Dining Room
Brno chair. Another modern classic that can suit any space, this cantilevered chair (seen here in the foreground) is great for bringing any space into the 21st century. Use it: As a dining chair, an office chair, you name it. Consider using a pair as dining end chairs. They’ll serve double duty as extra guest seats.
Round. Another more recent trend is the round dining table. Those who like to have intimate dinner parties find these can foster lively conversation, since each person can clearly face every other. Of course, round bistro tables of as little as 2 ft. (61 cm) in diameter have been around a long time, and many breakfast tables are 42 in. or 48 in. (107 or 122 cm) round. But a formal dining table needs to be at least 60 in. (152 cm) round and can easily be 72 in. (183 cm) as well.
Readily available in traditional and modern designs is an oval dining table. Shown here is Eero Saarinen’s iconic modern oval dining table with a cast aluminum pedestal base and walnut veneer top. This stunning design is made in either a 78-in. (198-cm) length and 47¾-in. (121-cm) width, or a 96-in. (244-cm) length and 54-in. (137-cm) width. In this space the table is paired with Eames molded fiberglass dowel-leg side chairs, which have a footprint of 18½ in. in width and 21 in. in depth each (47 by 53 cm). Oval shapes can sometimes help smaller spaces flow more easily, since no one will need to navigate a square corner.
Consider sight lines. Your focal point should be free and clear from one room to the next, so that it feels like you’re being drawn between them. That’s why the best spot for a focal point is usually directly across from the entrance to the room. Here a seating arrangement around artwork draws the viewer into the room because the sight line is clear.
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