Smart Ways to Elevate a Dining Nook

Danielle Perkins, owner of Danielle Interior Design + Décor, is an expert at elevating living spaces, such as the dining nook. Here, she is sharing five design ideas that work in small spaces. 

1. Pack a punch.

Danielle chose two different cool-color drapery panels (her client’s idea) in the same fabric and with the same sheen to create a vibrant dining space in a small condo.

Because she knows this is a look that’s out of people’s comfort zone, she suggests picking solid accent colors—that are on the same side of the color wheel—and that already exist in adjoining rooms (the adjacent sitting room in this space, for instance, features fabrics that combine shades of lime and turquoise).

2. Accessorize.

“Lighting is the jewelry in a room,” Danielle explains. Just as a bit of bling can make an outfit sing, a metal-and-crystal fixture lets a room shine—literally.

3. Outfit a corner with a bar cart.

Danielle says a bar cart is one of the most versatile furnishings you can own because it’s mobile. Stock it with spirits and glasses when you’re entertaining, but style it with books, pretty vessels and a vase of fresh greens the rest of the time.

4. Choose other furnishings wisely. 

When it comes to selecting a table and chairs, opt for pieces that take up very little space visually, such as this round table with thin legs and a pair of ghost chairs.

5. Frame a view.

“Think of the vista as a piece of art,” Danielle says. And paint the moldings around the windows black—especially in a white or light-colored room. The crisp contrast creates a dramatic focal point.