Food is a very important part of our cultural heritage and ethnicity. Meal times are family times, and the ways in which we prepare and share food speaks to our traditions and lifestyles. As such, your dining room is a very important space in your home, and is right at the heart of your family’s bonding and togetherness.
Your dining room décor is a reflection of your family’s special customs, and should be done up in the most meaningful way. Here, we talk about dining room décor ideas that are inspired by countries around the world. Read on to explore the cultures and conventions of six diverse countries, and find out how your home décor compares with the rest of them!
1. Flavours of the Middle East: Sumptuous and Exotic
The Middle East is well known for its extravagant hospitality, and food is at the very core of their culture. The style of cooking and range of dishes are as diverse as they are vast, varying from simple to ultra-sophisticated. Dishes run the gamut of sumptuous biryanis to healthy herbal salads, or sinfully decadent desserts to moist and flavour-packed meat dishes, and each meal is a celebration of life itself!
Just like their food, Middle Eastern décor is ornamental and excessive. If you have it, flaunt it seems to be the magic mantra—and home interiors are a visual treat, with rich colours, spectacular detailing and luxurious furniture. Everything is elaborately patterned and sculpted, and the dining room is no exception. Chances are that you will be seated at a long, exquisitely crafted wooden table with inlays in ivory or marble, with chairs that are sheathed in velvet and fit for a king. The dishes on the table are served in finely crafted metal utensils, and all around you are the most beautiful patterns and fabrics you have ever seen!
2. Scandinavian Style: Aesthetics Meets Function
The people of Scandinavia enjoy hearty meals that are cooked in rich fats, with classic flavour combinations that are not highly spiced. Scandinavian culture is all about hygge; a unique quality that combines comfort with cosiness, leading to a feel of extreme content. This could be the feeling you get, for instance, when you drink rich, thick broth and snuggle beneath a thick and soft quilt in front of a roaring fire, on a very cold day!
Scandi décor is all about form that follows function, with the hygge element thrown in. The dining table and chairs, therefore, would be perfectly compatible with ergonomic sensibilities. Blonde wood with sleek edges and rounded contours, IKEA-style, are the hallmark of Scandi design. Spaces are open and unconfined, with a colour palette that revolves around white.
3. Japanese Design: An Exercise in Sustainability
When you think of Japanese food, the image of exquisite tea ceremonies comes to mind! The Japanese are known for their almost obsessive attention to detail, which shows up both in their food and their home décor. The accent is on minimalism; there is no superfluousness and absolutely no excess.
Japanese home décor is in line with their ways of living. Thoughtfully crafted spaces that are known for their simplicity and serenity, with materials that are sustainable and devoid of any ornamentation are a hallmark of Japanese décor. Japanese living rooms often do double duty as dining rooms, and people sit around long, low centre tables or just on the floor. Seating is on tatami mats or floor cushions which are light and easy to move around. If you’re leaning towards this kind of décor, you should make every effort to capture as much of the natural light as you can, as sunlight plays an integral role in the aesthetics of any indoor space in Japan.
4. Turkish Delights: Vibrant Colours and Piquant Tastes
In Turkey as in many other cultures, mealtimes are when families get together to break bread and share warmth. Turkish food blends the delicate flavours of the Mediterranean with the rich and spicy delicacies of Iranian influence. Families feast on grilled meats, kebabs, pilaf and pastries while sitting down together to enjoy home-cooked meals.
The Turkish traditionally eat sitting on a carpet on the floor, on wooden tables that are low, rough and circular or rectangular in shape. Food is shared off a large plate, and everyone eats together at the same time. Today, of course, there is a lot of influence from the West and not everyone still dines squatting on the floor!
5. Mexican Fiesta: A Celebration of Colours
Hola! Mexican cuisine, like Mexican interior design, is colourful, spicy and vibrant. Endlessly creative, Mexicans love a hearty meal, and food is a very important part of their lives. Every dish is packed with taste; mouthwatering tacos and tortillas, crisp tostadas and steamed, aromatic tamales are as rich as they are wholesome.
Mexican décor incorporates some of the most beautiful, eclectic art, furniture and fabrics found anywhere in the world. You might find yourself in an room that’s done up in the colours of the earth, with richly woven fabrics in shades of gorgeous blue, golden yellow or lush green. The dining table could be of weathered wood that is stained to a deep copper, with wrought iron accents and metal studs; while the seating could be long benches upholstered in leather.
6. Indian Dining: Of Spices and Aromas
Every traditional Indian meal is a repast that’s fit for royalty. Home to rich spices and flavoursome masalas, Indian dishes truly represent a gastronomic adventure. From the lip-smacking paneer butter masala of the North to the delicate lacey appams of the South, every state has its own diverse spread of exquisitely crafted food specialties.
And in keeping with this pot-pourri of cultures, the décor sensibilities of each state are as diverse as the food itself! With most of Indian interior design being an amalgamation of world décor, each home caters to its own style and theme—ranging from modern minimalistic to traditional hand-me-downs that date back centuries. It’s each to their own, and any style of décor has its own place in this melting pot of lifestyles!
Here, a multi-generational family enjoys a meal in a modern dining room.
Which culture would you like to draw inspiration from, in your own home? To get your own picture-perfect home interior, give the home décor wizards at HomeLane a call. We’ll take it the rest of the way!
