A tablecloth is the backdrop to a dinner party. When setting the stage for your delicious bites to follow, you could go for a muted all-white vibe, maximal pattern-on-pattern look, or beachy cabana energy. If you’re lucky enough to have a linen closet with a few strong options, you can choose your own adventure every time. 

But where to begin? Glad you asked. Cultiver, Parachute, and Bed Threads have impressed us with their bedding night after night, and considering tablecloths from these brands are made out of the exact same linen, we know they’re just as sound. If you’re in the market for a real showstopper, the striped cottons from our just-dropped collab with Heather Taylor Home are an excellent place to start. And if the goal is to ball on a budget, Amazon has a few options that actually look quite expensive. Shop the best tablecloths by style, below, as your big party plans for 2024 await.  

Our Favorite Tablecloth Brands

Best solid tablecloths: Cultiver
Best striped tablecloths: Heather Taylor Home
Best gingham tablecloths: Schoolhouse
Best floral tablecloths: Food52 x St. Frank
Best budget tablecloths: IKEA

Best Solid Tablecloths

Before you delve into the world of prints, it’s good to have at least one solid in your collection. But just because it’s solid doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Two examples: Amazon’s ruffle trim adds a cottagecore flair, and Hay’s contrast stitching adds an unexpected pop of red to an otherwise neutral piece.

Linen Tablecloth, Cultiver ($156)

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European Linen Tablecloth, Quince ($60)

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100% French Flax Linen Tablecloth, Bed Threads ($96 was $120)

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Outline Tablecloth, Hay ($75)

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Pure Linen Tablecloth by Everly, Amazon ($56)

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Linen Fringe Tablecloth, Parachute ($129)

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Sunset Rose Linen Tablecloth, April Notes ($70)

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Retro Farmhouse Ruffle Tablecloth by Glory Season , Amazon ($35)

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Best Striped Tablecloths

We’re big fans of stripes here at Domino—in other words, we go crazy for them. Wide, narrow, bright, soft; you truly can’t go wrong. It’s no wonder editor-favorite Hawkins New York chose a stripe as its pattern debut. It’s offered in six tone-on-tone colorways. 

Medium Stripe Tablecloth , Heather Taylor Home x Domino ($218)

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Awning Stripe Tablecloth, Serena & Lily ($118)

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La Veste Nizam Cotton Tablecloth by Lisa Corti, Matches Fashion ($215)

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Striped Cotton Tablecloth, H&M Home ($37)

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Essential Striped Tablecloth, Hawkins New York ($118)

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Dyed Thread Striped Tablecloth, Zara Home ($30 was $50)

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Best Gingham Tablecloths

Gingham can make even an urban high-rise feel like a country home. Schoolhouse’s unique cocktail of coral and cornflower blue has our heart, but we’re also crushing on the subtle fringe of Serena & Lily’s cotton staple. 

Linen Check Tablecloth, Schoolhouse ($179)

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Linen Buffalo Check Oversized Tablecloth, Crate & Barrel ($190)

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Farmer’s Gingham Tablecloth by Farmhouse Pottery, West Elm ($155)

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Gingham Tablecloth, Serena & Lily ($178)

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Picnic Linen Tablecloth by Madre, Food52 ($270)

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Indigo Gingham Tablecloth by Auntie Oti, Nickey Kehoe ($130)

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Best Floral Tablecloths

A floral pattern can take you in many directions, from a traditional Suzani print to stylized tulip illustrations. When it comes to busier patterns, just opt for solid napkins and dinnerware to balance it all out.

Bright Botanical Suzani Printed Tablecloth, Food52 x St. Frank ($199)

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Sophia Block-Print Oilcloth Outdoor Tablecloth, Pottery Barn ($89)

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Turning Tulips Large Tablecloth, La DoubleJ ($199)

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Yadira Tablecloth, Furbish Studio ($69)

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Meraki Green 100% Cotton Tablecloth by ATOSII, Amazon ($52)

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Rose Rouge Tablecloth, Atelier Saucier ($198)

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Best Budget Tablecloths

Let’s be honest: Dinner parties can get a little messy. Red wine will inevitably spill and tomato sauce will splash. So if you’re not trying to break the bank on a tablecloth, this is your section. When seeking a deal, we look no further than IKEA: Its Vippstarr style is just $6. (Yep, you read that right.) But it’s more than just inexpensive. Made from 100% unbleached cotton, the thin red stitching adds an effortless French flair. 

Vippstarr Tablecloth, IKEA ($6)

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Martha Stewart Honeycomb Modern Farmhouse Tablecloth, Wayfair ($26 was $33)

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Cotton Tablecloth, H&M Home ($10 was $32)

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Linen-Cotton Tablecloth by Zobesta, Amazon ($21)

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Our Shopping Checklist

Size 

There’s no standard size for a tablecloth; you’ll want to pick one according to your table size as well as the type of occasion. For casual gatherings, tablecloths should hang down 6 to 8 inches. For formal events, it can hang down between 8 and 12 inches. So just take your table dimensions and add double the amount you want it to hang down to each side. Easy enough! 

