The dining room is an area where family meals and conversation are enjoyed; when friends visit, this may be the area where you chat or play cards.  You know that your home should be a reflection of your own personal tastes, but you are fresh out of ideas.  The tips below will help you decorate a dining room that is beautiful, original and most of all, affordable.

Wainscoting

This is a project that you can handle by yourself, in just a few hours time.  Wainscoting adds depth and character to a room; depending on the type of wood, paint colors and pattern you use, the room may have a completely modern look or you can create old-world charm.

Staining will give your wainscoting a deep, rich look.  You can also weather it by using different techniques to give your wainscoting a worn, antique look or you may want to paint it a bright color for a more modern appearance.

Painting

Paint – the good old stand-by for everything.  It’s no wonder that paint is the most popular way to give a room an entirely new look; today, you can do anything with paint, from “weathering” furniture to painting cabinets.  Always remember that light colors expand, while dark colors make the room look smaller.

Don’t be afraid to use bright, bold colors on walls.  Mellow reds, warm oranges and soft yellows create warm, inviting rooms that are relaxing and friendly; if you don’t like the result, it’s easy to change!

Lighting

All too often, home owners just stick a light bulb in a lighting fixture and think no more about it.  Light gives a room its glow; it creates a warm, welcoming ambiance.  The dining room is where you enjoy relaxing dinners with the family, a romantic dinner with your spouse – or you may use it to work on the household budget, in which case you will need bright light.

Recessed or “canned” lighting in the ceiling is a good option for a dining room, since you can often use dimmer switches that allow you to control the brightness.  Also consider a low-wattage lamp for the buffet, or an elegant chandelier hung directly over the center of the table.  Lighting is especially important in the dining room.

Eye-catching centerpieces

No dining room is complete without an attention-grabbing centerpiece!  Your dining room table can be the focus of the room; depending on your style tastes, you can create your own centerpiece with things you may already have.

Love a simple country look?  Pull out an old cracked pitcher and fill it with wildflowers.  Set it on top of a long runner that spans the length of the table, preferably made of gingham or another fabric that offers country appeal.

A square wicker basket filled with a round pillar candle surrounded by fruit, nuts, pinecones and other things from nature makes a beautiful centerpiece as well.

These ideas are easy to incorporate in your own dining room, and can dramatically change its appearance.  If your dining room is getting a bit drab and you’re ready for a change, use these simple tips – or come up with a few of your own to make the look even more personal!

One common misconception is that a homeowner has to spend a lot of money on the dining room in order to make it look good. This is absolutely not true. You’d be surprised how many budget-friendly ways there are to decorate your dining room and have it look very stylish and put together. Here are some inexpensive decorating ideas for your dining room to help get you started.

Decorate with Your China
Rather than keeping your beautiful set of china stored away, put it on display for all to see. This is a great way to use something you already own to decorate your dining room. Your china will look great displayed in an armoire or china cabinet. Or if you like, place it on a shelf on the wall.

You might also hang the plates on the wall in a decorative pattern, if this is an old china set that you don’t use anymore. You might also use your china settings to set your oak dining table in order to give it more of a finished look.

Make the Window Treatments
There are plenty of different ways (that don’t require you to be a seamstress) that you can make your own inexpensive window treatments. You can add a stylish touch to otherwise boring blinds or drapes by simply taking a long silk scarf and draping it over the curtain rod. You might also use placemats and tablecloths for your window treatments. This way, they’ll match the same design that’s on your table.

Use Nature to Decorate the Dining Room
Look to your own backyard in spring, summer, and fall, to find décor items for your dining room straight from nature. Try filling up a large wicker basket with all sorts of natural items such as flowers, stones, leaves, fruits, and twigs. Arrange the items attractively and then place the basket on the dining room table to create a seasonal centerpiece. By creating a seasonal basket, you can change up the look of your dining room with each season and stay well within your budget.

Make Your Own Artwork
If you are creative, you might choose to save money on your dining room décor by creating your own artwork. After all, the most expensive décor items in the house are probably pieces of art. When you create your own art pieces, you can really save a substantial amount of money.

Even if you’re not very creative of can’t draw or paint, you can still create some sort of art piece to hang on your wall. One option is to purchase some fabric that matches the style of your dining room and a few inexpensive plain photo frames or blank canvases. All you have to do is pull the fabric tightly over the frame or canvas and staple it in place on the back. Then, voila! You now have a decorative fabric piece to hang on the wall. For a great backdrop for the dining room, hang a couple of these in different sizes and fabric patterns to create a collage.

You don’t need to establish a large budget in order to decorate your dining room. Simply take the time to look around your home and find items that you can recycle in the room’s décor. You can really get creative and use your sense of style to come up with unique ways to decorate. Then your dining room will reflect your personality and look like you spent a lot of money on it, even when you didn’t spend a dime.