Whether your dining room once was the site of wine tasting seminars or entertaining family and friends, it’s likely sitting unused and unloved these days (if it’s not playing home office). COVID-19 has changed our lives in more ways than one, including how we’re using our spaces in these crazy times. 

Here’s a list from our archives to help get you inspired to (eventually) safely start welcoming friends and family back into our homes, filling our dining rooms once again with good times.

Contemporary Cowboy

Most of us wouldn’t think that mid-century Scandinavian and Western Canadian Cowboy styles would go together, but somehow, designer Elena Del Bucchia seamlessly blended those contemporary and cowboy styles in this Calgary ranch. In the dining room, the sleek custom table is juxtaposed by a dramatic zinc-and-wood chandelier and the bohemian-style rug adds the perfect pop of colour. 

Inside Out

Designed by Measured Architecture, this home is the 2015 winner of the Architecture Designer of the Year Award. This Vancouver home’s dining room is situated at the front of the house and features a retracting 15-foot glass window that opens onto the front garden to allow fresh air and great people watching. 

Modern Marrakesh

Take a trip to North Africa’s crown jewel in designer Stephanie Brown’s Marrakesh-inspired room. These textured walls and luxurious colours of the room create an alluring, old-world feel while the modernist accessories update the space. 

Pop Art Perfection

Designer Stephanie Brown played with shape an pattern to create this graphic blue and white room by pairing 80’s geometric pieces like the credenza rug and chandelier with softer lines to create a vibe that is just as much retro as it is modern. And the oval table and blue dining chairs balance out the harsher angles of the room.

Casual Comfort

Designer David Nicolay melded casual comfort with minimalist sophistication in this dining area, making sure the custom cabinetry didn’t take away from the homeowners’ personality, which shines through in the details. 

Bold and Beautiful 

Timeless Palettes

This dining room by Annaliesse Kelly Design embraces a timeless palette with effortless functionality. The white-on-white concept pulls in the natural elements of the surrounding outdoor space and adds pops of colour for a playful but sophisticated tone. 

Work of Art

The dining area is the centre piece of this sprawling home designed by Garret Cord Werner Architects and Interior Designers features a fused glass wall designed in conjunction with local glass artist, Nathan Allan Glass. Another striking piece of this dining room is floating over the wall; what at first looks like drywall is actually a stretched piece of fabric that provides a space for the artwork. 

Colour and Calm

This West Vancouver home designed by Robert Bailey features Andy Warhol’s 1970 silkscreen series, Flowers, installed on two walls, providing a riot of day-glow colour while modern glamour endure.