Fabric Types  

Domino editors prefer linen and cotton when it comes to tablecloths, but they aren’t the only fiber sources for this tabletop accessory. There are plenty of polyester options on the market, but we’d avoid those. However, you don’t have to say “no” outright to a blend. Of course, 100% cotton and linen are the cream of the crop for this category, but they will require a bit more upkeep; just a hair of polyester added in can mean the difference of not having to iron with every use. Color-, pattern-, and texture-wise—have fun! Just keep a few things in mind: How your tablecloth choice works with your napkins, and how everything will pair with your chosen glasses and flatware. 

Maintenance

Most picks on this list can be tossed in a washing machine without worry (just stick to cold water and delicate cycles). If you’re struggling to get those wrinkles out, take it out of the wash while it’s still damp and iron on reverse.

Ask Domino

Q: Every time I take my tablecloth out of the linen closet, it has creases from folding. How can I get rid of them without using an ironing board?

If you’re setting the table a few hours before your party, hitting those creases with a spray bottle filled with water is a great trick for releasing lines. When the fabric dries, they’ll be out of sight. 

Additionally, you’d be surprised how much plates, serveware, candles, vases, and whatever you style your table with will conceal the lines. There’s no way your guests’ eyes will go toward the subtle lines when they’re covered by a beautiful tablescape. 

Q: Would you ever layer a tablecloth with placemats?

Never say never! While this can look a bit crowded when done wrong, we think placemats in a contrasting material can be layered over a tablecloth. Think: wicker or resin placemats over a linen tablecloth. Chargers would be a safe bet, as they’re often smaller, and their purpose is more decorative and about complementing the plate rather than protecting the table and catching dropped food.

The post The Best Tablecloths on the Internet, Starting With a $6 Neutral Stripe appeared first on domino.

Moving from our compact London flat to a more spacious house in Brighton held the promise of a dedicated “adults-only, except on holidays” dining area—a haven free from the aftermath of toddler feasts. The anticipation of liberating my cherished Brutalist travertine dining table, formerly tucked into a tight corner, filled me with excitement. Finally, this sturdy centerpiece could shine and even accommodate the toy car chases that leave me breathless each time a sharp corner of the glass tabletop is narrowly avoided. 

The total cost of our eclectic dining room ended up just shy of $1,900, including the cost of our existing table. Thanks to savvy money management and creative problem-solving, we even had extra funds to indulge in a unique, well-deserved splurge. Ahead, I’m sharing my tips and tricks for curating a room filled with distinctive collectible objects without breaking the bank.

Score a Bargain on a Stone Table

The sole relic from our previous apartment within this room is my stunning Brutalist travertine dining table—a treasure I acquired during an eBay quest years ago. While it was technically too big for our flat, I couldn’t resist the allure, especially when the owner agreed to part with the pristine base for a mere $125. All that remained was the task of locating a glass tabletop to restore its functionality and moving to a more spacious home to give it the place of pride it deserves.

Jazz Up a Basic Plywood Chair

Every interior narrative I craft demands a sprinkle of DIY magic. In our dining space, the pièce de résistance is undoubtedly the chairs. You’d never know it now, but they started out as lackluster 1990s bentwood conference room chairs with coffee-stained upholstery. Yes, they were another serendipitous eBay discovery at a mere $20 each. My husband and I wielded a jigsaw, sander, drill with a hole-saw attachment, and surplus paint to conjure chairs that embody the essence of my design fantasies.

The evolution of the design drew inspiration from my extensive collection of sculptural chair images, yet the final form was shaped by both the inherent structure of the chairs and the array of tools in my arsenal. Noteworthy elements include the custom striped upholstery fabric sourced from Colours of Arley and the whimsical terracotta wood balls playfully resembling earrings that add a hint of anthropomorphic allure.

Make a Grand Statement With This Wallet-Friendly Art Hack

While swapping out the pendant lamp above our dining table proved to be a straightforward task, we found ourselves grappling with the dilemma of two picture lights that adorned the walls, seemingly meant to illuminate sizable artworks we didn’t possess. Faced with the impractical options of investing in art that might not fit a future space or settling for more generic light fixtures, I turned to Belarte, a Swedish company offering mural wallpaper, for a more affordable alternative. To transform the wallpaper into two oversize art pieces, I affixed them to MDF panels I ordered online and completed the presentation with DIY frames fashioned from precut moldings.

Treat Yourself to One Splurge

Being thrifty has its perks, and sometimes it means having extra funds to invest in that one standout piece that elevates your room’s aesthetic. In my case, I indulged in a pair of artisanal squiggly metal-wrought chairs from London-based vintage furniture dealer Oculus. Handmade and each uniquely crafted, these chairs feature two distinctive round balls atop the backrest, echoing the design of the dining chairs I envisioned, bringing the entire scheme full circle. Currently adorning the wall alongside the artwork, the chairs not only serve as functional art sculptures but double as convenient extra seating whenever the need arises.

The post What Started as ’90s Conference Room Chairs Are Now My Dining Room’s Conversation Starter appeared first on domino.

A few weeks ago, Domino’s chief creative officer, Kate Berry, was driving through the hilly streets of Los Angeles with longtime friend Heather Taylor when she spotted a compost bin on the street with long, lush branches peeking out. “I jumped out of the car and started clipping them,” recalls Berry. Once she’d gathered enough greenery, the pair headed back to Taylor’s Laurel Canyon home where they used them to help style the ultimate holiday tablescape—complete with roughly five pine cones, 20-ish pieces of citrus, two Il Buco Vita cake stands, and, of course, new items from the just-launched Heather Taylor Home x Domino collection. 

