Design an Eclectic Dining Room with Vintage Painted Furniture.
Remember your grandma’s home? Have you ever been to an estate sale? The dining room furniture in both cases is usually a “set,” and everything matches. It’s all brown, and it is boring.
Well, an eclectic dining room is exactly the opposite of that. It’s not matchy-matchy, and it’s sure is not all brown. Let’s show you how today’s top designers design an eclectic dining room using vintage lacquered furniture.
Keep The Largest Items Neutral
This is not a rule. I repeat – this is not a rule. This is a general guideline for a dining room decorator who doesn’t decorate for living or doesn’t have a high five-figure budget for their dining room.
I have seen some stunning dining rooms in bold colors and pricey wallpapers, and I drool over them. Here is the thing: the larger the size and price tag, the scarier it is for many people to commit because the mistakes can be costly. So I suggest avoiding it if you are a beginner at this.
Paint the walls in a neutral color and stick with a neutral carpet or floor. Get those things out of the way. Add color splashes throughout the room. Have fun! I know that makes it sound too simple, but the eclectic decor has fewer rules, so it is simpler.
Add Painted Dining Chairs
Those traditional Chippendale old lady chairs that you would never look at twice? Yeah, those look fabulous once lacquered in a neutral creamy white. Check out a stunning dining room by Amie Corley Designs using traditional chairs.
Notice how the designer has chosen neutral walls and floors. Also, the most significant piece of furniture is in a neutral wood tone.
Another stunning dining room. This is – designed by House to Home Interiors. The dining table is vintage. The chairs are vintage painted in a neutral color. Do you see those beautiful matching china cabinets? Yeah, it’s pretty spectacular.
If ornate traditional chairs are not your style, you can choose a simpler aesthetic like these parsons style chairs in another dining room by Amie Corley Interiors.
Add a Colorful China Cabinet
Some people prefer upholstered dining chairs for more comfort. How about a beautiful china cabinet to make a statement? China’s cabinet is not just for China. No laws prevent you from displaying your collection from travels, family photographs, and other treasured objects in your china cabinet. Let me show you some beautifully styled china cabinets in dining rooms.
Some of us (including yours truly) are *scared* of buying art. How about building a collection of plates or servers that you can display in your china cabinet?
The drawers and cabinet below can provide storage for your linens and silverware. We add LED lights to china cabinets that we paint, so you can leave them on at night and enjoy the glow of soft lights.
A Credenza For Color and Storage
A colorful credenza in a bold color is always a classic choice for dining rooms. Options are unlimited in our shop or with many other vendors online. It’s a great storage piece and a serving piece for large parties.
Here are some samples of our credenzas in lovely dining rooms.
This customer of ours had a stunning art collection, and she wasn’t afraid of color, so it was a perfect recipe for this gorgeous dining room. Can you believe that this is a small condo in a retirement community? You don’t need a mansion-sized dining room for it to be chic.
This customer chose a vibrant orange credenza; those lamps were an antique store find. Aren’t they gorgeous?! The glass is called carnival glass, and there are many to be found on Etsy and Chairish.
Okay, if wild colors are not your jam, and/or you have a smaller wall space available, then add a small credenza in a neutral color.
What should you do for a dining table?
Reminder – stay away from matching sets. Eclectic is the goal. I am against lacquered dining room tables because they are high maintenance and not meant for real life. I have a detailed blog post here. Stained dining tables are best suited for real life. Almost every high-end dining room I have seen, in person or on social, has a stained dining table.
In the room below (and above), the designer has chosen a very traditional table. You can score these for nothing on FBMKP.
Any ding on a stained wood resembles added “character,” whereas the same ding is an eyesore or “damage” on a lacquered dining table. So I always recommend a stained table. A dark stained table is a significant neutral element that fades into the room and lets the other, more colorful items take the lead.
If you have a busy household and use your dining table frequently (for meals and homework), then a burl wood dining table is a great choice. The natural patterns in the burl help hide imperfections from daily usage. Here is one of my client’s beautiful dining room burl wood tables.
Wood adds warmth to the room. It instantly grounds the space and makes it feel conformable.
Lighting – Add Glam Here
Lighting is the easiest and relatively affordable way to add glamor to the room. We are going for an eclectic upscale dining room, so crystals and shiny metals are essential!
You see a common theme in the dining rooms above: they have chosen a bold light fixture, and brass is a preferred metal. You can do whatever metal works for your home – brass or nickel. I would recommend keeping it in the polished finish.
I have seen stunning chandeliers on Amazon and Wayfair. Don’t forget that estate sales and FBMKP find deals and one-of-a-kind items.
Accessorize Sparsely
I am a big fan of large or large accessories here and there. You are done styling two lamps and an object on your credenza.
A sizeable faux orchid arrangement on the dining table and you are done styling that.
If art is scary (I know it is) to commit to, buy a large mirror. Mirrors add depth and make the room feel larger. Your girl here has many mirrors all over the house and one piece of art.
Spend time picking the right accessories that feel larger when you first imagine them in your space. Why? Most DIYers make the mistake of choosing multiple small accessories, making the room look cluttered. Also, how impractical is it to dust 50 picture frames and 23 tchotchkes?
Design A Room That Fits Your Lifestyle
Because adjusting your lifestyle to fit the stuff you buy is a fool’s errand. Be realistic. We rarely eat at our dining table, so I have chosen a lacquered table. I adore it. It fits our lifestyle.
Look at this Hollywood regency-style room below. It’s spectacular, but it feels very upscale. That’s how it was designed because this home is a high-end Airbnb in Palm Springs. The accessory game is spot on, though.
This dining room is in a busy household with humans and many dogs. The room has a stylish table, is not formal, and is very practical.
Let’s Recap
- Stick With Neutrals for the largest elements in the room
- Add colorful furniture – vintage or new for pop and storage
- Keep the dining table wood
- Add glamorous lighting
- Accessorize, but don’t add clutter
- Design a room that fits YOUR lifestyle
The idea is that you collected, took the time, and curated a room that reflects your personality and lifestyle. Eclectic decor is fun, young, and personal. People pay big bucks to designers to design these rooms. Of course, a $600 per roll wallpaper is not in everyone’s budget, but neutral walls and Amazon find rugs are.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section!