Many of us enjoy entertaining. It gives us a chance to be with our family and friends to visit, eat, play and just enjoy each other, whether it be intimate dinners, family get-togethers for holidays and special occasions or entertaining friends While we do love to be with our family and friends, we also love to show off. We want our events to be special and for us that includes the perfect dining room or dining area in addition to perfect food. The design and color scheme provide the perfect setting to display and enjoy cherished china, silver and crystal. But how do we go about it, where do we start?

My goal is to give you a few basic design principles and ideas that will help you make your rooms functional, beautiful and comfortable, all at the same time. I will keep it simple, giving you enough information to create the look and feel you desire for your home and lifestyle.

The focus of our discussion is going to be the main areas for entertaining in our homes-the dining room and eating area or nook in the kitchen/family room. Each area provides for a different form of entertaining, be it casual or formal. Since we are focusing on dining areas, I have also added a few details about the "entertaining" aspect of these rooms.

Before we get started, we need to discuss the basic guidelines that make a room work:

When designing a room, there are three guidelines that should be considered: function, mood and harmony.

Function: The main function of a dining room or area is eating and secondary activities are playing games, doing puzzles, family activities, etc.

Mood: Mood refers to the general look or feel you want to express. This is where style comes in. Do you want a contemporary, sleek, and sophisticated feel-or do you want a traditional, casual, warm, and rustic feel? To help you decide on the mood, look at the rest of your rooms. If you are starting with a clean slate, look at the style of your home.

Harmony: This means all elements-furniture, colors, fabrics, and accessories should be in harmony or "work together" with each other, enhancing the mood you desire. Everything should be appropriate to each other and not look out of place.

If you are starting with an empty dining room or have decided what you have isn't working any longer, then the first step is to take a good look at the room or space.

Begin by measuring the room, paying attention to where windows and doors/doorways are located. Pay attention to anything else in the room that might be in the way or you need to be aware of-i.e., radiators, heat registers, fireplaces (older homes sometimes have these in dining rooms), and electrical outlets and switches. Also, be aware of any traffic patterns to and from other rooms.

Since we are focusing on dining areas, there isn't a lot to think about in the way of furniture. The focal point of the dining area is the dining table. People sit around a dining table facing inward making it the center of activity. The table is the place where beautiful table linens, dinnerware and food adorn its surface. You may be adding a buffet/hutch, china cabinet, etc., if you have the room for them, but these are not the focus of the dining room.

To decide on the appropriate dining table, look at the shape of the room and any doors that open into the room. Remember that even open doorways take visual space. Also space is required for traffic flow. The same with windows; you need to be able to get to the windows in order to open them. If you have drawn a sketch of your room, draw a square box in front of the doorways and windows on your paper indicating space needed for traffic. You can also put painters tape on the floor to indicate these areas and get a better picture of the shape and area you have to work with. There will probably be a light fixture in the ceiling that is going to dictate where the table should go; usually in the center of the dining room or dining area. Let's hope it is in the correct place.

Once you have a good feel for the shape of the area for the dining table, you now will know what size and shape the table should be. If the space is a square, a round or square table would be best. If it is a rectangle space then, a rectangular table may work. Round dining tables have become increasingly popular the last several years. They usually fit better in the space and also allow for better conversation. Keep in mind you may want to have a buffet or china cabinet; make sure you have planned this in your layout before you decide on the table.

One of your goals is to make sure you have enough space around the table for a smooth flow of traffic. You should have at least 24" (36" is better) clear space behind each chair. When deciding on the table you also should think about the number of people you would normally need seating for. 60" round and square tables will comfortably sit 6 people, allowing for approximately 30" for each person. If you need more seating space and your dining area doesn't allow for a bigger table, you might need to get one that has a leaf to extend the table for those occasions. The one thing you need to be careful about is to make sure the table isn't too large for the room. If it is, then there will be a problem with fulfilling the guidelines and the look you want to achieve. Wood tables are heavier looking than glass tables. Tables with bulky legs and center support might appear heavier than straight, simple legs and support. Be careful with the chairs you select if you don't purchase the dining table and chairs as a set. You want to make sure they go with the size and shape of the table-not too big or dwarf looking.

Now let's discuss the other pieces of furniture you may want in a dining room. Everyone has a buffet or china cabinet, right? These are standard in a dining room. While that may be true, you may not have room for one. It is more important to make sure the room is not "crowded" and "heavy" looking. Remember traffic flow and esthetics? Think about other items you may have room for instead. Maybe you have room for a decorative shelf or console table that can function as a serving piece. Or maybe you have a corner area that has space for a corner cabinet.

One of the elements of harmony in addition to having the correct size of furniture in the room is to make sure the room is balanced. When we say balanced, we are referring to how the room feels once you get your important pieces in the room. Does it feel heavier on one side, is there an empty space that needs something to balance the room, etc. Placing your larger items first, makes it easier to determine if you need anything else. Usually the corners are areas that we still need to address. Sometimes a corner might be a good place for a serving cart, a beverage cabinet, a plant or sculpture. Also look at your walls that don't have windows or doors. If you have a blank wall or space above a buffet, consider a piece of art or mirror. These pieces also need to be the correct size for the space-not too small or too large. Mirrors help make a room look larger, but make sure they reflect something of interest.

The last item we need to discuss in this area is the chandelier or light fixture over the table. Since our eyes flow from floor to ceiling besides around the room, we need to make sure we select the appropriate light fixture. A standard rule of thumb is that the chandelier should not be smaller than 1/3 or larger than 1/2 the size of the table's width. While this is a good starting point, you also need to consider the chandelier itself. Is it bulky or very streamlined? If it is bulky, go with a smaller size. You don't want it to appear too heavy for the table. We will get into more detail with lighting in another article, but we will mention this . . .chandeliers should not be higher than 36" from the top of the dining table. To complete this "line", it would be a good idea to have some decorative objects on the table-candlesticks, a flower arrangement, or a bowl-something that ties all the elements together.

Remember, function is a very important but easy guideline to follow for the dining room. The important things to ask yourself: does the furniture fit the room appropriately, is there good traffic flow and is the room balanced?

Watch for our next article which will talk about how to select the style of furniture for your home as well as choosing a color scheme.