The table the creative duo was setting was technically for a photo shoot (peep the outcome, above) and not a real sit-down dinner, but this is how Berry and Taylor entertain during the holidays when a camera isn’t around. They forage for decor. They light long taper candles. And they lay on the patterned linens. “We both take a lot of pleasure in setting holiday tables,” notes Taylor. “It’s exciting to come up with fresh takes on traditional motifs, which is kind of what we’ve done here.” Ahead, they share their top tips for a low-lift holiday gathering.

Experiment With Other Festive Shades 

Berry describes their color palette as “adjacent to” classic red and green. In the Heather Taylor Home x Domino collection, they used unexpected shades of lilac, pomegranate, oat, and moss—hues that give you that same home-for-the-holidays feeling without hitting you over the head with it. 

Build a Centerpiece From What’s Around You

You don’t need to buy an expensive vase or candelabra to set a beautiful table. Start by scouring your own house. Taylor did this last Christmas Eve and whipped together a unique garland from dried citrus she had hanging around in her kitchen, leftover ribbon, and sprigs from her neighbor’s backyard. “It was very much California’s bounty,” she recalls. (When lacking a living centerpiece, Berry has been known to grab a houseplant and plop it on the table.) You can also phone a friend. When Berry and Taylor teamed up to style the HTH x Domino catalog, Taylor rang up her pal Amy, who she knew owned an assortment of large pine cones. 

If you’re still in need of more supplies, pop by your local Trader Joe’s and scoop up some lemons, tomatoes, and pomegranates. No need to visit a florist if you don’t have the time. “Then you have all these yummy things you can later enjoy with wine and pizza,” says Taylor.  

Don’t Stress About Getting It All Done

“I want to be able to host a beautiful party for my family and friends, but the reality is I’m pretty much working up until the day,” says Taylor. Her secret to pulling it all off on Christmas Eve? Ordering premade lasagna from Eataly so she can focus on crafting a salad and a cheese board herself, jazzing up cocktails by sticking cranberries inside of ice cubes, and curating a hot chocolate bar for dessert. Those small details make it feel special for guests—and, most important, you don’t miss out on conversations because you were too busy in the kitchen. Plus with the HTH x Domino linens, you instantly have a space that looks put-together. “That’s the ultimate hack: If you have a few beautiful items, you need very little else,” says Taylor. 

Keep Everyone Comfortable With a Personal Pillow

Knowing that most good parties don’t end at the dinner table—they end around the sofa, ideally basked in the warmth of a fire—the HTH x Domino collection also features pillows (petite and regular). First place them on the dining chairs and then encourage guests to take their cushions with them and sit around the coffee table on the floor. “It adds that cozy element, having a pillow around,” says Berry. 

The post You Can Re-create These Holiday Tables With a Little Foraging and a Trader Joe’s Run appeared first on domino.

You don’t need a 60-inch-long sign that reads “Gather” in a swirly cursive font to encourage people to congregate in your dining room. An extra-long table that’s got a few nicks, chairs with faux sheepskin throws casually draped over the back, and a low-hung chandelier will send the right message. While there is no exact formula to designing a welcoming dining room—the kind that guests overstay their welcome in, long after dessert has been cleared—we’ve learned a lot from some of our favorite modern farmhouse dining rooms. So go ahead, put the sign art down and walk away with these eight tips instead. 

Mix Up Your Dining Chair Finishes

For instant character, have your guests play a riff on musical chairs; by mixing and matching everyone’s seats, you’re inviting them to pick their favorite spot (an activity that automatically introduces a fresh conversation to the room). Leanne Ford introduced similar chair styles in different hues in her farmhouse and topped them all with removable jute seat cushions to still maintain a sense of cohesion. 

Try Out Mid-Century Curves in a Small Space

The only new piece of furniture in Kelsey Duda’s Lake Michigan vacation rental is the dining table from Stoffer Home, but paired with mid-century modern Bertoia side chairs and a green thumb–approved centerpiece, you’d think she thrifted the whole setup.

Add a Glimmer of Glam With Velvet…

One easy way to achieve a modern farmhouse dining room is to split the duties between the two main pieces of furniture. In other words, stick with a classic long farmhouse table and surround it with supermodern chairs. Architects and designers Alan Barlis and Jessie Goldvarg of BarlisWedlick found a balance between formal and casual in this Hudson Valley house with an Andrianna Shamaris table and velvet-covered Paul McCobb chairs. 

…Or a Jewel-Tone Rug

Designer Luke Havekes made violet the star of his farmhouse’s dining room, opting for a sangria-hued floor covering. While the color could look too dark and overpowering in the beam-heavy space, around the corner, he lightened things up with supergauzy curtains. 

Break Up All That Wood With Brass

If you’re committed to a wood-on-wood look with your dining set, introduce a fresh finish with your lighting. Brass, as LaTonya Yvette shows us, is the perfect complement to orange-toned wood, especially when the tabletop is quite gritty (she never sanded or stained the vintage piece she sourced from Woodward Throwback). 

Keep Everyone’s Seat Extra-Warm

While fully upholstered chairs don’t always lend themselves to a modern farmhouse vibe, you still want your guests to feel like they can slouch, lounge, and stay a while—sheepskin throws will keep them there. The founders of Hawkins New York draped one on each chair in their New York home, and the result makes every meal feel like a holiday dinner. 

