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Are you currently searching the market for dining room ideas? So are we. Because while COVID-19 necessitates a limit on winter holiday celebrations, there’s no ban on toasting the festive season with your fellow co-inhabitants. For many, this may very well mean seeking out a cheerful, cozy, and, yes—colorful—dining room setup. After all, for a room that’s played many roles this year—at-home restaurant and makeshift office among them—the functional doesn’t necessarily have to mean boring.

Below, we share 17 striking dining spaces from AD’a 100-year archive, as well as suggestions for how you can spruce up a client’s home in similar ways. From traditional layouts to ones that turn that very notion on its head, there’s something here for everyone—regardless of specific taste. And what’s more, the interiors assembled offer a small piece of insight into how the likes of Misty Copeland, Margherita Missoni, and Nate Berkus live.

An on-point dining space. Photographed by Lelanie Foster, AD, October 2020

Misty Copeland’s Upper West Side Home

When she’s not pirouetting on a ballet stage, star dancer Misty Copeland can often be found at her Upper West Side home, which is located not far from New York’s Lincoln Center. In her dining room area, seen here, white upholstery from Edelman Leather covers six chairs. The table is from Jonathan Field and the chandelier is Ralph Lauren Home for Circa Lighting. The colorful rug was acquired from Lawrence of La Brea. Reflecting on the project as a whole, Copeland commented to AD: “I did not comprehend how many layers there are to creating a beautiful home that feels organic.” AD100 designer Brigette Romanek created the space.

Ralph Lauren for Circa Lighting Evalina Chandelier $5,005 at Circa Lighting