Having made that statement, please know that if you are a traditional home decorator with a formal dining room that displays your fine dining furniture complete with chandelier, wainscoating and oriental rug, I think that’s great! And, I hope you find much enjoyment and satisfaction from the most traditional function of this space. For many readers, though, the formal dining area of the past may not prove to be a functional use of the space for you. And that leads to the three questions you need to ask yourself before making any decisions or purchases for your dining room decor and design project.

Consider your lifestyle before assuming that you will use this space as a dining area. For example, do you entertain and therefore need an area that can serve a group of guests? How many people currently live in your home…do you need a larger area for meals on a regular basis? Do you even like to cook??? Think about these things before planning to purchase a dining room set. Maybe you don’t need one!

Look at the function of the other rooms and spaces in your home. Is there a purpose for this space that would better serve your home and lifestyle? Some thoughts would be a home office, den/TV area, guest room, etc. Perhaps you are currently using a guest room as a home office, but would really love to have the guest room back. Well, here you go! Use the dining area, or a portion of it, for your office space. You get the idea… Perhaps a combination of the above would suit your lifestyle perfectly.

What is your budget for the purchase of furniture and overall dining room decorating? Whatever your decision as to the function of the room, be sure to do an honest evaluation of the budget. Consider the cosmetic costs, such as painting, flooring, decorative trim, built-ins and window treatments. Then, the actual furniture that will be put in the space, whether that will be a dining set of some sort, a home office setup or small conversation / TV area. Answer these three questions and you’ll be on your way to creating a dining room area that suits your lifestyle to a tee!

Room design can be fun and can actually involve the entire family however without a little knowledge under your belt you might find it very costly as well. Most people who begin to design a new room will do so on a budget that does not allow for room or error. But after a little homework and a lot of patience, you design will sure to satisfy your taste and cravings for showing off your creativity.

To begin a room design you will want to start with an inventory the furniture, area of the room, flooring and paint that is already in the room. Some of the furniture and other items already in the room you might be able to salvage and use in the new room design. Unless you are revamping the entire room with a new style and theme, there is no reason why you couldn’t use the current list of inventory but just with a new look.

If the room you are going to change is the living room bed room or even a library, the choices are unlimited as far as flooring, furniture, paint and design. Look at the existing inventory and if you want to change the look, color, etc try using a variety of fabrics available to recover the furniture. You might want to consider slip covers in order to stay within budget. These can be easily whipped up on an inexpensive sewing machine. The fabrics you choose could be coordinates to the paint and the flooring as well.

Speaking of flooring, this is the next big step in room design. You will want to choose flooring that works with the functionality of the room. For instance, if you will have a lot of traffic in the room, you might want to choose a tile that is scuff proof and washes easily without fading. If it is going to get a little traffic in the room but is in a central part of the house where most of the traffic flows through the room, you might want to consider purchasing flooring that is low shag and is spill resistant so that accidents do not spoil your creation. Now for those rooms that you or another person will only be enjoying, there are the floorings that are a little more appealing to the eye such as high shags or very bright color fabrics.