Modern dining room furniture elements – design ideas for a unique look

Bored of classic mahogany and teak in your dining room and looking for modern furniture ideas? This is a good place to start.

Functional art or modern furniture?

The 1900s spawned a group of designers who began to move away from bulky traditional wooden furniture, towards styles more suited to smaller urban spaces.

These modern (and post-modern) designers made use of lighter structures to create bold and functional designs that incorporated eccentric elements from Art Deco to Pop.

Minimal and thoughtful are the keywords of the style. To put together your dining room, you will need to embrace simplicity.

What is the modern look?

Gone are the rich embroidered fabrics and intricate carved patterns that accompany traditional furniture. Modernism demands smooth surfaces, clean cuts and geometric designs.

Natural textures and solid color themes should blend together to create a vibrant and relaxing atmosphere.

The designs are flexible and multifunctional, so you can easily fold or lock pieces together. A popular example is the dining table with attached folding leaves.

These small structures can be opened and unfolded to accommodate larger groups for special occasions. Another great example is the loaded beverage cart and food cart hidden in one part of the sideboard.

What materials work best?

Polished dark wood is a formal material that gives it a classic feel, while lighter unpolished woods are more lively and have a more contemporary feel.

Modern homes feature more alternative materials like stainless steel, chrome, plastic, glass, and molded plywood. When it comes to textiles for the seat covers and upholstery, you can’t go wrong with leather, silk, organic hemp, or pure cotton.

The modern look is global too. Borrow generously from Asian and African motifs and themes.

Double textured pieces often combine exotic materials for a fresh look. In keeping with ecological trends, a fusion of sustainable materials such as wicker, jute, stone, cane or bamboo with modern materials such as glass and steel or even traditional wood, also create a unique style.

How much furniture is too much?

A modern dining room should not have too much furniture. There should be no clutter. You can choose a ready-made ensemble or select individual pieces with a common running theme, but choose only the basics. Invest in a small selection of elegant and delicate pieces that go well together.

A dining table set, a sideboard, two matching porcelain cabinets, and a single serving cart with a hotplate are more than enough furnishings for a medium-sized dining room.

The dining room is a special part of the house. This is where everyone gathers to eat and mingle. The whole family and occasionally friends, come together to share, laugh, eat and celebrate each other’s existence. The atmosphere you create in this room will give you many happy memories.

So make it a special environment that bears your hallmark of warmth and comfort.