Must-have furnishings for homes with open concept dining.

A bright, open layout incorporated with the right furnishings creates more memorable dining experience.

Photo: @jeadijeanfeldman via Lichelle Silvestry Interiors/IG

The open-concept floor plan has been a thing in 2021. Many homeowners, especially those who built new or renovated custom homes, merged their living room, kitchen, and dining rooms into one great room. For most homeowners, doing so provides many benefits; it makes the room feel bigger, saves energy, makes communication among household members easier, and allows better entertainment, especially when hosting gatherings at home. 

However, openness also comes with some costs, and one of those is the difficulty of separating spaces from one another and keeping the design and the flow right. Since every piece of furnishing is visible from other parts of the house, homeowners need to spend a lot of time planning and exploring tons of creativity to ensure the distinctness and connection between each area. They must be careful in choosing the furnishings they will incorporate in each area. But before doing it, they should first identify the focal point of their home to make the design easier and better. That focal point in most homes with open concept space is no other than the dining space. Every furnishing in an open-concept dining space is vital in keeping the living room and kitchen interconnected. For this reason, custom homeowners should identify the must-have furnishings that must be considered, especially when they have an open-concept dining space.

Should they include partition walls? Accent their dining spaces with vibrant-colored furniture? Or put china cabinets?

To help out in answering these questions, we’ve prepared a list of furnishings that custom homeowners with open-concept dining spaces must-have. Let’s jump in.

1. Dining table and chairs

Dining space, as its name implies, won’t be complete without furnishings that allow custom homeowners to eat comfortably. Thus, leads us to the first set of furnishing that an open-concept dining space must have–a dining table and chairs. The type of dining table and chairs that will be chosen must resonate with the whole concept of the great room. The dining table and chair above from Prestige Solid Wood Furniture induce a dark solid brown color that contrasts the white rug and gray-washed flooring–a style mainly utilized by industrial-inspired homes. But it doesn’t end there. Even homes ranging from open-concept contemporary, modern, and midcentury-inspired homes can use this table as long as it complements or contrasts the color of the walls, ceiling, and flooring. 

Photo: Prestige Solid Wood Furniture (Coquitlam) /IG

2. Light fixture

Even if the lighting can be shared in an open-concept floor plan, setting a particular light that sets the mood for relaxing and satisfying dining is a must. Chandeliers, pendants, sconces, and ceiling lights can be some of the options depending on the style of the whole great room. 

The pendant lighting above from S & N Lighting and lighting of the same kind has been one of the most seen light fixtures in modern custom homes nowadays. Aside from being sleek and stylish, pendant lighting accents the dining space that sets the area apart from the living room and kitchen. 

Photo: S & N Lighting (Burnaby)/IG

3. A buffet or a china cabinet

This is not as necessary as the first two, but owning a buffet or a china cabinet is a must, even if the dining spaces are open. They help define the dining area and complement perfectly with the dining table and chairs. Having a buffet or china cabinet is also a wise move since it keeps tableware within reach and in a very stylish manner. Accents @ home offer a wide range of buffet selections that custom homeowners around Tricity and Burnaby can choose from. More sideboards are also available at Homestead Furniture (Port Coquitlam, BC) 

Photo: Accents @ home (Coquitlam, BC)

4. Accessories

Dining room accessories, whether tablewares or eclectic wall embellishments are best displayed in a home with an open-concept floor plan because they will always be visible and appealing to the eyes. The homeowners just have to make sure that any accessories incorporated into the dining space make the area distinct and, at the same time, connect other areas of the custom home.

Photo: Emilia & Rose Home Boutique (Langley, BC)/IG

Every custom homeowner–whether they live in a closed-concept floor plan or an open-concept floor plan–deserves a dining experience that’s not only comfortable but one where they feel safe and satisfied. Having the must-have furnishings we stated in this blog is key.

This article was last updated on Jul 8, 2023