Transform Your Tiny Dining Room Into an Entertainer’s Dream With These Decorating Hacks

Owning or renting a small apartment doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on style or miss out on hosting dinner parties. We've previously explained how to make a small living room feel huge and provided you with the decorating hacks to turn your tiny bedroom into a spacious boudoir. Now, we've got your small dining room in our sights.

Often, we see a perfectly fine dining area be swallowed up by incorrect furniture or poor spatial planning, which only makes everything look more cramped. When you're faced with a limited amount of floor space, it's important to get creative by squeezing every last millimetre out of the room. Dining rooms are actually great spaces to think outside of the box with because there are no set rules to how the space needs to look, and you can easily customise the layout to suit your lifestyle and needs. For those looking to supersize their meals (and drinks) area, take a look at these simple and affordable decorating hacks for the dining room.

7 easy and affordable decorating tricks for tiny dining rooms

1. Customise your table

There are so many amazing places to look when it comes to a dining table. Of course, we'll always favour local makers who are able to work with you to design a one-off piece that's 100 per cent perfect for your room.

Products like extendable tables are great for people who love to entertain but don't want to live with a huge table when it's not in use. You can simply fold it back up after a party and regain some of your precious space back. If you don't plan on ever having more than a few people over at one time, go for a smaller table that can sit flush against a wall or neatly beside a window. Grab a couple of stackable chairs that can be pulled out of the cupboard when needed. It's all about customisation in cramped dining spaces.

2. Bench seating

Have you considered a bench seat in your dining scheme? If not, it might be time to rethink the standard dining room formula. Benches offer great versatility in homes because they can always double as a coffee table, TV stand or a place to sit and take your shoes off at the front door. This means you can free up space in your dining room during the week, and create the illusion of a fully-fledged entertaining area on the weekends.

3. Use your kitchen

If you're really tight on space and don't have a dedicated area for dining, it's worth figuring out how you can incorporate it into your kitchen space. For example, places like IKEA stock affordable freestanding kitchen benches that are perfect for adding more bench space to your kitchen while also creating a space where you could easily pop a few barstools around. In no time at all, you'll have doubled the functional space of your kitchen and provided yourself with a place to eat and entertain your friends.

4. Don't forget lighting

By adding one simple pendant light over your dining table, you'd be surprised at just how effective it is at defining the space as its own and creating a distinct zone for eating.

If you're renting, you can achieve a similar effect with a beautiful floor lamp to introduce an ambiance that makes for an enjoyable dinner party. Remember, the least flattering type of lighting is overhead downlights.

5. Dine by the window

If you've got a nice, bright window or a corner of the home near a balcony, consider making this your dining room. You'll be more inclined to sit here every morning to enjoy your breakfast if you have a pleasant view and can catch some morning rays in the meantime. Windows can sometimes present an obstacle in furniture placement but are perfect for dining spaces.

6. Multifunctional

Do you work from home sometimes and need the dining table to function as your office space? Consider choosing a table that is neutral enough to do double duty but has some extra features like concealed drawers where you can place any paperwork or even your laptop inside.

The same goes for a buffet unit (if space permits) where glasses and plates can live alongside your folders and anything you need to stash for work purposes.

7. Floating shelves

When you've run out of floor space, it's time to go up! Installing a few floating shelves above your dining area is not only a great way to show off any beautiful ceramics or dinnerware you've collected over time, but it's also a way to make your home stand out from the crowd. Turn your lack of square footage into a design feature by curating your favourite items and displaying them for your visitors to ponder.

Now it's time to set the table! Here are 20 incredible table setting ideas to inspire your next dinner party.