I love entertaining friends and family. I have some fantastic recipes that I love to try out on guests. What I’m lacking is the space for the fine dining I’m trying to create. I would love a big, formal dining space but I think it’s going to have to remain the stuff of dreams for now. Still, there’s nothing stopping me designing my perfect room to host the ultimate dinner party.

When it comes to home improvements, lots of people like to open their house up. Putting up walls to create separate spaces is only just coming back into fashion. And a dining room is a great reason for doing just that. You might have the space for an extension that could incorporate a room to be used for dining too.

Colour is very important to me. I believe that certain colours can better enhance your eating experience too. I love cherry reds so I would make a feature of one of my walls in this colour. Geometric patterns are great for dining areas as well, but I prefer the calming effect of swirls sometimes. As the dining room is a room for enjoying food, I need to furnish it just right.

I would love a gorgeous oak sideboard. My best china plates would be stored in there, together with the napkins and cutlery. I think placemats are very elegant. I would keep the cherry red theme going here. And the napkins might feature a cherry red swirl to complement my feature wall too!

A candelabra would look so elegant in the centre of my table. The table would be solid wood with elegant turned legs. There would be real linen tablecloths as well. A cherry red runner down the length of it will add some chic. I would love some high back chairs in solid wood. Cherry red cushion seats would be perfect in here.

I love chandeliers, but I think some elegant directional lighting is best for a dining room. That way you can highlight what’s on the table without getting distracted. A dimmer switch can adjust the light just perfectly to suit each occasion as well. I would love to be able to cater for a dozen people one day. That requires a pretty big table and an even bigger room, though!

Art is very important in a dining room. I would choose food themes, of course, to stir the appetite and create some interest in the room. I like large canvases and sets where the image is split into three or five panels. I’ve seen some very attractive vinyl plank flooring that would create the just the right image. Best of all, it’s easy to keep clean from food spills.

I’ve even seen some red wine glasses recently that would dress my big dining table beautifully. I would love to be able to dress the table even when it’s not in use. I think it is so elegant and chic! And when my friends come over, I can show off the dining room in all its glory.