Traditional Dining Room Design Ideas

Traditional-style dining rooms demand attention with their classic look. The formal side of traditional can really come out in a dining room. However, choosing furniture in rich wood tones and keeping the color palette bright and inviting will help balance out the formality and make it more approachable.Traditional dining rooms are perfect for those who have a timeless sense of style and want to go with a classic look in their dining area. A formal dining room in the truest sense is exactly what they’re looking for. However, traditionalists also love homey spaces with a comfortable touch. So, the formality is balanced out with soft and rustic elements in the furniture materials and upholstery, giving traditional dining rooms a very inviting vibe. Traditional spaces tend to have sophisticated and fairly neutral color palettes, with plenty of whites and creams. This helps give that welcoming, predictable feeling to your traditional dining room design. However, pops of saturated color can be used in rugs and artwork—and even wall colors if you want to create a bit more bold of a look! And when it comes to upholstery, you’ll find simple, soft linen and cotton weaves, along with classic patterns like stripes, florals, and damask.If you’re looking for traditional dining room ideas, know that they can really be personalized and go toward a more classic or modern approach. There are numerous ways to bring this look to life! However, regardless of which approach you take, wooden furniture with carvings and moldings creates a beautiful foundation for traditional dining rooms. While dark wood finishes are very at-home in traditional design, you can also go for a slightly more countryside vibe with grey or white-washed wood finishes. And furniture with caning details or in a crisp white finish both strike the perfect balance between formal and approachable. Traditional dining room layouts can be simple but are very intentional. Go for a hefty, sturdy table with rich wood tones. This could be in a dark or grey-washed finish. We also love the formality of a black dining table with a more ornate base. And traditional dining rooms practically beg for upholstered chairs. But you could also go for the look of upholstered captains chairs paired with carved wood dining chairs—perhaps with caning details or a classic ladder or windsor style. Under the table, layer in a patterned rug for a pop of color or texture underfoot. Finally, make sure to include a formal buffet table or sideboard to display fine china and store table linens.Chandeliers in traditional dining rooms are an opportunity to really make a stylistic statement. For a classical look, opt for a more ornate chandelier—perhaps even with draped crystal beading ornamentation. Candelabra chandeliers are perfectly at home in traditional dining room designs as well. However, you can also mix and match design styles when it comes to light fixtures. An industrial light fixture can lend a more rustic vibe to the space, while a pendant in a brass or bronze finish will give the space a modern edge. A woven pendant light can promote a relaxed, almost coastal vibe. So, choose a chandelier based on the subtle style nuance you’d like to achieve!Want to see some traditional dining room design ideas come to life? We have a whole library of designs to inspire you. So, keep scrolling for some traditional dining room design inspiration!