Come dine with me

Almost 60 per cent of us prefer dining areas to be a separate room, according to a survey by Anglian Home Improvements, and hankering for more formality appears to be in tune with a general change in attitude to mealtimes.

TV dinners on the couch are falling out of favour, recent research by Waitrose revealed (apparently a round a third of people are cutting back on that habit), while 50 per cent of parents are making a ‘conscious effort’ to gather the family together for at least one meal a week.

“Separate dining rooms fell out of favour at the turn of the Nineties, with hugely popular TV renovation shows such as Changing Rooms focusing on open-plan multi-functional rooms, but as with all trends, it looks as though the modern British household could be set for a separate dining room revival,” says Julie Yarwood, interior designer at Manchester-based furniture store, Housing Units.

“With increasingly busy lifestyles, the dining experience can be a welcome break from everyday stress and a chance to reconnect with family members and friends. Not only this, a separate room allows us to temporarily remove ourselves from the post-meal clean-up, which often looms over diners in open-plan kitchen and dining areas.”

Post-recession Britain’s also become more budget-conscious, she believes, and as a result, the ‘big night in’ trend is stronger than ever. “It’s inspired a dinner party revival and those often work best in a separate dining room environment. We all wish to make more of dining, and a beautifully furnished space where we can fully enjoy the moment, is becoming an essential,” she says.

If your dining area’s looking a bit dull, or your dining room rarely used, it’s time to revamp the space. No matter what’s on the menu, this should be a space to suit every occasion.