Dining divine

By Justine Olivier

Statistics show that in today’s fast-paced world dinner is the most important meal of the day (breakfast aside) – and this isn’t just for health reasons. Breakfast is often a rushed event, and lunches are most often spent apart (for obvious work and/or school arrangements).

Dinner, however, is the time of the day when family should slow down and gather together to form close-knit bonds by conversing about the day’s events and other topics of conversation. It is interesting to note that even in medieval times, and up until the 18th century, dining together was considered so important that an entire level in the home was dedicated to this purpose.

In today’s world, even dinner is rushed with everyone too busy with their own lives to slow down to sit and be sociable, but creating a dedicated dining area, one that evokes the right ambience, may be just what you need in order to slow the pace down in your household and bring dinner back to the dining area.

Sheila Dovey, of St Leger and Viney, says that an open-plan styled kitchen with an incorporated dining area is the way forward. However, if a home does feature a separate dining room it offers the opportunity to be hugely expressive in a way that other rooms do not. With the house of today becoming more open-plan in design, the question may arise as to whether there really is a need for a dedicated dining area. As the lounge, kitchen and dining room often merge into one public space, with each area being distinguishable and defined solely by the placement of the different furnishings, the kitchen often doubles up as an eating area.

While this serves a dual purpose, dining in an area other than where food is prepared brings with it an ambience of its own. However, Andrea Assirelli, of Assirelli Italian Design, points out that having your dining room incorporated into your kitchen space allows for you to prepare meals while entertaining guests at the same time. Sheila adds that if your main public areas are open-plan in design and you wish to have a separate space specifically for dining, then it is a good idea to use rugs to define the area. A large practical rug works to anchor a table in its space.

Whatever size the space of your room or open-plan design is there is always an area where you can set up a dedicated dining spot (even if it’s in the kitchen).

Marius van der Merwe, of M Interiors, explains: “There are several ways of setting up a designated dining area even if space is an issue. A good place to start is the kitchen. If space allows then a small bistro table and a pair of chairs would create an intimate space to enjoy meals or make use of a breakfast bar. Alternatively, a cosy table set up in a corner of your lounge or even outside on your balcony is also a great way to incorporate a dining area into a small space.” A dining room is more than just a table and chairs. Therefore everything in this room or area plays a pivotal role, so try not to use this area as extra storage space, or only for special occasions.

“All dinner times should be a special occasion,” says Carrol Boyes, of Carrol Boyes. Make this room one filled with memories of great times together, and good food. Evoking the correct ambience will significantly add to these memories.
Don’t overlook the importance that the correct colour combination can have in this area, be it on the walls, furnishings or fabric. Colours have the tendency to evoke conversation. “Warm colours like red, terracotta and orange are social colours; they create a wonderful atmosphere, are warm and welcoming and stimulate the appetite and enhance conversation, so they are great for entertaining.

Deep red and burgundy are gorgeous in a dining room and give an opulent, dramatic effect,” explains Anne Roselt, of Plascon.

Table size is also a pivotal factor. If you are the type who loves entertaining, then choose a size that can accommodate everyone – you don’t want to add extra chairs from elsewhere, which will only allow for the room to become more cluttered. Experts suggest that a round table is perfect for conversation while also softening a box-shaped room. “A dining room works well when symmetry is achieved, particularly with a rectangular table. It is vital that there is enough room to move around the table and that there are areas for serving both food and drinks within easy reach,” adds Sheila.

The need for an allocated dining space need not be confined to the interior of the home. A great alternative (especially with the gorgeous southern hemisphere weather) is to dine outside. As mentioned above, everything adds to the ambience so ensure that furnishings are maintained and do not get damaged due to climate conditions.

“If your kitchen and dining area open onto a verandah or outdoor space then the placement of furniture is important to create an unobstructed flow from inside to out,” says Andrea.

Whichever way you look at it, a dedicated dining area is a definite must, whether if it’s inside or outside. Creating an appealing dining area will make meal times far more enjoyable and social on the whole.