3 Ideas for Small Dining Rooms

by Lena and Rich Benenati 04/20/2025

Dining room decor can make a significant difference in your experience of the space. Whether you have an open floor plan dining room extending into the general living space or a formal, secluded room, choosing how to decorate is important. As with any room in the home, it's difficult to work with an especially small space. If you have a small dining room, here are some ideas for how to make the most of your decor:

Round Tables & Banquets

One excellent formula for solving a lack of space in a tiny dining room is to combine unexpected furniture shapes. For example, banquet seating against the wall works perfectly with a small round table. Create a corner “booth” and even add a second or third chair on the outside if there is space. This idea is excellent for small spaces and works well in traditional layout homes where using every corner counts.

Built-In Shelving

If you’re trying to make the best use of space in a small dining room, consider built-in shelves rather than cabinets or other storage. While sideboards and dish cupboards have excellent charm and traditional functionality, they take up previous floor space and can make it harder to maneuver within the room. Instead of using that floor space with furniture, put up floating shelves to store and display your favorite dining room decor.

Benches

Bench seating is not just for outdoor picnic tables. In fact, you can solve a surprising amount of space issues by using a simple bench rather than individual chairs. No matter what sort of dining room layout you’re working with, using a bench on one or more sides of the table is an excellent way to make the most of the space. Even better, if the bench is long enough for multiple people, you still get the same amount of seating than you would with chairs but with less hassle.

These are just a few ways to handle decorating a small dining room. Keep these ideas in mind when working on your design and you’ll find the best potential use of space.

About the Author
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Lena and Rich Benenati

Lena and I have been helping our clients buy and sell real estate since 2002, marking over 26 years of combined market experience! We will earn your trust by utilizing proven marketing strategies, certified professional negotiating skills, and targeted technology. Add to this our local market insight and consistent follow up, and it adds up to a great experience for you! A family owned and operated business, we strive to be your trusted adviser, helping you navigate the home buying and selling processes. It is our mission to combine our extensive experience and superior customer service together with a positive attitude to ensure that you enjoy your buying or selling experience. Our customer service extends beyond the sale, providing you with useful information regularly and connecting you with the resources you need, when you need them. This is why an exceptionally high 80% of our business is referred to us by our past clients. We look forward to exceeding your expectations, in English or Spanish as you desire. Lena & Rich, a team you can trust, for everything real estate.