Make Your Dining Room Setup Permanent

Fashion stylist Dani Michelle consulted the queen of modern farmhouse design, Leanne Ford, when she set out to renovate her Los Angeles home. During their initial conversations, Ford told Michelle about SureCrete, a type of skim coating that adds Mykonos-worthy texture to walls and, in Michelle’s case, a built-in dining bench. 

Hang Plates on the Wall

The only thing more charming than the sherbet-hued arrangement of linen slipcovered chairs in this dining room is the plate wall. Naturally, the decorative dishes in the Australian farmhouse aren’t just mounted on plain ol’ drywall—shiplap was a must.

The post 8 Modern Farmhouse Dining Rooms—And Not a “Gather” Sign in Sight appeared first on domino.

Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.

Dining chairs aren’t the typical first-apartment purchase. You wouldn’t live without a mattress (you need to sleep!) or a sofa (where else would you slurp instant ramen while watching The Bachelorette?), but dining room furniture never feels as essential. That is unless you want to host people for brunch—or just eat at an actual table every once in a while. Come to think of it, investing in dining chairs is crucial.

Now for the fun part: It’s time to play Goldilocks and choose the perfect set for you. While the best get-togethers start with a killer playlist and free-flowing wine, comfortable chairs that invite guests to linger long after dessert, when the plates are left with nothing but a few crumbs, are the unsung heroes of any dinner party. Aesthetics, of course, has its own role to play. If you’re ready to graduate from the sofa to the dinner table and buy a real set of the best dining chairs, read on for answers from designers and DIYers to that age-old question: How do you pick out the perfect seat? 

Our Favorites

• The smooth operator: Lulu and Georgia Joel Dining Chair
• The Bauhaus beauty: Noom Gropius CS1 Chair
• The durable chameleon: Resto Chair Division 12
• The dinner party companion: RoveConcepts Angelo Chair 
• The trendy one: Industry West Cane Armchair
• The statement silhouette: Audo Afteroom Dining Chair
• The casual slingback: Lulu and Georgia Vix Dining Chair

The Smooth Operator: Lulu and Georgia Joel Dining Chair

Joel Dining Chair, Lulu and Georgia ($599)

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Arms: Yes | Seat height: 18.5 inches | Material: Linen-and-polyester blend

When designer Abbie Naber was tasked with furnishing an entire SoCal home, the dining table chairs had to nail the trifecta of style, price, and sensibility. “We chose CB2’s Lisette because it hit the mark on many levels for us: comfortability—its fabric had a bit of cushion to it and arms were a requirement—and color—forgiving yet still light, like the palette of the space,” she offers. The best part, though, may be the unexpected silhouette, which Naber describes as modern but not too predictable. While this particular version is no longer in stock, we did find an alternative at Lulu and Georgia that nails Naber’s criteria.

Shop More Upholstered Dining Chairs

Abilene Upholstered Dining Chair, West Elm ($449)

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Bouclé Hagen Dining Chair, Anthropologie ($598)

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The Bauhaus Beauty: Noom Gropius CS1 Chair

Noom Modern Chair Gropius CS1 in Velvet, 1stDibs ($1,050)

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Arms: No | Seat height: 18.5 inches | Material: Velvet

This year may be the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus school, but we first spotted this chair originally dedicated to the iconic German movement in a Los Angeles home crafted by Jessica Hansen of Tandem Design in 2022. The velvet-covered modern frame is fashioned from wood, foam rubber, and injection-molded soft foam, which is more durable than you’d think and the main reason Hansen chose it for her client Sara Matarazzo. After growing up in an Italian household where furniture was more often than not covered in plastic, Matarazzo was seeking a balance between form and function. The cylinder-like, sculptural silhouette is described as cozy and soft; despite its artful appearance, its a comfy place to eat a family meal.

Shop More Sculptural Dining Chairs

Wrought Studio Edom Carmel Chair, Wayfair ($217 was $279)

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Ceremonie Mohair Dining Chair by Athena Calderone, Crate & Barrel ($499)

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The Durable Chameleon: Division 12 Resto Chair

Division 12 Resto Chair, Design Public ($399)

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Arms: No | Seat height: 19 inches | Material: White oak, stained oak, or recycled HDPE

The biggest draw of Division 12’s Resto is the customization. “The brand offers an extensive list of options, and it was a fun way to add color in a place that sometimes is more muted,” recalls designer Regan Baker of a dining area she worked on in a San Francisco home. After playing with a bunch of looks, she landed on mint for the frame and a yellow plaid cushion fabric that could sustain wear and tear from kids. “In general, the Resto chairs are a great fit for somewhere where durability is key,” adds Baker, noting that the company is a commercial brand typically tapped for restaurants. 

Shop More Armless Dining Chairs

Set of Two Pastis Dining Chair, Hay ($716 was $895)

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Clelia Upholstered Chair, Connubia ($506)

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The Dinner Party Companion: RoveConcepts Angelo Chair 

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Arms: No | Seat height: 19.5 inches | Material: Velvet upholstery on steel or brass

Designer Zoe Feldman knew her clients needed plush places to post up for long, boozy dinner gatherings. After considering multiple pieces, she settled on the Angelo chair by RoveConcepts for a few reasons. “We wanted a color that was not already represented but also didn’t feel like a complete departure,” explains Feldman, noting the moody paint shade and depth of the wallpaper. “Blush is a wonderful neutral that gives the space some welcome lightness, delicacy, and a quiet pop of color.” The curvy frame also gives it a soft touch of femininity that was not only an aesthetic win but, paired with the velvet upholstery pulled over a high-density foam seat, won points on comfortability, too. 

