Melissa McCarthy Transforms The Unused Space Behind Her Dining Table With Artwork, Antiques, and Dark Wood – It's a Testament To the Power of A Good Sideboard

Typically, the dining table is the focal point of the dining room. This large furnishing defines the purpose of the space and takes up important real estate. However, adding other smaller furnishings can help create a more design-led look.

Melissa McCarthy shows us how it's done with her innovative dining room furniture ideas. The comedian took to Instagram to share a slice of her Thanksgiving dinner with the world, but we were more enamoured by her use of space. Rather than letting the area behind the dining table go to waste, Melissa positions a dark wood sideboard against the wall.

To bring flair, she adds a piece of art above the sideboard and a collection of antiques and vases on top of it. The overall effect is warm, luxurious, and inviting, especially when paired with Melissa's fringe placemats, which look just like these from Pottery Barn. It shows how impactful dining room decor can be.

Recreate Melissa's Look at Home

Melissa's traditional dining room idea shows how much difference decor can make. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to recreate this warm look.

Lena Gierasinska, Design Expert at Barker and Stonehouse, advises: 'As we embrace the season ahead, turn your dining room into a cozy haven. Even small changes like potted plants, warm lights, and accessories in wood and stone instantly brighten a room, helping you to create a space that’s beautiful as well as functional. Add warmth through upholstered dining chairs in rich fabrics such as velvet or leather, complemented by woven rugs in natural materials such as wool.'

As the blue painting and pink placemats in Melissa's home demonstrate, bringing color in is part of curating an attractive dining room.

Lena states: 'It’s important to add color to any room, but especially one in which you host guests, as you’ll want this space to feel welcoming and inviting. Experiment with your colour palette, introducing contrasting colours to your walls and layering individual pieces in different hues and textures to find your own signature style.'

Integrating a sideboard or credenza provides this space to arrange decor and orient art around. Furthermore, the space underneath creates extra storage. This maximizes the surface area and creates beauty.

The dining room is a space to apply imagination and innovation to design. With the right touches, it can even become like a second living room.