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Design 101
Elements of a Traditional Dining Room
October 25, 2024
Traditional style interior design balances sophistication and comfort. Neutral colors and personal touches soften the formality of ornate details and plush fabrics. Symmetry is paramount to traditional design and is echoed in a balance of colors, patterns, textures, and formality. Traditional design incorporates vintage pieces with modern elements from all over the world.
A traditional dining room welcomes you with classic, timeless appeal. Here's how to bring traditional design into your dining room.
Basic Traditional Design Elements
1. Traditional Dining Room Colors
Neutral, natural colors simultaneously communicate both warmth and formality, a must for any traditional dining room. Choose rich, deep, warm woods and wood stains. Introduce earthy greens, sunny yellows, and peaceful blues to balance soft whites and muted browns, such as coffee and beige.
As you select colors for your dining room, keep in mind that balance drives traditional design, including a balance of the expected with the unexpected. Once you've established a classic, timeless color scheme, disrupt the softer tones with bold, saturated pops of color in unexpected places.
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A deep red teapot on a black and steel range grabs the eye.
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Set a deep, coffee-toned wood dining room table with bright plates and napkins.
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Yellow glass pillar candle holders bring an unexpected burst of color with a modern touch
2. Ornate Detailing
The traditional style's ornate, intricate designs bring a sense of sophistication and romance, a nod to its 18th- and 19th-century French and English origins.
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Crown and carved molding on wall trim and cabinetry evoke a classic, formal feel.
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Give cabinets a vintage, romantic feel with intricately designed hardware in antique finishes.
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Furniture pieces like tables, chairs, sideboards, and bar stools may feature curvy legs, inlaid wood designs, cut-out or etched metal artwork, or other elements for an ornate touch.
3. Traditional Materials
Natural materials like wood, slate, glass, and terra cotta work well in a traditional style dining room, but a mix of materials is essential to truly achieve the classic traditional style.
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Choose granite, marble, or soapstone countertops.
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A traditional dining room floor is typically hardwood, stone, or tile. Tile options include slate, limestone, and terra cotta.
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Consider cabinet hardware in bronze, nickel, and pewter with a matte finish.
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Traditional fabrics like leather, velvet, cotton, and silk are typically plush but subtle.
Traditional Dining Room Furniture
Timeless, well-made furniture with unique touches works well in a traditional dining room. Prioritize dining purchases for your traditional dining room, such as tables, chairs, and bar stools.
Seating
Traditional design leans into seating that invites conversation. Cushioned seating and plush fabrics make chairs, stools, and benches more comfortable, encouraging longer dining experiences. Invite conversation and interaction by adding swiveling chairs and stools and incorporating armless chairs that can be placed closer to each other.
Tables
Craftsmanship is the most important element of a traditional table. Wood tables in rich, warm tones balance the elegance of curved pillars and elaborate decorative elements. Choose tables with leaves so you can seat more people when needed, but still provide intimate seating when you do not have guests.
Bar Carts and Sideboards
Traditional design offers a unique opportunity to incorporate personal, unexpected touches into the overall classic, timeless look. Break up the more sophisticated elements of traditional design with unexpected pieces, such as a vintage iron forge ice box bar cart. A sideboard with a romantic vibe and two tones of wood finish also adds interest while blending well with traditional design.
Alternatively, you can purchase dining room sets that include sideboards and pieces for a seamless, classic look and provide balance with unique decor or lighting instead.
Traditional Dining Room Lighting
Many varieties of lighting complement a traditional design. The most important aspect of the style to apply when considering lighting for your dining room is symmetry. For example, if you place a pendant lamp above a dining room table, make sure it's placed above the table's center. Or, if you choose to place more than one, be sure to evenly space fixtures.
When choosing lighting for your traditional dining room, incorporate traditional design elements like ornate designs, mixed materials, and balanced colors.
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A simple chandelier with candles inspired by a classic candelabra mixes metal and wood with a unique, romantic vibe.
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Hang a bronze, curvy chandelier for a more ornate look.
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An elegant blue and white glass lamp mixes materials while also balancing a more modern style base with a classic lamp shade.
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With a mixture of gloss and matte finishes, a unique, black and white, well-crafted ceramic jug vase provides a contrast typical of traditional design.
Traditional Dining Room Decor
Here's where you can really have fun with the traditional design style. Your flooring, cabinets, and furniture have created a classic, timeless feel. Now, your decorative pieces can add unique, unexpected personal touches. Candle holders, clocks, mirrors, and other decorative elements are easy to swap out for seasonal decor or a simple change of scenery when you need something new.
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A hanging wall collage of artwork framed in wood hung by forged iron scrollwork mixes wood and iron. This hanging wine collage also exhibits two other elements of traditional design: ornate detailing and, with a Tuscan flair, a nod to global design.
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An aged black wrought iron and antique brass wall clock adds a vintage element to your traditional kitchen.
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For heritage-rich appeal, choose a wall hanging in a natural material, such as clay, that's inspired by another culture.
Design Your Traditional Dining Room
Traditional dining room designs bring balance to your space by blending classic, timeless sophistication with pops of color and unique, personal elements. Shop by style to find traditional pieces for your dining room.
Once you have designed your traditional dining room, bring traditional design into your living room, bedroom, and the rest of your home.
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