Shop More High-Back Dining Chairs

Tossberg Chair, IKEA ($180)

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Azalea Bouclé Chair, CB2 ($399)

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The Trendy One: Industry West Cane Armchair

Cane Armchair, Industry West ($950)

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Arms: Yes | Seat height: 17.25 inches | Material: Ash and cane

DIYer Brit Arnesen of Britdotdesign always envisioned cane chairs when she began converting her garage into an open-concept living room, complete with a terrazzo fireplace and dining area. “I didn’t necessarily have any preferences in terms of shape or dimensions, because I planned to build a table to go with them,” she shares. Industry West’s cane armchair is even closer to her vision than she expected to find (and the $160 T.J. Maxx ones she landed on). Though the natural colorway is no longer available, the mid-century frame adds beautiful contrast in the black- and green-painted ash wood. If you can’t splurge on a set of classic Cesca chairs, why not give this contemporary twist a try?

Shop More Cane Dining Chairs

Caroline Windsor Back Arm Chair, Joss & Main ($360 was $386)

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Kellan Arm Chair, All Modern ($280)

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The Statement Silhouette: Audo Afteroom Dining Chair

Afteroom Studio Dining Chair, Audo Copenhagen ($527)

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Arms: No | Seat height: 18 inches | Material: Walnut veneer or upholstered and steel

If you’re searching for something unexpected to wow guests, consider Afteroom Studio’s dining chairs. “We love that they feel like little elegant characters,” says Russell Whitehead of London-based firm 2LG Studio, who paired the steel-framed stunners with a sculptural table created in collaboration with jesmonite artist Olivia Aspinal in his and Jordan Cluroe’s own dining room–slash–workspace. “We needed dining chairs that could hold their own but had a lighter appearance to play against the solid shape of the table leg,” he adds. “Their slim, playful shape is the perfect complement, and the options on upholstery allowed a level of freedom to bring these in line with our color palette.” 

Shop More Minimalist Dining Chairs

Wyatt Dining Chair, Pottery Barn ($179 was $199)

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Set of Two Modway Modern Dining Chairs, Amazon ($162 was $263)

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The Casual Slingback: Lulu and Georgia Vix Dining Chair

Vix Dining Chair (Set of 2), Lulu and Georgia ($1,298)

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Arms: No | Seat height: 18.25 inches | Material: Leather, Sungkai wood 

Why we chose it: For a laid-back yet luxe look that will only get better with time. 

While we have long admired the Strap dining chair—a bitonal leather and wood combo crafted by Thomas Hayes Studio—we frankly don’t have $3,000 to spare for one. (See them in Meredith Chin’s creative haven, the countertop version in model and chef Sanne Vloet’s Los Angeles loft, and Maria Dueñas Jacobs’s Manhattan apartment.) For those of us tasked with furnishing a dining room on our own a little more affordably, there are plenty of similar styles on the market that bring these two classic materials together in a woven format. Take Lulu and Georgia’s Vix chairs, for example. They feature a naturally tanned leather over a curved yet sturdy Sungkai wood–based frame. 

Shop More Leather Strap Dining Chairs 

Taj Brown Woven Leather Dining Chair, Crate & Barrel ($499)

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Perry Dining Chair, Burke Decor ($524 was $656)

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How We Chose These Products

Finding the perfect set of seats for your dining table, kitchen corner, or breakfast nook is no simple task—should you opt for a classic wood look or a comfier upholstered frame? Do you want something lush like velvet or a top-notch performance fabric that’s a breeze for wiping up pasta sauce and wine spills? So we found a few of our favorite dining table chairs and asked the designers who sourced them why they were the ideal fit for that space. 

Our Shopping Checklist

Size

Dining chairs come in all shapes and sizes, but determining the right dimensions for your room depends most on your existing dining table. Ergonomics is pretty important to eating—no one wants to feel like they’re in need of a booster when sitting down or bruise their knees every time they have to get up—so be sure to account for ample leg and lap room when taking measurements. For a standard table, the seat height these designers went with fell between 17 and nearly 20 inches. Though Baker also advises most guests won’t want to straddle the base of a table, so it’s equally important to think about where the legs of the chair and table meet (if at all—this is less of a concern with a pedestal or trestle table). 

Arms vs. Armless

It’s all about space allotment. Baker suggests asking yourself a few questions first: Where will the arms fall at the table? Will they prevent the chair from sliding underneath the table? “From here, it becomes a style choice,” she notes. “Arms can add a structural or architectural moment, which is why we like to use them, especially on the ends of tables where there is often more room.”  

Comfort

Chair arms are also tied up with comfort—sometimes it’s nice to have a place to rest your elbows, but if space is tight, you won’t want to feel like the sides are closing in. Material choices are also a factor. We get it; dining chairs should be visually stunning. But if you’re planning to sit on them regularly, you don’t want to feel sore or stiff in a half hour. “Sit tests are always important,” stresses Baker. And if you’re entertaining often, you might want to opt for a structure that’s easy to maintain. Naber suggests focusing on materials that are simple to clean and stain resistant, such as a wood chair with a leather pad. 

