Break Bread in Beauty: 20 Modern Dining Rooms for Inspiration

The dining room is one of the most public areas of a house. It is not just where you may eat dinner with your immediate family, but also where you bring friends, loved ones, and long lost relatives to reconnect over food.

With the dining room holding such importance, it is no surprise that many people put a great deal of time into designing and styling the space. The 20 dining rooms included in this post are unique, but each creates a safe and welcoming atmosphere where any family would be happy to convene after hours - or even years - apart.

The second dining room, which also appeared in Dwell, manages to include a roof for inclement weather but the wide open panels mean warm months can mimic the feeling of dining al fresco.

In this space, which appeared in Dwell, the dining room is open to the elements, making it a beautiful tribute to its lush natural surroundings.

Windows on all sides of this dining room give it even more of a greenhouse vibe. Sunny days might even make it impossible to eat comfortably here without some serious window treatments.

With a distinct nod to the design of greenhouse, this dining room is simple in its rustic elegance.

In an open floorplan home the dining room has to match well with the rest of the living spaces. This simple wood table with heft fixtures and natural wood chairs has its own personality without disrupting the overall flow of the home.

A dining room doesn’t have to have space for an army to be beautiful and elegant. This four person table is perfect for a small family while orb-like light fixtures give it a bit of whimsy.

Dark wood and copper give this space a particularly mid-century feel without the garish colors that sometimes accompany the style.

An oversized lampshade makes for a feminine, low key lighting option in this stylish dining area.

The floating staircase gives a new dimension to this cozy, modern breakfast nook.

With plenty of pops of color and a super snazzy high chair, this family dining table is is almost reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Nestled into a white open kitchen, this dining room from visualizer Felipe Broering is particularly well suited to a boisterous family meal.

A formal space with molded mod chairs is hip enough for a casual cocktail party and swank enough for a five course meal.

Building a dining table into the saves on space and serving time while the wire frame chairs are simple and sleek.

Black accents, on the other hand, are subtle in this mostly white space.

Black is certainly not the most common color for dining but the drama is unparalleled.

Using complementary patterns to upholster these dining chairs is an easy way to bring a lot of personality into an otherwise simple dining space.

The leather molded chairs are the star of this contemporary dining room, practically begging guests to settle in for a long night of great company.

This modern space takes full advantage of city views, not letting a basic table and Eames-style chairs detract from the wide windows.

Finally, dining chairs in egg yolk yellow are a sunny focal point for this otherwise neutral space.

The pegboard wine rack is perhaps the most notable features in this easily understood dining room.