The Once-Outdated Formal Dining Room Is Making A Quiet Yet Powerful Comeback

Design is as cyclical as it is subjective. There is no one right answer and no one right style. As such, the previously widely accepted belief that formal dining rooms were a thing of the past is now attracting a steady wave of disagreement. This comes as the result of a larger movement away from open-concept living that sees plenty of value in the intentionality, distinction, and privacy of closed-off rooms. 

Paradoxically, open plans joining the kitchen, dining room, and living room might be hurting quality family time rather than encouraging it. Meals, where the family, the couple, or the friend group gather around the table, are a privileged moment for fostering true connection. But if the kitchen robot and exhaust fan are buzzing loudly a few meters away, the piled up dirty dishes are giving you anxiety, and the sports game on TV is constantly distracting you from really being present in the moment, it might be time to reconsider the benefits of more intentionally segmented spaces.

There are so many great, obvious benefits in open plans. There is more space, more light, more freedom of movement for multitaskers and busy moms and dads. However, there is a case to be made for separate dining rooms that may well tip the scales in favor of bringing back walls. If you love to entertain, you may think that eat-in kitchens create a more sociable dining space, allowing the cook to be included in the conversation and the guests to help with food prep. While that's certainly true, an open concept may be keeping you unnecessarily busy and dispersed. By sectioning off your eating space, you'll be generating intentionality. In a sense, you'll be compelled to stop and sit down if you actually want to meaningfully engage in conversation. It might sound contradictory, but this separation can provide vital respite for the jittery and restless. If the option to keep working away in the kitchen is always there, because you'll still be in the same space as the rest of the group, you may never truly take the time to enjoy your loved ones' company and the meal you worked so hard to prepare. 

There are endless and endlessly fun decor opportunities that come from this partition, too. If the goal here is to bring back intentionality, then why stop at walls? Elevate the shared meal experience by making a statement with your dining room. Closed walls mean you no longer have to consider the color palette and style of an entire floor when decorating this space. You'll be free to experiment with bolder colors and furniture design and, the more unique you make your dining area, the more special meals will feel.