Pro Tips for Styling the Best Dining Chairs 

• It’s important to think about how you’ll occupy a dining space. “Are you more into long dinner parties and therefore need pure comfort with your choice of chair? Or is space a strong concern, so you need a streamlined chair?” poses Whitehead. 
• For a more casual dining environment, play with the height of your chair—a taller back lends itself to a traditional vibe, whereas a shorter frame can feel more modern. Or simply add in a bench or stool.
• Sometimes vintage is best. For a Washington, D.C., home, Feldman found Biedermeier chairs. “They offer a modern silhouette, while the curvature of the patterned wood creates tension against the stark lines of the wallpaper,” she says. “Sculptural occasional chairs have the ability to stand alone and be anchored to the space without a table.”
• Naber’s biggest tip: Avoid being too matchy-matchy. “I like combining materials and allowing contrast to happen,” she shares. “If you have a black dining table, try pairing it with a lighter wood or vice versa. Also think about other materials, not just wood.”

Cult Classic Chairs

Cesca Chair, Knoll ($905 was $1,065)

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Wishbone Chair, Carl Hansen & Søn ($735 was $865)

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Pair of Biedermeier Style Armchairs ($3,750)

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Pair of Fayann Slat Back Side Chairs, Joss and Main ($290)

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Ask Domino

Q: How much space should there be between dining chairs? 

Baker suggests leaving at least 4 inches between chairs to prevent guests from feeling like they’re on top of one another. A general rule of thumb, according to Naber, is 24 inches per chair: “If the chair itself is wider, then you’ll need to accommodate for more space.” You can fudge that calculation a bit more in high-traffic areas that call for space-saving measures. For example, consider backless stools—which are usually narrower than traditional dining chairs. More specifically, Baker will reserve about 4 inches between each chair to prevent people from feeling cramped. 

Q: How do I clean and properly maintain my dining chairs?

This depends on the material or upholstery you choose. For instance, cane can be brittle, making it susceptible to tears and fading, so try to keep it out of direct sunlight and moisturize it every now and then with a water-and-oil mixture (just be careful not to oversaturate it!). Wood and metal can always be easily wiped down after spills, but a cushion is more likely to stain, so stick to performance fabrics if you have kids or a penchant for hosting family and friends.  

Q: How many dining chairs should I have? 

The number of seats is largely dependent on the length or diameter of your table, whether it’s round or rectangular. “Generally someone selling a table will tell you how many chairs it can accommodate, but all chairs have different widths—many are in the range of about 20 to 26 inches,” points out Baker. In other words, 45 to 60 inches should allow you to sit anywhere from four to six people, designers reveal, but your chair count ultimately boils down to common sense: After all, you can fit more skinny, armless chairs than large armchairs in any space. 

The Last Word

Whether it’s a modern dining chair or cheap dining chair, aesthetics is usually priority number one, but designers note comfort is just as important. “Everyone has different thoughts on what is comfortable. Some people don’t like chairs with openings in the back or don’t like upholstered chairs because of food on the fabric,” says Baker. “Some people want chairs to be wipeable, in which case a wood or plastic chair is more ideal, but it’s always an important conversation to have initially because it’s so subjective.” 

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There are some things you can’t unsee once you’ve seen them. The boob light is one of those things. A landlord’s special, this mass-produced fixture gets its nickname for its dome silhouette and protruding tip, and is one of the top features we hear homeowners and renters complain about. But recently, interior designer Shannon McLaren, owner of Prairie Interiors, made a case for having a pointy-looking flush mount—and it’s something we don’t want to unsee. 

“I told myself I need to go minimal, cool, and anti-McMansion,” says McLaren, while recalling renovating the dining room in her 2000s–built Newport Beach, California, home. Previously, there was a gaudy chandelier hanging in the space that fit the vibe of the, as she put it, “bad Coto de Caza, Mediterranean” architecture; it wasn’t at all to her liking. After swathing the walls in a glistening, fishy Pierre Frey wallpaper, the designer had her electrician replace the old light with Hay’s Matin flush mount lamp, or “the new boob light,” as she so cleverly called it on her Instagram Stories. “It’s not this grand thing; it’s this simple hall light that I thought was cute and cheerful,” she explains. 

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Matin Flush Mount, Hay ($200)

The $200 find was originally created by French designer Inge Sempé and features a pleated cotton shade along with a painted steel bracket for mounting it on the ceiling or on the wall (yes, you can treat it like a sconce, too). The flat-packed fixture shields two bulbs, which give it that soft, ambient glow—and if you want to swap them out with LED dimmable versions, it’s totally compatible. While the piece is hardwired, it can be assembled easily by someone with electrical know-how. We never thought we’d see this day, but we’re not mad about it.

More Like It

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Chris Loves Julia Parasol Semi-Flush Mount, Pottery Barn Kids ($229)

Chris and Julia Marcum technically designed this scalloped piece with a nursery in mind, but we not-so-secretly want it for our adult bedrooms. 

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Santa Barbara Rattan Flush Mount, Serena & Lily ($498)

A hit of rattan ends much-needed texture to a flat white ceiling. 

