Comfy, stylish beds and mattresses. Swinging hammocks inside the living room. Vine-wrapped end tables coloring the corners.
It’s 2014 — artful home furniture designs are here to stay. Whether you’re looking for a brand new full bedroom set or a contemporary dining room set that puts your neighbors’ to shame, remember that a little ingenuity goes a long way. After all, who says you have to stop playing once you reach adulthood?
The traditions of family dining rooms go back before the Middle Ages even, which is a sign of their inimitable staying power. For generations, families and friends have gathered at one set spot inside a home (or castle) and exchanged food, wine and good conversation with each other. There’s no reason this can’t continue well into your homeowner years (and beyond). But first you have to choose the right contemporary dining room set you’re most interested in. Here are some basic options.
Going Rustic
The Styles: Raw materials like wood, iron and steel. Distressed, unpolished aesthetics. Borderline uncomfortable seating. Yes, the hallmarks of the rustic style belie several dining room furniture stores who carry them for quite the hefty price tags. But some of the best materials are, sometimes, the ones you find out at the curb.
The Structures: Wooden country tables with plenty of knots to boot, typically square in shape. If you want a little more of a farmhouse, rural, cabin-esque feel, opt for a rounded table — just make sure you’ve got enough space to have chairs surrounding it.
Going Contemporary
The Styles: For a while, boxy and silvery chairs and tables were all the rage, and glass tables reigned as undisputed kings of the dining room furniture stores. Now, the tide has shifted a bit back to wood, though not too much wood. Contemporary styles are all about blending motifs and colors to create something entirely new, or at least more new than a basic long rectangle.
The Structures: Simplified shapes are best and most practical, but the same isn’t true for simple colors. Experiment with bright hues for chair backs and cushions and different designs for tables in order to achieve a look that’s all your own and entirely now.
Going Traditional
The Styles: Your grandmother’s wicker chairs will never go out of style, no matter what the snobs at IKEA tell you. The same thing is true for soft-linen chairs that could easily be set pieces in next summer’s steamy Victorian love drama blockbuster hit. Embrace your traditional roots and see what exciting things may indeed begin to take shape at your dinner parties.
The Structures: Long tables with finished wood tops. Padded chairs and wicker chairs surrounding them. Any questions? Good — your grandmother would be happy to field them for you.
For a more complete view of today’s typical dining room styles, visit some local dining room furniture stores today. You never know what’s on the market until you look. Links like this.
