Don't be afraid to have fun in the dining room

Breaking bread in a group is an ancient ritual. From the deep symbolism of the Last Supper to Norman Rockwell tableaus of rosy-faced children gathered around a Thanksgiving feast, the image of loved ones dining together is moving.

A shared meal is an intimate event and a dining room should be up to the task of making the experience memorable.

The small homeowner is forever fretting over the number of guests they can comfortably entertain. For some folks, a casual buffet will do. If people must grab a seat in other parts the house, porch or back patio, that's fine. Others won't have people over unless there is a proper place setting at a dining table for each guest.

There is no right or wrong given that the Gilded Age is over and the modern American family has become more casual. Yet, a place at the table is still desired by many and is more comfortable than balancing a plate in your lap.

I'm here to tell you that even if your dining room is smallish, it doesn't have to be stuck in another era or boring. You are not bound to a sideboard or a china cabinet. You can choose from a variety of table shapes and sizes.

The small dining room in this photo rocks! There is nothing expected or typical about this space. Six to eight people can fit around this table, but the seating solution is pure genius.

Combining modern chic with a nod to a more traditional host chair is both fun and unusual. In order to accommodate a more casual affair, the banquette seating might be pushed against a wall and the bench moved, too, so that a buffet might be arranged in the center of the room. This designer asked “what if” and came up with a powerful out-of-the-box answer. It's fresh and flexible.

Try to be creative in how you view your dining space and let your fears go. I once moved the dining table against the window wall and set up for a bridal buffet. I rented smaller round tables and used the dining chairs in the living room and in the balance of the dining room to create three intimate table settings instead of one.

Some people keep a plywood tabletop extender in their garage or basement. This sits right on top of your table. Be sure to use a padded table protector under your table linens so your guests are not feeling the plywood surface. It also protects the top of your good dining table, too.

Another fun approach is to use two smaller tables in the dining room. Even if they are each the size of a card table, it's an amusing way to shake things up.

Lighting becomes the challenge whenever you decide to move things around because most people favor one central light fixture in their dining area. Think carefully about this because when you extend your table, the lighting will not be balanced. Often it is more practical to add recessed down lights on either side of the fixture or to eliminate a chandelier fixture in favor of evenly distributed down lights.

Another solution might be to install three or four pendant lights that are delicate in size. Then when the table shifts, the light is more evenly spread over the expanded surface.

Another way to free yourself up is to try the “mismatched” approach to tableware. You can pick up vintage sterling silver flatware and mix the patterns together. The same goes for the china and glassware. Obviously, they need to feel good together and you might not want to mix traditional with modern. Maybe pick three colors that blend into a pleasant color scheme and introduce them in place mats or dinner napkins.

One benefit of a neutral structure in the dining room is the subsequent freedom to add pizazz with tableware and centerpieces.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

© 2015, Creators.com