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Design Perspectives

The Dining Experience

There's a lot more going on around the table than you might think.

by Karla J. Nielson, Allied Member ASID, WCAA

There is a school of thought in contemporary living that the dining room is the most expendable space in the home. The theory is that so seldom do we use a formal dining room that the square footage and furnishings investment hardly seem worth the effort. Perhaps it is true that many lifestyles preclude the formal dining experience, but this negative viewpoint about putting effort into the dining space cannot be supported. Both formal dining rooms and informal dining spaces that are well designed and filled with aesthetically pleasing furnishings have many justifications for being included in today's mid-range to upscale homes. And designing them can be, and should be, one of life's more pleasurable pursuits. The level of formality for dining areas is certainly a matter of personal taste, but there are a few constants in the dining experience. One is that when people share a meal, it is more enjoyable when the company is good, the food is succulent and the ambiance is memorable. Our goal as design professionals is to reverse the order by placing a memorable ambiance at the top of the priority list. All else will fall into place, and the experience will be both stimulating and satisfying. FEELING WELCOME As we begin the task of making every dining space a memorably beautiful experience, the first job is to make family and guests feel welcome. This means understanding what creates the perfect mood for dining. Consider your favorite restaurant. Likely the food is just one element that makes it special. Often it is the way you feel as you walk in—the design theme, the lighting, the music and the service—that makes it a special experience. Visual impressions are an important reason why people return to a restaurant that is new to them. The designed impressions of a dining space in a home are just as crucial. What makes people feel welcome? Here are a few ideas: 1.Design an atmosphere of warmth and elegance but not pretentiousness. The best dining experiences are filled with richness: lovely colors, beautiful quality furnishings and exquisite details. However, too much decoration, too much elaborateness, even too much architectural grandeur make the guests feel insignificant in comparison to the interior. In other words, over-the-top decorating is intimidating and can lessen the enjoyment of the dining experience. Creating this delicate balance takes skill, of course, but a good rule of thumb is that good design always stops short of excess. Leave a little room for the imagination rather than filling every surface with ornamentation. Dining rooms are ideal places for interesting textures and wall covering patterns because of the need to stimulate conversation and appetite. Patterns and textures should be generally appealing—not too feminine nor masculine. It's best to follow a theme, yet not be too restrictive in decorative appeal or application. 2.Create impact with the color selection. Color is the most powerful designer tool, coupled with texture, that can make the dining experience what it should be: stimulating and satisfying. Color can pique the appetite, enlivening the taste and smell senses to be ready for fragrant aromas and deliciously rewarding entrees. At the top of the list for good dining room colors are the red and yellow families and their combination, the orange/peach/apricot families. Take care that all these colors are not too intense—that reds are slightly subtle, that oranges are suitably neutralized and that yellows are clean or appropriately tinted. These colors work in tandem. Red stimulates the intellect and taste buds and yellow stimulates intellect and compassion. The result in any combination of these is great conversation and food that tastes superbly delicious. The paler the color, the less the effect. But remember, reds are the "heavies" and can give serious historic sophistication to a room. Reds are profound and rich. Oranges are more flexible because even when they are lightened, they retain their identity (peach is still decidedly orange). Lightened reds become pink, which is not a recommended dining color unless used in small splashes of bright pink. Pale pink depresses the appetite and makes for sadder conversations. Orange family hues can be casual or elegant because they are more earthy, provincial and less formal than reds. Take care that yellows do not overpower the room, as they can have the effect of causing arguments. Colors that subdue but still can be very effective for dining rooms are the blue and green families. They result in refined manners or lessened appetites. Blue and white always has a crisp, clean effect and is relaxing so that a lingering experience is possible. Greens connect us to earth and help us feel content. They lessen stress and give a sense of security and calmness. As you examine interiors photographs or are in high-end interiors ask yourself, "How do these colors make me feel?" This will be great training for manipulating colors in your own creations. 3.Thematic fluidity should be the goal. All interiors should be thematic. This does not mean that there must be a historic period identified, that can be rather stiff or museum-like. But there should be a goal or statement describing the look to be achieved in the dining space to which all materials and furnishings are aligned. Great interior design is often the result of a design statement that answers five questions: who, what, where, why and how. The more specific the parameters, the more the result will have real direction. Ask some serious questions of the client: • Who will use the room? • What will it be used for? (This may be less obvious than it appears, as many of today's interior spaces are multipurpose.) • Where will the space be and what are its design influences? • Why does the client have the opinions that are the basis for her decisions? • How can we make this space an effective, beautiful room? Then identify a general look, theme or statement that will fill these needs. Keeping this theme as a guide for selecting all colors, textures, patterns, furniture, lighting and accessories will help to ensure a harmonious result. 