Sustainability
Designing for Sustainability
Written by Sam Horgan
Date: December 12, 2025
Choose the Perfect Dining Chairs
The seating you choose has a major impact on both comfort and style. When considering how to choose dining chairs, think about shape, materials, practicality, and how your chairs complement the rest of your space. Explore our range of modern dining chairs to find upholstered options for comfort, textured rattan for warmth, or sleek silhouettes for a contemporary look.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Dining Chairs
Ensure the proportions of your chairs align with your table.
Choose durable fabrics if you have children or pets.
Upholstered chairs create a softer, more comfortable seating experience.
Mix and match materials and tones for visual interest on your dining chairs, for example, pairing beige, sage, or charcoal tones to create a cohesive yet layered look.
Do not be afraid to combine chair styles. Mixing different shapes or finishes can add character and personality, as long as the overall palette and scale remain balanced.
Optimal Dining Chair Dimensions
Understanding standard dining chair height supports overall comfort and proportion. Most tables stand at seventy-five centimetres, so the ideal dining chair height generally sits around forty-five centimetres, allowing for comfortable legroom.
Common Dining Chair Dimensions
- Seat height: forty-three to forty-eight centimetres
- Average width of a dining chair: forty to fifty centimetres
- Seat depth: forty-five to fifty centimetres
- Minimum spacing between each seat: fifteen centimetres
- Armchair spacing suggestion: add fifteen centimetres per side
These measurements ensure your proportions are balanced and are perfect for planning seating and layout.
Consider a Round Table Shape
A round dining table encourages conversation and creates a natural flow. It is ideal for open-plan living or smaller rooms. This shape also helps maximise space, which is helpful when considering how big a dining room needs to be to seat guests comfortably.
A useful guideline is to allow sixty to eighty centimetres of space around the table for chairs to be pulled out easily.
Mastering Measurements and Space Planning
A well-planned dining room begins with proportions. Understanding dining chair dimensions and space requirements ensures a comfortable setting for everyday meals and entertaining.
Quick Table Size and Seating Guide
This helps determine the space needed for chairs at a dining table and aids in assessing the required size of a dining room.
Incorporate Statement Wall Art
Empty walls in a dining room can make the space feel unfinished or impersonal. Adding a statement piece of wall art is an easy way to introduce character, warmth, and visual interest. From framed prints and large-format artwork to sculptural pieces, the right wall décor can transform your dining area into a curated and inviting space.
Explore our curated selection of modern wall art decor to add personality, presence, and style to your dining room.
Anchor Centrepieces on a Table Runner
When styling dining room table centrepieces, begin with a runner. This simple idea anchors your display and keeps the arrangement from looking cluttered.
To answer, are table runners still in style? Yes, especially when used with intention.
Styling guidelines for centrepieces:
- Keep pieces within the width of the runner
- Use three objects of varying heights, such as a vase, candleholders and a bowl
- Choose natural materials and sculptural forms
- Avoid overcrowding; minimal styling feels modern and fresh
Explore our tableware décor collection to help style your dining table confidently.
Showcase Neutral Dinnerware in a Matching Sideboard
A sideboard provides practical storage while elevating the aesthetic of your dining room. You can use it to store neutral dinnerware and other essentials, and a well-chosen credenza combines both function and style, keeping plates, cutlery, and other items organised. If you are wondering what a credenza is or how it differs from a sideboard, it is a versatile storage piece that keeps your dining area tidy while adding character.
Browse our range of sideboards to find more inspirational storage ideas for your dining room.
Apply the 60-30-10 Colour Rule
Colour sets the atmosphere of your dining room. The 60-30-10 colour rule is a popular method:
- Sixty per cent: base colour (walls or large furniture)
- Thirty per cent: secondary accents (chairs, coffee and side tables, sideboards, curtains)
- Ten per cent: highlight or accent tones (decor, flowers, cushions)
When selecting paint colours for your dining space, consider soothing shades like sage, warm beige, charcoal, or dusty terracotta to set the right mood and create balance. Wondering what colour would work best for your dining room?
Extend these tones into nearby areas with a coffee table and side table to tie the spaces together, giving your home a cohesive and inviting flow.
Final Thoughts
A beautiful dining room balances comfort, style, and thoughtful details. From choosing the right chairs and table to styling centrepieces, wall art, and sideboards, every element works together to create a cohesive, inviting space.
Use colour, textures, and layout to guide flow and personality throughout your home.
Explore our Lookbook for inspiration and see how Horgans’ dining products can bring your dream dining room to life.
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How to Curate Your Dining Ensemble
Designing your dining room goes beyond simply choosing a table and chairs. It is about creating a space that feels comfortable, functional, and thoughtfully styled. From selecting the right chairs,...
