Budget Dining Room Design Tips

Designer Tiffany Brooks shares inexpensive ways to create a lively dining space.

November 05, 2020

They're the stage for our at-home entertaining and dinner parties, and these days even serve dutifully as our home offices. With such responsibility, there's no reason dining rooms should be dull. And you don't need a big budget to make a big difference in your dining room design.

"It (dining room) should be one of the liveliest spaces," says Tiffany Brooks, designer and host of HGTV Smart Home 2020. "You can add a ton of flair to your dining space without using a ton of money."

Add drama to your dining room with these budget dining room design tips:

Add Color or Pattern to the Dining Room Ceiling

"It (the dining room ceiling) is our fifth wall, after all," says Tiffany. Consider going bold with color or even adding a punch wallpaper.

Hang Dining Room Drapes High

Tiffany also suggests hanging drapes from floor to ceiling.

"It just adds that much more fun and personality. Especially if you have a taller ceiling and a tall room, it tends to make the space feel grand."

Decorate With Upholstered Chairs

Luxury fabrics can make your chairs feel and look expensive. Consider recovering chairs you already have with inexpensive but fun patterns to add pizazz.

Design DIY

How to Re-Cover a Dining Room Chair

Update a set of dining room chairs by re-covering the cushions with a stylish new fabric.

Choose Dramatic Dining Room Lighting

Make your light fixtures the focal point of your room. A dramatic light fixture can serve as the cherry-on-top of your dining room design, says Tiffany.

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