Refurbishing your dining room can be a unique task that not too many people consider on undertaking. But it doesn't always have to be looked at as a task; think of it as a makeover for your dining room. Like redecorating your living room, I can tell you that refurbishing your dining room and adding that contemporary flair is going to be a lot more affordable than buying a new lot. Think of it this way: redecorating your dining nook will make your home look fresher and newer, and most of the time all it takes is just investing in some new dining room furniture.

Usually evoking a sense of togetherness, warmth and heartiness, dining room furniture isn't something that you usually just purchase, use for five years and then throw out. With that said, you should invest in something that has a contemporary edge but will last for at least ten years. So, let's start with the most obvious piece of dining room furniture, the dining table.

Really quite versatile, dining tables come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, finishes, and even heights. Since we're looking to give your dining room a contemporary element of style, I suggest sticking with dark finished wooden dining tables and dining chairs. If you remember in my previous installment, How to Contemporize Your Living Room, I mentioned that dark wood can be a tricky but sophisticated style to work with because it might darken the room too much. I still hold true to what I said earlier and in fact, you have my blessing if you decide to go with a darker finished dining table and matching chairs. My reason is because the only essentials you truly need in any dining room are just the dining table and chairs. If you are adding extra case goods such as a buffet and hutch or perhaps even a server, try not to go overboard with the same dark finish.

Speaking of dining room case goods, it may not be a bad idea to invest in something like a buffet or server, but only if space permits. Most traditional dining rooms, and perhaps even your parents' dining room, may include a traditionally styled china display hutch. While these pieces of furniture are beautifully designed and do serve a purpose, they really do take up a lot of room. A server takes up less space, usually has enough room to keep your dishes and silverware and can serve as the right-hand man when you have large dinner parties - it is a server after all.

Creating a contemporary atmosphere for your dining room can be an interesting, but fun challenge. But let me reiterate once more, just because it's contemporary doesn't necessarily mean it has to be minimal in style! Think of it this way, if you're planning on updating the look of your home, you want to give it a contemporary style - fresh, new, and sophisticated. Keep this in mind and you're sure to do a terrific job!