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You ask me for cozy, I imagine this rustic yet refined room. The fire, the comfortable chairs, the chandelier, the exposed brick and beams. I could stop right here and claim that this is the ultimate cozy dining room, but I shall press on and offer you more.
by Frederick + Frederick Architects
This dining area is in a stone farmhouse in France. It doesn't get any cozier than this, except maybe if it were in Italy, because then the risotto would be even better.

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by Stephmodo
Coziness can mean having to make at least four people get up in order for you to leave the table. While this sounds inconvenient, it's just part of the price paid for clever space saving, and it's really not that big a deal.
by CMR Interiors & Design Consultations Inc.  
Coziness can also take the form of sitting shoulder to shoulder with your dinner companions. This means you're all very close, you really like one another and you're having a great time.
by Glenn Gissler Design
Contemporary and cozy are not mutually exclusive. Warm woods, textures, colors and lighting lend a cozy ambience here, while Cherner dining furniture adds a dollop of midcentury modern style.
by Rachel Reider Interiors  
This transitional dining room is clean lined and uncluttered, but upholstered chairs, artwork, a round table, exposed ceiling beams and a mix of wood finishes all contribute to the coziness.
by Laura Martin Bovard
This is the home that launched a thousand blog posts. Although Victoria of sfgirlbybay has moved a few times since this was her home, many of us fell in love with her comfy bohemian modern San Francisco apartment with a copper-clad fireplace, schoolhouse chalkboard, farmhouse table and tulip chairs, and we've been following her around ever since the first time we saw it.

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by SFGIRLBYBAY  
This dining room is bodacious and glam, but is cozied up by sheepskin throws on the chairs, great dimmable overhead lighting and bamboo shades.
by Emerick Architects  
This Spanish colonial dining room is very sophisticated and warm at the same time, thanks to spool furniture, a candle-like chandelier, rich red walls and an antique rug.
by Blackband Design
The style of this room is also Spanish colonial, but it's very different from the previous example. In this room the intricate woven textiles on the chairs, the honey-colored wood table and bench, the faux-textured walls and the rugs, drapes and lighting all add coziness in a much lighter color palette.
by Witt Construction  
This dining room is at once cozy yet a bit austere. The wainscoting, cheerful wallpaper, drapes and chandelier bring in warmth without also bringing in the clutter.
by RW Anderson Homes
Sometimes a dining room is simply a small space where two people can enjoy a meal together. In this comfy gatehouse, two armchairs and a table found a pleasant corner within an open space.

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by Murphy & Co. Design
I'm not sure if it's the rag rug, the cuckoo clock or the proudly displayed collections, but this dining room feels like a spot where a family loves to gather casually and comfortably.
by Julie Smith  
Though I don't usually associate bright white with coziness, this eclectic room feels like a happy place that draws people in.
by risa boyer architecture  
Again, lots of white doesn't necessarily make one think of coziness, but slipcovered chairs, candles overhead, a fireplace, rustic beams and a natural floor give this room an intimate vibe.
by James Glover Residential & Interior Design  
The dining room and library combo is a surefire way to make a comfortable multipurpose room. This one gets bonus coziness points for heavy drapes and cushy host and hostess chairs.
by Michael Fullen Design Group
Extra layers bring extra coziness to this dining room. The table is layered in two tablecloths, the chairs are layered in fringe-trimmed fabric, the mantel is layered with china, plants and candles ... even the chandelier is layered in greens and shades.
Alpine Dining
There's something about a rustic aesthetic that makes a room feel tucked far away from the rest of the world in a homestead or camp kind of way. Natural materials like large stones and twiggy wood pieces bring in an away-from-it-all vibe; dark wood ceilings and ocher walls finish off the look.
by Lands End Development - Designers & Builders
I cannot seem to write about dining rooms without including this photo. While the space is relatively large, the long dining sofa, wingback host and hostess chairs, red dining chairs, candle chandelier, rug, window trim and soft wall color make it unique and oh so inviting.
by O Interior Design  
I'll end with the kind of room I described at the beginning. I'm just a sucker for a round wood table in a dining room with stone walls, exposed beams, upholstered chairs and of course, a roaring fireplace.

