How to Select the Perfect Furniture Set for Your Dining Room

When it comes to choosing the perfect furniture set for your dining room, several key factors can guide your decision-making process. From considering the size and layout of your dining area to assessing your personal style preferences and budget, each element plays a crucial role in finding the ideal dining room furniture.

Formal dining rooms are going out of style. Though separate dining rooms are still part of the typical home layout, many opt to turn them into work or playrooms. As a result, real estate professionals report that only 20% of their existing clients ask for a formal dining room. This is likely due to the rise of open plan living, which has made today’s dining rooms multipurpose. Many now eat-in kitchens that already have tables, which can also be used for working and studying. Others want more flexible spaces that allow them to eat both indoors and outdoors and can accommodate groups of any size.

Yet though a modern dining setup can be more beneficial, it can also be more difficult to furnish it if it’s part of a larger living space. You have to harmonize pieces with different parts of the home, all while considering the unique layout of your property. Purchasing a furniture set can help make things easier.

The Benefits of Dining Room Sets

If you’re struggling to decorate a larger area, furniture sets can simplify the decision-making process. As demonstrated by Living Space’s Elle and Dahlinger models, you can usually get dining room sets with bench and chairs depending on how much seating capacity you need—and, if you want them, additional features like cushions and more storage. That means you can buy everything you need in one go, with all the elements your home requires to boot. Doing so can save you money, especially since you can get them on clearance sales or with additional discounts.

Dining sets can also save you time by reducing how long it takes you to consider individual pieces and how they’ll fit together. Since they come in cohesive styles, you can easily find one that suits the current aesthetic of your home without further fuss. And perhaps more importantly, you’ll get full use out of your dining room as soon as possible because you don’t need to wait for pieces to ship in one by one.

How To Pick The Perfect Set For Your Dining Room

Establish your budget

According to Real Simple, furnishing a new home from scratch can cost anywhere between $3,500 to $100,000. If you’re designing other areas aside from the dining room, you’ll thus want to spend within your means and choose a furniture set that fits your overall budget. Fortunately, you’ll have plenty of options. Affordable dining room sets like IKEA’s Melltorp are priced at less than $100, while more luxurious ones like its Lisabo can hit more than $1,000. Be sure to outline all the costs you expect to spend furnishing your home before selecting a price range for the dining sets you want to look at.

Consider your seating requirements

Select your dining room set based on the number of chairs or benches included. Depending on your needs, you can get a small set perfect for a family of four—or splurge on bigger varieties if you usually host eight or more people. You’ll also want to look at the shape of the set’s dining table. Due to their angles, square and rectangular tables can only fit a certain number of people. If you need more seating capacity, dining room sets with oval tables will allow a larger group to crowd around its edges. Finally, consider how much space you have in your dining area. If adding furniture will make for a tight squeeze, you can opt for dining room sets with transformer tables and benches like those from the original furniture brand Transformer Table. These start out with a small seating capacity but can expand to accommodate more people, making them perfect for smaller living quarters.

Select a style

If your house or apartment follows an open layout, you’ll want your dining room furniture to blend in with surrounding pieces decorating areas like the dining room or kitchen. Fortunately, dining sets come in different, cohesive designs—so choose one based on the aesthetic of your choice. You can finalize your decision based on the overall design of your home. For example, fans of minimalist architecture can opt for Bed Bath & Beyond’s industrial sets comprising sleek metal pieces with sharper angles. You can also choose a style based on top interior design trends. Say you want to go old school with your interiors. In that case, you can try traditional dining room sets from The RoomPlace that come with wooden tables and upholstered chairs.

Look for durability

To get the most bang for your buck, don’t neglect durability. By choosing a high-quality dining set, you’ll get furniture that’ll last for longer with the proper maintenance. You can achieve this by simply looking at the material used by a set’s pieces. Though glass looks modern and elegant, for example, it may not have good longevity—especially if you have kids at home. Those made of hardwood like cherry or mahogany will be more sturdy, and they’ll also boast a versatile appearance that can blend in with nearly any home so you don’t compromise on design in the process.

Choose comfort

This aspect can be easy to overlook, especially when considering all the elements mentioned above. In fact, interior design experts note that it’s one of the biggest mistakes people commit when making home purchases. One of the most relevant examples is buying low-back dining chairs just because they have a less bulky, modern aesthetic. Unfortunately, these don’t provide adequate support once you sit down, making for an uneasy dining experience.

That’s why it’s vital to consider all the design elements in a set to ensure it can provide the comfort you need. If you want chairs with backrests, make sure they slant no more than 5° backwards. Check if the set’s table is also only 10-12 inches higher than the seat of your chairs or benches so your arms can rest comfortably on top of it while you eat. And if you want cushions on your seats, look for sets that are filled with materials like memory foam for extra comfort and support.