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Model 26 Ceiling Light, Lightology (from $600)

This conical one is a splurge-worthy version of McLaren’s Hay piece. Designed in 1945 by Tage Klint, it stars his signature hand-folded pleating. 

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Utah-18 Ceiling Light by Gallery L7, 1stDibs ($1,800)

If it’s the boob light’s pointy tip that throws you off, opt for a disk silhouette, which looks more like a space shuttle than a body part. 

The post We Never Thought We’d Say It, But This Designer Has Us Rethinking Boob Lights appeared first on domino.

We’ve seen hundreds of IKEA Besta hacks, and most people stick to using it as a traditional media cabinet. Kendra Joseph, the Bay Area–based designer and founder of Rise Up Home, had other plans for her two base units. Instead of a credenza, she turned them into a banquette. 

Since they wanted to comfortably host friends and extended family from back East, Joseph and her husband decided to convert their roughly 400-square-foot detached two-car garage into a guesthouse complete with a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchenette. Finding ways to incorporate storage without soaking up precious real estate was key. “The bench was ideal in allowing us to do that,” she shares. Measuring just under 16 inches deep, the pieces proved to be the perfect fit for seating guests and simultaneously hiding blankets, board games, and serving platters. 

In total, they spent between $250 and $300 on the whole thing (the pair saved money by using some materials they had on hand such as the lumber and screws, in addition to the tools). “The biggest costs were the IKEA materials and the wood for the waterfall top,” notes Joseph. Here’s how they made the basic white cupboards look a little less Besta-y and a little more benchlike. 

The Supplies

• 2 Besta drawer base units with soft closing drawers
• Impact drill
• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Wood screws
• Pressure-treated or redwood 2-by-4 lumber
• Laser level
• Torpedo level
• Measuring tape
• Table saw and clamps
• Paint
• Paint sprayer
• Wood glue

Step 1: We Have Liftoff

After purchasing the Besta units from IKEA, Joseph and her husband assembled the products per the retailer’s directions. Then with an impact drill, they constructed a rectangular frame to fit perfectly underneath the boxes, adding cross beams for support, out of redwood 2-by-4s that they salvaged during the garage demo process. In between checking the evenness of the frames with a traditional torpedo laser, the pair also used a laser level to make sure the seating height on both sides was the same. 

Step 2: Safe and Sound

After connecting the two base frames to each other with wood screws, they screwed the entire structure to the wall with base plates. Filling the corner where the two benches meet with a support box (also constructed out of 2-by-4s) allows guests to sit comfortably there too. They swathed the entire thing in Benjamin Moore’s Midnight using a paint sprayer so it matched the kitchenette cabinets. 

Step 3: Bench Warmer

Joseph and her husband sourced the maple-wood boards for the top and sides of the banquette from their local lumberyard, Aura Hardwoods, and cut them according to the dimensions of the existing structure. The key to the perfect waterfall is a seamless mitre-edge joint, which comes down to preparation: The pair measured the planks several times before making any cuts with their table saw. “We watched a lot of tutorials on YouTube,” notes Joseph. “Lumber can be expensive, so it’s best to put in the time to ensure no errors, or you can hire a carpenter if you don’t feel comfortable.” After applying wood glue to the undersides, they nudged the boards into place with a hammer, making them as snug as possible. Once dry, it was entertaining ready. 

The post Build Yourself a $300 Custom Banquette With This Seating-Storage IKEA Hack appeared first on domino.

In Renovator’s Notebook, homeowners open up about the nitty-gritty of their remodels: How long it really took; how much it actually cost; what went horribly wrong; and what went wonderfully, serendipitously, it’s-all-worth-it-in-the-end right. For more tips to nail your next project, follow @reno_notebook.

Location: Las Vegas
Square footage: 114 
Year built: 1990
Top priority: A dining room that invites you to sit and soak in the verdant views. 

Having just put a down payment on her Las Vegas house, design blogger Angela Rose wasn’t in any position to swap out the dated windows and doors in the ’90s space (replacing just one of the latter can cost up to $1,500). But a $200 pane kit, a textured area rug from her just-launched Loloi collection, and a few glowy pendant shades were definitely within budget. “It’s a completely different home now when you walk in,” shares Rose. 

After all, the whole reason Rose landed on this property after touring dozens of places was the dreamy backyard, complete with a pool and basketball court—and the views of it from the dining room. The problem was, the big sliding glass doors leading from the space to the patio were clad in bulky interior shutters. “I knew they had to come off,” recalls Rose. In her own words, the seasoned renovator reveals how she perfected her vantage point.

Shake Well for Modern Trim

Nothing made me more excited than knowing that spray-painting the outer edges of the windows and doorframe could transform the entire view. To prep the space, I got it nice and clean (for aluminum, you just need to wipe down the trim; for vinyl, I’d scuff it up a bit with sandpaper). While it’s tempting to get full coverage the first time around, I kept moving as I sprayed the Rustoleum paint and did three light coats to avoid any drip marks.

Get Griddy With It 

This room is pretty large (the ceilings are 13 feet high!), and the light fixtures are 24 inches wide, so adding grids to the glass was a way to make the space feel more intimate. The PVC kit comes in white, so after I cut the joiner and trim parts to size with a handheld saw and connected them all, I once again pulled out my can of spray paint. But first, I covered the exterior-facing side with painter’s tape; that way it remains white and matches the rest of the home’s windows from the outside. Once the grids were dry, I attached them with clear foam double-sided tape. 

