Need your design advice please :)

[lollystar]

Hi, I'm useless at design so thought I'd brainstorm on here
I want to decorate our dining room. It's only a tiddler, just big enough for a table and four chairs, and we rent so I can't do anything too brave. Has anyone got any good ideas? Or website/magazine suggestions I could try?
I really want to make it nice, but generally get it wrong (I'm rubbish!).
Thanks!

If it is very small, paint it a very pale colour and decorate with mirrors to give an illusion of more space.

Where is the lighting - overhead, wall brackets, halogen?

Thanks Bonsoir, I was thinking a pale green or blue on one or two walls?
The light's overhead, it's just a lightbulb at the moment. I want to get my own fitting that I can take with me when we eventually move on.

I would paint it the same colour all over in a very small room. What direction (N, S, E, W) does the room face? Blue is a very difficult colour for north facing rooms - and green makes people look ill . How about a yellow or pink tone? Or a warmish grey, even?

What is your budget for the light fitting? Can you get something that comes down low over the table and doesn't fill the whole room with the same intensity of light?

West - it gets all of the afternoon sun in the summer. I was hoping to spend between £200 and £300 for the dining room all in. Not sure if that's reasonable or over the top though?

Rich green would be nice in the afternoon/evening light, not sure blue is good for a dining room, not very cosy IMO.

Re lighting, could you put in a table or standard lamp so not all your light is coming from the central pendant? Pendants often make the room seem gloomy as the corners aren't lit. Habitat has some unusual paper shades at the moment in good colours and shapes whcih are dirt cheap but look quite funky.

How about curtains?
I think its easier to choose fabrics first and get paint colours to work with what you like, rather than trying to match fabric to wall, colour.

Round/oval table will work better in a small room. Try to get quite a fancy light fitting that will act as a focal point.

Thanks, I was thinking of getting an oval table that will extend, but I also saw this. This is the kind of light I was looking at, but cheaper would be better
I wanted something quite funky and completely different to what I'd normally choose.

That first link didn't work when I clicked on it - here's the address to c+p into a browser(if you're interested):
www.littlewoods.com/rf/p.do/pair-of-faux-leather-wedge-storage-seats-in-brown-o r-cream?Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&SNtt=dining+table&Ns=prodinstock|1||prodminbaseprice|0||scuid |1&Nao=12&groupId=448803401&Nu=thisproduct&SNtk=littlewoodssearch&Np=1&SN=103+85&Ntt=448803401&D=4 48803401&Ntk=groupsearch&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&thisprod=448803401&N=103+85&Nty=1&Misitemid=15&Misit emlocid=1&product=448803401&pageSize=12

I was thinking something like this. (Your Littlewoods link still doesn't work but am sure you will choose something nice.)

Try [[http://www.furniturepoint.co.uk/search-epsom-dining-suite;-oak-veneered-round-table-with-natural-f inish-and-four-dark-brown-chairs.-fp-119 this}. This is similar to the littlewoods one, but it's chairs are much taller and it's far more expensive.

It says there is a page error... What do you think of my light (or are you just politely not saying anything?).

Right, I'm giving up with the links tonight - they're not working for me!!!! It was basically a round table with faux leather chairs that fitted under the table and had no back to them. Not sure how comfy they'd be though?
That light is really nice thanks lalalonglegs

Sorry - I take far too long replying!

Hmm, there's a reason why sandwich shops and fast food joints have stools/backless chairs - they're bloody uncomfortable and they want you out of there fast...

This is true, I thought about trying to lean back with a full stomach. I liked the table though...
There are some great lights on that site, all the ones I loved were very much out of my price range sadly.

What are the dimensions of the room?

Could you have a 3 or 4 arm spotlight on the ceiling - so up high but can point light in different directions ie into corners and at paintings?

Would you be allowed to completely cover one wall with mirrored glass? And then have a really nice big fern with spotlights in the soil pointing up casting shadows?

Really nice table by the way - the Epsom one - Dwell do the same - can't remember if cheaper or not. But maybe different colour options.

It's about 8ft by 7ft with a nice high ceiling.
Don't think I could get away with a wall of mirrors, although I want to get either a nice big one, or two or three smaller ones dotted round. I've seen this light. Think I'll go have a look for mirrors now...

You would probably want to get the light switch converted to a dimmer - that one may be a bit bright at night.

I saw the mirrored wall in Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine - but it was a modern loung - so fairly low ceiling. It doubled the size of the room as it was the wall you saw as soon as you walked into the room.

Think that light would be very bright and not very cosy, says on the link its not suitable for use with a dimmer...
I would go for something more diffused, like lala's suggestion or this one
www.designer-lights.com/range/super-seed/
Will give a softer light, is also much cheaper leaving more to spend on furniture/curtains etc.