10 of the best dining room ideas

Dining table
Combine pastels and florals for a Springtime feel, and mix and match chairs for a unique look.
Addington dining chair in Dalton Cyclamen, £30, Aldwick dining chair in Edwin Apple, £475, Provençale extending dining table, £925, pair of upholstered dining chairs, £575, curtains in Aviary Garden in Apple, £34 per metre, all Laura Ashley (lauraashley.com)

Wallpaper
Add some points of colour to a neutral scheme – herer, soft teal and pink accent the creams and vanillas.
Piccadilly Revolution range wallpaper in Mock Green, £60.50 per roll, chair painted in Aquamarine 138 intelligent eggshell, £51 for 2.5L, both Little Greene (littlegreene.com)

Dining set
Here's a flavour of Fifties diner style for your eating area – a retro set of table and chairs.
Rydell four-seat dining set in black, £349, Tesco Direct (tesco.com)

Table
Give some edge to a classic wooden table with these modern plastic chairs.
Deakin extending table, 180x100cm, £685, Bones rug, 150x230cm, £799, Star Classic chair, £135, pendant light in yellow, £162, all Barker and Stonehouse (barkerandstonehouse.co.uk) 

Chair
A new lighting scheme can really transform a room – this trio of light fittings plus table lamp makes a big statement.
Eichholtz Silom table lamp in nickel with black shade, £1,346.50, small Eichholtz Yorkshire lantern, £1,010, medium Eichholtz Yorkshire lantern, £1,346, Eichholtz Lancaster chair in black, £404, all Houseology (houseology.com)

Table
You don’t have to repaint your walls for a whole new look. How about investing in some colourful chairs instead?
Genoa round table, £369, 80cm, Cavalier Lotus dining chairs in green, £79 each, Matrix Max 03 rug, 230 x 160cm, £279, Tone pendant lights, £79 each, all Fishpools (fishpools.co.uk)

Dining table
Add colour to an all-white palette with cushions and tablecloths.
Beckworth rectangular extending dining table, £399, Beckworth dining chair, £299 (set of 2), Wilshire dining chair, £279 (set of 2), Ercol Turville dining chair without seat pad, £549, Barnes chair, £129, nautical stripe cushion, £19.50, wide stripe seat pad, £15, ikat table runner, £19.50, large station wall clock, £79, all Marks & Spencer (marksandspencer.com)

Dining table
Choose dining room furniture with painted frames for a fresh new look.
Amelie extending dining table, £899, Amelie upholstered dining chair, £199, Renoir pendant, £75, all John Lewis (johnlewis.com)

Once the table is set, browse our dinner party recipe ideas