The old home builders had it right putting formal, stand alone dining rooms in every house.  They went away for awhile but a look at the following photos would lead one to believe they are back and looking better than ever.  Betsy Burnham dining room above.

The fact that dining rooms are gaining popularity pleases me.  Old fashioned manners have all but disappeared here in the states, and sitting down to dinner at a proper dining table encourages us to slow down and focus on the important things: family, friends, and the events of the day.  Brian McCarthy dining room.

Dining rooms aren’t hard to design or decorate, once you realize what is most often missing is fabric.  Think of it this way: a room is just a box of walls, ceiling, and floor.  If you add a wooden hutch, wooden table and chairs, wooden doors and windows, all you have is… wood.  Barbara Westbrook and Kim Winkler dining room.