Did you know that the average parent spends about 40 minutes every week having meaningful conversation with their kids? One way parents can stay more involved in their kids lives is through family dinners. In fact, there is a correlation between children eating with their families, and being less likely to do drugs, drink, exhibit signs of depression, and receive poor grades. Having a well designed dining room to gather in can help encourage your family to spend more time together. What can you do? Here are three tips for going to dining room furniture stores.

1. Use Warm Colors to Create a Cozy Atmosphere

Colors can have a psychological effect on us. Color theory says that cooler colors, like blue, green and purple, will make us feel calm, while warm colors, like red, orange and yellow, will invoke a feeling of comfort, much like a fireplace might. There are multiple ways you can bring these colors into your room; consider rich brown leather dining room furniture sets, or burgundy dining room drapes for warmth. According to DeAnna Radaj, owner of Bante Design, you should try and follow the 60-30-10 rule, which means that 60% of your room, usually the walls, should be one color out of a color scheme, furniture is usually the 30%, and accessories like drapes and art make up the last 10%.

2. How to Pick the Right Floors for Your Dining Room

Hardwood floors are trendy now in a big way, if indeed they ever went out of style. Pass over carpet for your dining room and look to the best hardwood flooring brands. What type of hardwood you want will probably depend on how much traffic you expect the room to see. Hardwoods with tight grain patterns, such as oak, are often used in kitchens for this reason. You can find many of the best hardwood flooring brands at discount stores like Direct Buy. If you’re not ready to say goodbye to pile completely, dining room area rugs can be a great decorative addition. Choose one that extends at least two feet around the table; this prevents chairs from getting caught on the ridge. Choose a rug with low pile to make cleaning up crumbs easier.

3. Dining Room Ceiling Lights

To go for an more intimate atmosphere, why not invest in a chandelier or modern overhead light design? This is one room of the house where you can definitely explore beyond just recessed bulbs. Houzz recommends hanging any light so that it doesn’t block the view, but still effectively lights up the tabletop. Total wattage of your bulbs should fall somewhere between 200 and 400 watts; this will create the ideal mix of ambience and sufficient coverage.

Where do you find the best hardwood flooring brands, ceiling lights, and color schemes?