Modern homes tended to eschew the dining room in favor of a breakfast nook or something just as informal, particularly in homes with open floor plans. However, it appears that the dining room is set to make a comeback this year. In today’s post, local home remodeler DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Aiken looks at how dining rooms are coming back — and why it’s not the same as before.
When Did Dining Rooms Go Out of Fashion?
As recent as the 1950s, dinners are formal events attended wearing formal or semi-formal attire, and the dining room is reserved for such events. As formal dining fell out of fashion over the years, the dining table became a casual, all-purpose table. The rising popularity of open floor plans may have also contributed to the dining room’s loss of popularity. Instead of being in a formal, purpose-built dining room, a homeowner only needed a table-and-chairs setup. Some homeowners even forgo designated dining areas and instead eat their meals on a kitchen island, a minibar, or even in the living room.
Are Dining Rooms Coming Back?
Dining rooms are indeed coming back, and the lockdowns in the past couple of years may have contributed to it. Families are spending more time indoors together and starting sharing meals again. For some households, the dining area also served as a study table and a home office, in addition to returning to its original purpose as the place where the family shared meals.
Not Your Grandma’s Dining Room
If you are worried that your home renovator will put up walls around your home’s dining area, don’t worry. The modern approach to designing a dining room is to take its main function — that is, a space to dine in — and integrate it into the house’s design. If properly done, a dining room can help turn something as routine as eating dinner into meaningful daily experiences. Today’s dining room will nevertheless keep its casual side. In addition to the aforementioned work and study functions, the dinner table can also be used for homeschooling, virtual meetings, and drawing plans.
But what about traditional dining rooms? Can they be brought into modern times? The answer is yes, but with some major changes. Bringing in some furniture and appliances can give the room additional intent. It can be the spot where you and your kids listen to records, complete jigsaw puzzles, and maybe even play parlor games during weekends. Stuffy, high-backed chairs can be swapped out for swivel chairs to add a lounge feel to the room.
Let’s Start a Conversation!
Are you searching online for a “home remodeler near me?” DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Aiken offers a wide range of professional remodeling services, including kitchen, bath, and shower remodeling. To get started with a no-obligation consultation, call us at (803) 266-1913, or contact us online! We serve homeowners in North Augusta, Graniteville, New Ellenton, Beech Island, Barnwell, and Edgefield Park.