4.Artistic, well-planned lighting should not be overlooked. Lighting is sometimes just assumed in dining spaces, but it should be a part of the design professional's responsibility. Address the natural light first, keeping in mind the time of day when the room will be used most often. It is possible that in many formal dining spaces the window treatments will be viewed in the evening rather than the day. When people gather in the evening, there should be a window treatment that will fully close to give privacy and emotional or psychological security. Windows with a great view where there appears to be no need for privacy will still benefit from window treatments that can be drawn in the evening for emotional security, especially in today's uncertain and fear-filled world. The room simply is not complete without a window treatment. In the day, address glare (excessive brightness) and heat gain. Control of daytime light is imperative to a pleasant dining experience. If the view is fantastic and should not be obstructed, then select window film, which gives the advantage of protection against the damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays and the harm that comes from heat. Working together these two culprits will weaken textile fibers and fade wood furniture, flooring, textiles and art in ways that are often irreparable. Lastly, address the light that shines down on the table or dining surface. This light should be soft and warm, casting a warm and appetizing glow on the food, but not shining directly down on the faces of the diners. The light should be diffuse, with more than one lamp (bulb). As a general rule, the bottom of a fixture placed about 36 inches above the dining surface is right for pendant lighting or chandeliers. Also consider the perimeter lighting that illuminates artwork or window coverings. Suggest the installation or use of dimmers to adjust the lighting level. Dimmers not only provide special mood effects, they also conserve energy. Wise, conservative use of resources should be a consideration for the sake of the environment, no matter how wealthy the client. 5.Passion and stimulus. Passion is enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living. Enhancing a passion for delectable food, a passion for intellectual stimulus and great, satisfying conversation should be the goal for every great dining space. Passion can be less people-oriented—the passion in the dining experience may focus on the surroundings such as a breath-taking view that feeds the soul and restores a sense of balance to a typically over-stressed life. Passion and stimulus also mean that the furnishings, the setting, the ambiance and the entire atmosphere is exciting and wonderful—a place where guests and family love to gather, love to exchange ideas, love to enjoy the meal and cherish the moments together, to relax. 6.Comfortable seating and space planning. I have a good friend with a very nice dining space: lovely furnishings, colors, wall coverings and window treatments. However, the seating is terribly uncomfortable. The first time I sat at the formal table with its straight ladder-back chairs in an upscale French country setting, I realized that there was no way to relax and within five minutes my back was starting to ache. On the other hand, we have had numerous dinner parties at our home with our classic Queen Anne chairs (bow back Windsor in the informal space) and watched people linger for as long as three hours, fully relaxed and comfortable. It has been an interesting firsthand observation seeing how people respond to the seating itself. Allow two feet along the side of the table for each chair, and three feet from the chair (pulled to the table) to a wall of piece of furniture for access in and out or for serving. Being comfortable is a key part of enjoying a meal. 7.Attention to detail is perhaps most important in a dining space. Few other places in the home or in any nonresidential setting receives as much scrutiny as does a dining area. Guests are seated and usually wait a little, passing the moments visiting, enjoying relaxation time and observing their surroundings before the meal, during the meal and after the meal. It is a place where interior design efforts really pay off. It's a place for stunning details in window treatments and accessories especially. Examples of the little things that can make a dining space really special include top treatments or shade trimmings, stunning or unusual fabrics, great drapery hardware, unusual pleats, dressmaker details in the window treatments, beautifully detailed wall coverings—perhaps trimmed with passementerie, borders and moldings, specialty hand-painted techniques—artwork, objects of art, beautifully coordinated color schemes and perfect lighting. 8.Cleanliness in design and in housekeeping is a not-to-be-overlooked item in making the dining experience lovely. There are two ways to approach this subject. One is to suggest to the client that proper upkeep of fine furnishings is part of the responsibility of the owner—that items will wear better, last longer and look nicer when they are properly dusted, vacuumed, swept, polished and kept free of cobwebs. This makes the guests feel much more comfortable and appreciative during the dining experience. The other approach is to help the client select furnishings that will not readily show the dust: smooth window treatments versus slatted ones; less carved or curved ornamentation that can show dust or be susceptible to cobwebs; patterned rugs and carpeting in medium to light color values and dull colors that hide soil. As you view the rest of the home, it will be evident which of these approaches will best fit the client's capabilities and priorities. As the traditional holidays approach, our thoughts readily turn to the feasts, parties, and get-togethers that connect us to those we admire and those we love. As professionals, we can be an important part in making those times memorable and wonderful.

Karla J. Nielson, Allied ASID, WCAA, is assistant professor of design at Brigham Young University. She is a practicing interior designer and has authored several books including Window Treatments and Understanding Fabrics. Nielson is a regular correspondent for Draperies & Window Coverings addressing the areas of fashion, education and merchandising.