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How to create a dining room that will impress

With the popularity of cookery programmes sky high, the urge to have a dinner parties shows no sign of waning. While you may think the focus should be on the quality of your cooking, how can you make sure your dining room also leaves a lasting impression?

Whether it’s for a family Sunday lunch or a celebration dinner party, your dining area should be as dynamic as the food on offer.

“Just as we wouldn’t serve dinner on chipped crockery or wine in cracked glasses, we wouldn’t want to have shabby curtains and faded seat covers,” says Laura Calvert, Merchandise Manager for Plumbs.

The easiest way to achieve a chic look is with matching or coordinating soft furnishings such as seat covers, curtains, blinds and cushions – all of which can be chosen with the help of Plumbs’ Home Consultant.
Decide whether you like a formal or a more relaxed look in order to stamp your personality on your dining area.

“A look I love is when curtains, blinds, seat covers and cushions are co-ordinated sing a variety of textured fabrics,” says Laura. “It gives a really opulent feel to your interior.” 

Of course, dining rooms have changed radically over recent years. No longer a separate room used on high days and holidays, dining tables are now often being incorporated into the heart of the home – the kitchen. This means your kitchen/diner has to look its best at all times because it is always on show.

So how can you achieve an exciting new look in your dining area?

Plumbs offers a full range of loose dining chair covers which are practical because they can be machine washed or replaced when you fancy a new look. “With the huge choice on offer from Plumbs, you can match seat covers to curtains or try a coordinating look with blinds and cushions to add interest and variation,” says Laura.

If you’re planning to entertain for a special occasion such as Christmas or Easter, Plumbs’ set of loose seat cushions in seasonal colour fabrics such as reds, tartans and checks can give your dining area an instant fresh look to suit the season, says Laura.

If you have fixed cushions in your dining room chairs, Plumbs also offers a full dining chair upholstery service so your chairs are taken back to the frames, restored and recovered in a new fabric of your choice. With a huge variety of materials and colours to choose from, there is something to suit every style and impress your guests.

“We have a choice of beautiful plain and semi-plain fabrics that complement each other really well,” says Laura. “For real pizzazz, you can also use contrasting colours for a vibrant and contemporary look.”

Another way to add richness to your dining room or entertaining area is to focus on the curtains. In recent years, there has been a move away from pelmet curtains and towards a cleaner, pared down look among Plumbs customers.

“We are seeing a return in popularity of curtain poles and tracks,” says Laura. “Our most popular look at the moment are eyelet curtains with a metallic pole. This is a contemporary, clean look that works really well when the dining area is part of the kitchen.”

There is no need to compromise on luxury with this look because curtains can be teamed with coordinating blinds to dress the window and add layers of colour and texture.

For advice on how Plumbs can help you refresh your dining room or area, contact a Plumbs consultant to give you free advice and quotes.

Joanna Whitworth
Home Decor enthustiast and employee of Plumbs Loose Covers and Reupholstery.
UK-wide service
UK-wide service
Family business
Family business
Made-to-measure
Made-to-measure
Free in-home consultation
Free in-home consultation
Over 800 fabrics
Over 800 fabrics
Quality guarantee
Quality guarantee

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