Introduction

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s high time we all start showing our dining room tables some love. After all, they’re the centerpiece of your home and an essential part of making your space feel warm and inviting. But how do you turn a plain old table into something special? Here are nine ways to make your dining room table look nicer than Apple’s headquarters:

1. Don’t run the office here.

• Don’t run the office here.

You’re not a startup CEO anymore and you can afford to pay for space for your employees, so there’s no need to use your dining room table as an alternative desk. Leave it to be a place where people come together to have meals and enjoy each other’s company, not a workspace where they can leave their mail or spreadsheets on top of it at night before going home (because we all know what happens when you spill coffee on them).

2. Don’t eat here unless you intend to savor.

We’re not saying that you should never eat fast food again, but if you want to savor the flavor of food, this isn’t the place for you.

If your goal is to rush through dinner and get back to work or play video games or watch TV, this isn’t the place for you either.

If you want a quick bite on the way home from work, head somewhere else: McDonalds has individual fries; Burger King offers onion rings; Applebee’s has wings and ribs—all at much lower prices than a meal at Dine Your Dining Room Table!

3. Don’t use it as a desk—I repeat, do not use it as a desk!

Like I said, the dining room table is not a desk and it should never be used as such. If you need to work from home, use your kitchen table instead. Your dining room table is for eating at and setting up shop for holiday parties and diy projects that don’t require a whole lot of space (I’m looking at you, Christmas tree).

Dining room tables are notoriously heavy, so unless you want to risk breaking your neck with every trip back and forth from your office or kitchen table to take care of some business, keep your books on the floor next time they’re open!

4. Don’t stack your mail here.

Don’t stack your mail here.

Instead, use a tray or basket to hold mail and magazines. You’ll thank yourself for it when you’re not digging through a pile of junk mail just to find something important like an invitation or a magazine subscription renewal form that needs to get mailed.

5. Allow guests to linger after dinner conversation has ended (and the real talk begins).

Your guests will be more open to talking about the big things in life if they know you’re listening. This means keeping your phone out of sight and letting them linger after dinner conversation has ended (and the real talk begins).

In order to make it easy for them to stay, you should offer them a cup of coffee or tea and some dessert. If they do need to head home before you do, pack up those leftovers and send them with your guest—it’ll let them know that you want their company, but that their comfort is also important. If there’s anything else we can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask!

6. Invest in tablecloths and napkins.

• Invest in tablecloths and napkins.

Tablecloths are a great way to add color and style to your dining room, but can be used for more than just the dining room table. They can also decorate cupboards, shelves, or even the floor! Tablecloths don’t have to cost much either; at Walmart you can find tablecloths made of cotton that cost less than $5 per square yard (or 30 cm2). Even if you don’t want to spend money on a full set of new table linens (which is understandable), at least buy two sets of matching napkins—one for yourself and one for guests who come over!

7. Keep some pretty flowers or plants around—they don’t even have to be real!

• Buy some flowers or plants, even if they are fake
• Keep a tablecloth on your dining room table
• Add some art, photos or other decorations to make it more interesting2

8. Consider a centerpiece that brings the season’s scents into play, like cinnamon sticks or pine cones—or even ones that aren’t edible but still smell nice, like dried lavender or rose buds.

If you’re looking to make your table look nice, consider a centerpiece that brings the season’s scents into play, like cinnamon sticks or pine cones—or even ones that aren’t edible but still smell nice, like dried lavender or rose buds.

This makes sense. You want to optimize the aesthetic appeal of your dining room table and make it more welcoming for guests.

9. Keep some candles handy—you never know when you might need them (maybe there’s a power outage or your neighbor decided to burn incense at 2 A.M.). They’re also a great way to add ambiance if it’s just you and your S/O eating dinner at home on the regs (that’s “significant other” for the non-millennials out there).

If you have a candlelit dinner, here are some ways to use them:

• Ambiance: A bunch of candles can make even the most boring dinner look elegant and romantic. That’s because they create an atmosphere that promotes relaxation and coziness—which, as we’ve already seen, are essential elements in creating social engagement. So if you want to get cozy with your friends or loved ones but don’t want to sit around quietly eating food all night (or if there’s no electricity), light up some candles!
• Creating a romantic environment: Candles can also be used to add romance into the room. Depending on how many people are dining together and whether or not they’re romantically involved already, this could either be good or bad for their relationship. If it goes well then great! If not—good luck with that awkward conversation after dinner! Either way though it’s best not mess around with fire unless absolutely necessary because flames burn flesh like nothing else does… although i’m sure sometimes it feels good when someone scratches their nails across my back so maybe everything burns huh?

Conclusion

In the end, my dining room table is a place for community and connection, not just eating. It’s where I gather with friends and family over good food, wine, laughter and conversation. But it’s also where I start each day—sitting down with my coffee in the morning to read or journal while listening to the birds chirping outside. If you ask me, those are some of life’s most important moments—the ones when we take time to savor every bite of our favorite meal while enjoying good company and simply being present.