How to Decorate With Dining at the Front of a Home

Paint the walls in the dining room and foyer with the same color or a color that is only one or two shades lighter or darker. This allows visual flow throughout the spaces. If you don't have a foyer or entrance hall, keep the paint close to the same shade in any rooms or hallways you can see when walking through the dining room.

Incorporate colors that reflect the tone and style of your home that are in pastel or neutral colors. This is because dining rooms are often small or cramped with large dining room furniture. Paint the baseboards and other trim work with the same paint as the walls. This makes the room seem more spacious.

Position the dining room table and other furniture so that the walkway is not obstructed. If you have a square or rectangle shaped dining table, position it closest to the wall that is not near a doorway. For rooms that are quite narrow, slide the table and chairs against the wall to clear the pathway, particularly if you do not actually dine in the room except on special occasions.

Arrange a conversation area in one section of the dining room if it is quite large. A sofa and TV or a couple of occasional chairs with a small end table between them is all that is necessary to create the space. This makes the room seem more homey when guests pass through the room.

Use mirrors instead of busy artwork on the walls if the room is small. They reflect light and visually enlarge the room size by brightening the room.

Incorporate fabric chair covers or cushions in a design that reflects the style of your home. Formal dining rooms often tend to be stuffy, contain dark woods and somber colors. Upholstery fabrics and cushions help the guests to sample a taste of the rest of your home decor if you lighten up a bit in this area. A trendy tablecloth is another way to change the room from formal to casual.

Hang curtains that you can open easily to allow sunlight into the room. The correct choice of colors, fabrics and decor doesn't make much of a first impression if the room is poorly lit. Another option is to have floor or table lamps in corners of the room. This prevents you from having to turn on a chandelier or ceiling fixture because it is the only lighting available.