Walk This Way

Before we moved in, I swapped out the old wood-look tile for stoneform flooring with a 20-year warranty. The scale of the rug on top was important, given this space is so vast. I chose the natural/black striped design from my jute Colton Collection—one of three in my 20-piece Loloi collaboration. (Aubrey features gorgeous printed designs with a vintage twist; Blake reimagines traditional antique styles, power loomed in warm earth tones with a hint of fringe.) 

The beauty of this specific handwoven textured piece, made in India, is that it always looks clean even when crumbs inevitably fall to the floor. It’s available in seven sizes, but I opted for the 7’6”-by-9’6”; that way all the legs of the chairs can easily fit, making scooting in and out a breeze. 

Angela Rose x Loloi CON-01 AR Natural / Black Rug, Amazon

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Angela Rose x Loloi AUB-02 AR Aqua / Sand Rug, Amazon

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Angela Rose x Loloi BLA-03 AR Denim / Taupe Rug, Amazon

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Brush With Greatness

I decided to go with Portola’s Roman Clay for the skim-coated walls to give a sense of soul and earthiness—and it only cost me $400. I used different sizes of putty knives to apply the material at random to achieve a soft effect. The whole project took close to 24 hours, mostly because the corners were tricky. If I were to do it again, I would have painted them a matching paint color and then overlapped it with the Roman Clay so I didn’t have to be so precise. Owning a couple sets of scaffolding was a huge help—it’s one of the first things I purchased for this new house because I didn’t want to be limited by my height.

Age With Grace

Both the chain and the inside of the $400 pendant lamps I found were bright gold, but I felt like the space needed more black elements to tie in with my Loloi rug. Naturally, I whipped out the black spray paint again and covered the chains. The inside of the fixtures just needed some roughing up with $8 Rub ’n Buff to tone it down to a bronze shade. 

Beam Me Up

I crafted my own ceiling beams for $2,000 by mounting 2-by-6s to the joists with 3 ½-inch-long screws—they’re not going anywhere. Next, I fastened a series of three poplar planks (with mitered edges) together with tape and wood glue, forming U-shaped boxes for each joist. After everything dried, I hoisted the boxes up (with helping hands) and attached them to the 2-by-6s with 2-inch-long nails on both sides.

Once my mind starts reimagining a space, I can’t stop. Everywhere I look, I think, I could add this here or switch this out here. My dining room project lit a little spark in my heart, like: Hey, I can do this! It’s a good place to be.

The post A Loloi Rug and DIY Beams Brought My Dining Room Out of the ’90s appeared first on domino.

Six years after moving into their Phoenix home, Sarahli Wilcox and her husband still hadn’t figured out how to make the most of the 15-foot-high ceilings in their dining room. “Everything looked too small,” she says. The foot stretch of wall to the side of their table originally had a sideboard for storage, but the much too small piece looked more like it was awaiting its permanent home rather than a part of the rest of the room’s design (plus it couldn’t hold all of Wilcox’s serveware). To more intentionally outfit (and properly fill) the space, the couple needed to think big—a bar cart/credenza/buffet table all-in-one big. 

Opt for Odd Numbers

Because of the uneven measurement of that long wall (it’s just under 9 feet), Wilcox was faced with an awkward width for her cabinetry. “I didn’t want it to come too far out,” she says. So to avoid the cabinetry peaking out into the hallway, Wilcox measured out one 36-inch-wide, one 24-inch-wide, and two 13-inch-wide cabinet boxes from IKEA (the Sektion line). Tambour wood door fronts (purposefully different from the kitchen’s Shaker style) in a custom cherry oak stain make the separate parts appear to be one long built-in. For the counters, she chose a custom quartz slab that almost exactly matches the white painted walls for a seamless look.

For Supersleek Storage, Nix the Brackets

As she is always scouring thrift stores and online marketplaces for vintage finds, Wilcox has amassed quite the vase collection. She needed a place to display her treasures and keep cocktail glasses within easy reach, so she had a pair of 6-foot floating shelves built over the cabinetry. “I needed to use the height and the length of that wall or else the cabinets looked too random,” she explains. Custom shelves were super-expensive, so building allowed Wilcox to both save money and match the exact stain to the cabinet doors. For a cleaner line, she opted out of any sort of brackets underneath, which also allowed for thicker planks and higher weight allowances. (The ledges are supported by anchors drilled into the back of the beams.)

Hack Your Way to an Affordable Kitchen Rail

Wilcox was desperate to find a way to incorporate a brass pot rail in the dining room—she has always loved the traditional English kitchen look. But everything online was more expensive than the entire renovation combined. Luckily she had an advantage: The rail didn’t need to be able to hold cookware—just the occasional mug or dried floral arrangement—so she could improvise. “I found hollow brass tubing on Amazon, along with the hooks, and it gave the exact right look,” she explains. Not to mention the installation—the rods are held up by brass rings (another Amazon find)—was a 30-minute breeze. Now Wilcox’s serving boards and napkins have a home all their own.

The post Thanks to This DIY Serving Station, the Dining Room’s 15-Foot Ceilings No Longer Loom appeared first on domino.