Make Your Dining Room Cozier With This 1980s Design Feature

Many homeowners will agree; the dining room is the heart of a home. So as the space where eating and socializing crossover, it's paramount to savvily furnish with comfort in mind. To attain such coziness, designers increasingly borrow from past eras, with a sleek and modern dining room setup going out of style. Instead, 1980s design features are on the rise, like the use of oversized furniture to invoke warmth and comfort.

To explain the advantages of the outsized style, Food Republic spoke with Courtney Cole, an Interior Designer at TileCloud. According to her, "oversized dining furniture is trending because people are leaning into spaces that feel communal and grounded." Forget sharp-edged tables and chairs that look better than they feel. Curved, spacious, and comfortable are the new descriptors of the time.

Such cues take inspiration from the 1980s, when sinking back into a plush and vividly-colored couch was fashionable. Into the modern era, the aim is to impart casualness: "larger chairs and tables will make a space feel abundant and calm," notes Cole. Yet simultaneously, a dining room statement piece also lends a boldness, "the room feels more confident and relaxed," she adds. It's an effective mix that makes your dining room cozier yet still fashionable.

Infusing 1980s design doesn't require a full commitment to chrome colored furniture or vivid pastel colors. You also certainly don't need to retrieve things from a 1980s kitchen – fluorescent lighting isn't trending yet. Instead, think of it like a dash of yesteryear seasoning, in the form of well-curated furniture selection.

Cole recommends to "let the piece be the hero in the room, and style simply around it," thereby still maintaining a tasteful dining space. So with an oversized dining table, keep away surrounding clutter, and select smaller accompanying furniture. Or if you opt for large chairs, position a smaller quantity in the room — don't let oversized turn to overcrowded. "Make sure that you're balancing scale with negative space," says Cole.

Furthermore, it's helpful to think about the specific aesthetics of the statement piece, too. Opt for curved designs, "a rounded table will feel more welcoming," and use natural materials: "timber and tone will be great to add warmth and texture to the room," notes Cole. You want your oversized furniture to feel cozy rather than industrial, so keep earthy, lived-in design cues in mind. Match with a fresh layer of kitchen tile (another 1980s design trend that's coming back around) and your home will feel extra comforting.