our dining tables, Havisham chairs, kitchens etc call us on 01371 821300 or email info@humphreymunson.co.uk.