FunHaus Dining Room Ideas: Statement Lighting and Stripes

A FunHaus dining room pairs one patterned surface, usually a striped rug, with one oversized light fixture and a quiet table between them. Get the sizes right and the rest can be as playful as you like.

It's common to worry that a bold dining room will feel like a circus. It won't if you let only one or two things shout. Here is how to choose them and how to size them.

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What makes a dining room feel FunHaus?

The style borrows from Memphis-era color and geometry, then keeps the furniture simple. Stripes give the room rhythm, the light fixture acts like a sculpture, and everything else stays calm enough to let those two work.

It suits people who find all-beige rooms dull and who entertain often. Stripes also hide small scuffs and pet traffic better than a plain field of color, which is handy if the dining room doubles as the dog's favorite napping spot.

How do you use stripes in a dining room?

Pick one hero surface. If the rug is striped, keep the walls solid. If the walls are striped, choose a plain or textured rug. Stripes on the rug, walls and curtains together just tire the eye.

Scale matters. In a small room, thin stripes of about 1-2 inches read as texture. In a large or open room, stripes of 4-6 inches have enough presence to count. If you're torn between directions, our comparison of vertical vs horizontal stripes explains what each does to the room's proportions. Run rug stripes parallel to the table's length so the pattern points the same way as the room.

Which colors work?

Black and white, or navy and cream, is the safe classic. For a glam turn, a black and gold dining room palette with a thin gold stripe keeps the contrast while feeling dressier. Blue and white reads coastal. If you're nervous, use two shades of one color. For a calmer take on the pattern, see black and white stripe decor ideas.

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How big should a statement light be?

These are standard rules of thumb, and they matter more than the fixture's style:

• Hang the bottom of the fixture about 30-36 inches above the tabletop. With ceilings over 10 feet, you can go a few inches higher.
• Choose a fixture about one-half to two-thirds the width of the table.
• Center it over the table, not over the room.

If you already own a light that's too small, hang two of the same as a pair. Use warm white bulbs (about 2700K to 3000K) and put the light on a dimmer, so it can go from bright for homework to low for dinner.

Oversized globes, mobile-style pendants and powder-coated metal shapes all fit. As an architect, I'd pair thin stripes with a bulky, sculptural fixture and wide stripes with something airier, so the two don't compete. Our Neo Deco dining room ideas have more fixture inspiration.

No ceiling box? Renters have options

An arc floor lamp that reaches over the table works without touching any wiring. If you need more ideas, see lighting a room with no overhead light. For hardwiring a new fixture, hire a licensed electrician.

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How big should the rug be?

Large enough that all four chair legs stay on it when someone pulls out a chair and sits. That usually means the rug extends 24-30 inches past the table on every side. A small rug under a big table looks like a postage stamp, and chair legs catch on its edge.

If a large striped rug is out of budget, I recommend layering a smaller striped one over an inexpensive jute rug. For families and pets, a washable flat-weave is easier to live with than a deep pile.

What table and chairs go with it?

Let the table be the calm one: white oak, glass with a chrome base, or matte black. Allow about 36 inches between the table edge and the nearest wall or sideboard so people can walk behind seated guests.

Mix the seating. Use a matching set along the sides and two contrasting chairs at the ends, or one chair model in several colors drawn from your stripes. In a small apartment, lucite chairs for a dining room let the rug show through and take up almost no visual space. Chairs with open legs do the same job. For colorful sets, see FunHaus dining chairs.

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Where do mirrors and metallics fit?

A mirrored and metallic dining room is a natural cousin of this style: chrome chair legs, a brass pendant, one round mirror. Mirrors are useful beyond looks. RMCAD notes that a mirror on a wall opposite or perpendicular to a window reflects the view and spreads natural light through a room. Hang one where it also catches your pendant, and keep it to a single large piece so the room doesn't get busy.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing glass or paper fixtures in a house with kids, balloons and tossed toys. A sturdy powder-coated metal fixture holds up better.
• Hanging a light so low it blocks eye contact across the table. Check the view from a seated position.
• Letting cords dangle. Hide or manage them neatly.
• Using only smooth, hard materials. Mix at least three textures, such as wood, metal and wool, and add one organic element like a plant or curved vase.

Finish with one large piece of art instead of a gallery wall, which would fight the stripes. A painted ceiling in a deep color can also frame the light well. For more pattern in other rooms, try FunHaus breakfast nook ideas.

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Frequently asked questions