We’ve mentioned how throw pillows are a great way to enhance your space, we’ve actually included this tip in Ways to Update your Living Space blog post. A key component when wanting to add character specifically is incorporating throw pillows with different textures. 

Textures can include velvet, linen, cotton, faux fur, or even some tassels on the ends. Depending on the look you are going for, you can also mix patterns here. For a more modern, minimalist look, opt for solid or softer patterned pillows. For a more lived-in, eclectic look like our Springfield project shown above, go for mixing patterned, solid, and geometric pillows all together!

In our Hill Project, we opted for solid pillows with a velvet texture for a more modern yet fun look. Notice how we also decided to repeat the two larger blue pillows in the back. By doing this we kept this arrangement on the minimalist side. 

Family dinners, meetings, or school project prep all take place in the dining room. Whether your dining room is used often or only for more formal events, setting the tone with lighting is vital when deciding what kind of atmosphere you are trying to create. Different types of lighting that are often included in dining rooms are ceiling lights, wall sconces, and table lamps. Each boasts unique qualities and when paired together, creates a stunning ambiance in your home. 

Including various sources of lighting is often neglected in homes, we discussed this mistake and others here if you’d like to learn more. Today, ACI’s sharing some favorite pieces to keep it bright and stylish.

• Ceiling Light

Let’s start with the most obvious piece a dining room normally has, a ceiling light. These include chandeliers, flush mounts, and pendants, and they’re all a great way to draw your eyes up to the room to create height. Here are some of our favorites below. 

• Wall Sconces
  

Wall sconces are great ways to draw your eyes to the surroundings of the room and can be used to highlight pieces of art or bring attention to interesting wallpaper. Sconces, like other types of lighting, can vary greatly in size and can either be used as an accent or more of a statement to the room. We’ve included examples of decorative, task and picture lighting that we love to use in our projects below. 

• Table Lamps

Table lamps are another great way to bring light into the room. They can be used to highlight a sideboard with either one single lamp or to create symmetry, you can use two on either end. With table lighting, you have the option to go smaller or wider at the base, depending on what kind of impact you’d like to achieve. Whatever you choose, we recommend that bringing height is the most important and matching the height of the lamp with the height of the sideboard for a well-scaled look.

Open-concept floor plans began to gain popularity in the 1990s because they created spacious, informal interiors that connect common areas. The main attraction of an open floor plan is the great room, which combines the living and dining rooms into a larger area that is still in view of the kitchen. This style has steadily grown to many families' likings over the years and was first available as a key element in new modern homes, and is now very commonly seen when remodeling older ones. 

• Larger Feel, Brighter Interiors & More Flow

The lack of walls in open designs creates a visually larger space, and thus increases natural light and brightens dark corners. This larger, open room has the ability to act as multiple rooms within a single living space, but with that, it’s important to create specific zones in your home. Without doing this, your space will feel like a mashup of furniture with minimal dedication and purpose. 

• Great for Entertaining 

Open floor plans are especially great for those who love to entertain and will alleviate flow from one room to another, as well as help avoid overcrowding in one area. If you want to cook in the kitchen while speaking to your guests at the dining table, you totally can! Or if you’d like to watch TV from the living room from your kitchen that is also an option. 

• Make your Kitchen the Focal Point

The saying holds true that the heart of the home is in the kitchen, as it’s typically where everyone ends up gathering. The open concept allows for your kitchen to be the focal point and is typically larger than in a traditional closed floor plan. 

• Floor Plans in 2021

As we all know, the pandemic has changed the way that many of us live both in the home and out of it. Will the pandemic be the death of open-concept floor plans? At the end of the day, if members of the family are spending more time at home, more privacy is wanted. While we at ACI believe that open-concept floor plans will continue to be modern families' first choice, dedicated dining rooms may see a stronger comeback in 2021. We’ll also see this room as a multi-purpose room, one that can also be used as a homeschool area or office space. 

• Effective Space Planning for Maximum Use

With open-concept living, it is essential that zones are created in your home to make use of all your space. The team at ACI are experts in space layout for your furniture so the flow and function of your open floor plan suit you and your family best. Contact us for a consultation today!