Dining spaces in Indian households, major witnesses of familial bonding, and conversations are some of the spaces that have seen the most evolutions in the past centuries. Once there was just a multipurpose space for dining and family members, usually, the male members sat down first to eat the Indian delicacies served on banana leaves, lotus leaves, or plates.

Then due to the Western hegemony dining tables entered the reception, only for men gradually leading to a formal dining room in Indian residences. But with time as a reflection of the socio-cultural transformations, the open plan hall-kitchen-dining spaces emerged, especially in the residential apartments located in the urban centers of India like Mumbai and Chennai, marking another phase of the evolution of the dining area design in Indian households again. 

But alas! Such dining areas are now becoming desolated, dining tables are unused, and chairs are unoccupied, post-pandemic. Nowadays, food is eaten at home office desks, sofas, study tables, and even beds, thanks to the convenient habit learned during the pandemic. People rarely enter the dedicated dining areas.

Subsequently, some new clients who are building their dream homes are reluctant to allocate space in their homes for formal dining. This article explores some of the timeless area trends to reinstate the dining zones in Indian households as inevitable participants, elevate the overall dining experience, and upgrade the dining spaces to meet current needs.

Demarcating the Dining Area Design in Open Plan Layouts

One of the major problems in open-plan layouts is the poor allocation of spaces and unclear zoning. If the zoning is unplanned, the space will appear like a giant cluttered hall. Dining spaces are the most affected by this mistake. For instance, these spaces under staircases and dining tables in passages in open-plan layouts seem afterthought and need fixing. Such spaces can turn out to be dysfunctional. There is a need to dedicate space, time, and thought while designing the space, which has the potential to become a wonderful communal space.

Sometimes the furniture can come in handy to demarcate the different zones in a huge hall. For instance, the sofa in the living room can be utilized as a room divider between the living and dining spaces. Furniture placement highly defines the functionality of a dining space, especially in open layouts. However, demarcating zones with different materials or contrasting colors can be too clumsy and the cohesion between the spaces gets disturbed. 

Introducing flexibility in Dining Spaces

Dining space is also a gathering space and a community space in many households. Moreover, the pandemic has highlighted that the dining space entertains more than just dining. With this background, the dining space has to be flexible enough to accommodate any need and function. It is high time that these spaces are designed with adaptability in mind. This is where furniture like multiuse tables, banquet seating with ample storage spaces, and storage cabinets come into the picture. Introducing furniture that assumes more than one role, like the Ottoman storage facility, further enhances flexibility. 

Exploring and cherishing the cabinets 

Dining spaces are incomplete without storage cabinets. Organic and curvilinear cabinets make bold art statements beyond just serving as storage spaces. Custom-made cabinets are elegant and furnish the owner with full freedom to envision the shape, form, size, color, and material of the cabinet. Cabinets can also be designed not only to store plates, bowls, and cutleries but to showcase sculptures, craft pieces, and personal award plaques.

Completing the dining space with a wash area 

Despite the endless changes the dining space was subjected to, some of the Indian dining habits stayed intact. The outcome is that the wash area has become an inevitable component of the Indian dining area. There are many types of wash basins, but best suited are in-built tabletop washbasins incorporated in harmony with the cabinets. Sort of standalone round bowl-shaped wash basins and natural stone wash basins also go well with the earthy color schemes. The size, color, material, and shape of the wash basin have to be chosen to complement the overall dining space ambiance, lighting, color, size, and material. 

Adding soul to the space with lighting

With a mere lighting upgrade with exclusive contemporary lighting fixtures like pendant lights and chandeliers coupled with smart systems, the ambiance of the dining space is elevated like never before. While chandeliers over dining tables are huge and classy royal and timeless, contemporary pendant lights are seamless and elegant.

While pendant lights and chandeliers are sculptural, recessed lighting creates a similar mood and ambiance with limited subtle presence. The flexibility discussed above is extended to lighting via smart control systems like adjustable color temperatures and voice-activated controls. With this facility of customizing the lighting, the area can be upgraded to suit all occasions from a cozy homey breakfast to a restaurant-class fine dining experience.  

Enhancing with elegant furniture selection

The dining room table design is the hero drawing all the attention towards itself. The dining table and chairs make a bold statement about the space besides complementing the interior design. While selecting a dining room table design for a dining space it is necessary to pay attention to the size, form, leg details of the table, and the material. The dining table must not only be aesthetically pleasing but also allow multiple functions to take place. The flexible multipurpose dining table is preferable due to the changing nature of this area.

While rectangular tables are adaptable, round tables can be cozy yet dining space furniture in unique organic shapes steal the show. However, in open layouts, the dining space furniture must match that in the living area and kitchen. Moving on to chairs, upholstered chairs are preferable over the others for comfort and facilitate prolonged hours of sitting, keeping in mind the other functions that can take place in the dining space other than just dining.

The time has come to replace the rigid straight furniture with rounded curved furniture to add fluidity and movement. At the end of the day, it is the furniture that plays a major role in providing a fine dining experience and it is important to choose them wisely.  

Including classy rugs and carpets

Rugs and carpets always add warmth and make a space appealing and welcoming. Moreover, the rugs and carpets help separate the dining zone in expansive open-plan layouts, clearly demarcating the dining zone from the rest. In this case, the rugs play the role of an anchor breaking the spaces in the endless stream of a giant hall. These soft elements like rugs and carpets help in sound insulation, absorbing sound and creating an ideal atmosphere for dining. The soft carpets juxtaposed with the sharp edges of the furniture and cabinets complete the decor of the dining space with authenticity and a homey feel.

Rendering in earthy tones with a natural touch

Probably due to the innate human need to connect with nature, the dining spaces rendered in earthy terracotta tones and dressed in furniture crafted with natural materials are soothing. Shades of brown, beige, green, red, and orange are all colors found in nature. Furniture, wall paints, floor tiles, curtains, and rugs, all rendered in earthy tones create a natural retreat and inviting homey dining space. Earthy subtle pastel color schemes are versatile and do wonders for the dining space. Using natural materials instead of natural colors further enhances the tactile experience with real textures.  

Planning and executing wall make-over 

Plain walls can tend to be boring and monotonous. There is a need to accentuate the walls with textures, paintings, or wall hangings. Textured walls are a bonus, if not plain walls can be upgraded with wooden slat walls or personal decor pieces. Subtle minimal Boho artworks can complement the earthy dining spaces or bold artworks can be juxtaposed against minimalist dining room designs. Paintings that adorn the dining spaces continuously convey a personal statement.

After all, making it personal

As dining spaces go into the homes, it is necessary to understand the family that is going to reside in the home, their habits, and unique needs. In some cases, the dining space can be formal while generally nuclear families prefer a cozy relaxing informal setting with ample visual permeability in the dining space. Dining tables are not just for dining, sometimes they take up the function of study tables and office desks for a quick Zoom meeting. Sometimes, books or else kids’ play pieces adorn the dining space cabinets besides cutleries and showpieces.

Once in a while, even family photos and arts and crafts works of family members pop up in dining spaces. Dining spaces are full of nostalgia and life. Though it may seem cluttered for one, it might seem cozy and personal for the family members who inhabited the home and used the dining space on an everyday basis. Everything in the dining space, from table to chairs, rugs to curtains, cabinets to tiles, plants to decor all speak of the familial bonds and conversations and are reminiscent of family members and secrets. So, there is no hard and fast rule, just keep it personal!