Bring your favourite restaurant home

It happens all the time — you have laid out the dinner table then, after your guests have served themselves, they scatter all over the house.

You can tell they don’t intend to settle at the dining table if they serve themselves while standing.

Some stroll back to the lounge, others into the kitchen, while others go outside. Rarely, will you find diners sticking to this dedicated area. Ever wondered why?

It is the atmosphere; create an atmosphere of fun and relaxation in the dining room and you just might keep your guests in there.

Restaurants can be a great source of inspiration when planning your dining area; think about your favourite restaurant and what it is you like about it — you will agree that the ambience is one of the things that keeps pulling you there, besides the food of course.

Think of how the decorative lighting works well both during the day and during the night.

For a perfect experience in your own dining room, consider the sensual pleasures of dining and seek to enhance your interior style to enhance the same.

Work to evoke all the body senses — sight, sound, touch, taste and smell — and make your dining room the magnet that brings the family (and the guests) together.

Sight

Presentation is everything. The colours on your wall, lighting, place mats, table linens and cutlery all stimulate the sight sense.

Nineteenth century table coverings are making a comeback, and should not be confined to restaurants only.

You too can use them in your favourite selected colours. Ensure you get a high quality fabric to go with your freshly laundered napkins, which should be neatly ironed without stains.

Select curtains that will look good on your windows when they are drawn or even closed. They will give a sense of privacy to the room as well as add some warmth to the dining experience.

They are also an easy way of adding texture and colour to your dining room. Cushions on the dining chairs to match the curtains will also create interest (anchor the cushions on the chairs to ensure they don’t keep falling off).

Sound

The addition of music in your dining room can give your dining room a suitable atmosphere and mood.

Background music will help fill the silence gaps as you eat or even the embarrassing noises people make with their mouths as they eat.

But remember, music that is too loud may become an interruption and can make conversation impossible.