More: 20 of the Coziest Kitchens Around
by Carson Poetzl, Inc.

Comments

Jonathan Hress Design nice selection of looks. Thanks for not choosing everything beige and simple.
4 months ago · ·
Darzy Thanks Becky! Did you notice that cozy almost always included natural materials, like wood and stone? And, fire. : )
4 months ago · ·
Fl!p Breskin I don't have a good photo yet, but we're most of the way done with this remodeled kitchen nook. It used to hold a washer & dry and two tiny frosted-glass windows. This is BETTER. The "cozy" comes from the 1938 enameled gas range with high Queen Anne legs that warms the space in winter, and the sunny windows and oriental rug covered benches for cat napping in the summer.
4 months ago · ·
Firm name Very nice! Cozy rooms!
4 months ago · ·
MAlps Thank you for your article! I like the way you put it all into perspective. I tend to disagree that white is not a cozy color! I think a bedroom with light linen, walls and carpet invites me in more than a dark room with dark wood and linens... just my opinion!
4 months ago · ·
Lanie Brown I've liked the idea of dining in a library. But then I'd have to invite Hubby to turn the parlor into a library... I bet it wouldn't be as charming as I envision.
4 months ago · ·
bubblyjock These are such inviting examples you've used to illustrate the lively text - thank you, Becky!

And yes, we do have the big round table, comfy upholstered chairs with arms, an open fire, a stone wall, and a big Persian rug.....all we're missing is the Tuscan address ;).
4 months ago ·
nimi60 I thought I should share my dining room ideas with you all. I am not an architect but I have designed the whole house myself.
4 months ago · ·
patricia beharry I'm also not an architect, and designed my 'forever' house myself. This is mine, All mine. although the builder talked me into doing something different in the guest bathroom. I hate that bathroom, and will cost be a fortune to redo since the whole house is concrete. (hurricane zone).
4 months ago ·
putty527 Becky, I, too, love exposed beams, stone walls, wrought iron fixtures, oriental rugs, and of course a beautiful fire! Honestly, you hit it on the head for me! Seems as though we may have the same style! The rooms that you showed are simply beautiful. I love natural looking materials. And as a matter of fact, I have been looking through mags of Tuscan style homes! The richness of natural materials makes a room feel cozy and brings you to a time when life seemed simpler. Love, love, love this read! Thanks!!
4 months ago · ·
Dana Veach I think you nailed it, Becky. I think the French farmhouse dining room in photo #2 gets my personal vote for as close to perfect as "cozy" dining gets...though photos 7 and 12 vie for contention too!
4 months ago ·
Casart Coverings My vote is with Dana's and I'd add photo # 9 for the red walls. Speaking of pictures, Houzz staff please, please note this reader' s wish ( and I'm sure many others agree) and NUMBER THE PICTURES!
4 months ago · ·
00karyn what size should a room additon be to accommodate a dining set? 9 feet? 12 feet?
4 months ago ·
frenchdecor Picture #3 table is clearly disproportional to the space, can't imagine how anybody can fit in 5-6" gap between table and chair's back, but walls are very interesting feature. Like diversity of posted rooms.
4 months ago ·
sjmom Some very nice dining rooms but I like both a fireplace and lots of windows. Didn't quite see that but did see some great designs.
4 months ago ·
elef These are all gorgeous!
4 months ago ·
rami717 you are great great great
4 months ago ·
Britastina Lanie, don't listen to your husband. You will be amazed, AMAZED I tell you, at what a combo library/dining room will do. It will take time to make both you and your husband happy but all rooms take time to find their happy place and nestle-in. You're a designer - just go for it! I have done it in two houses (my previous house and now in my forever house) and never been sorry. But, I'm a book collector, so, take it for what it is worth.
4 months ago ·
Theodora Thindwa great ideas, know what to do with my house
4 months ago ·
Lanie Brown Thanks, Britastina. Actually, my husband would love to turn the parlor into a library if I suggested it, but I'm afraid it would be too cluttered so haven't opened that discussion. The parlor is a pretty sitting room off the formal dining room, and his office with its massive collection of books and man-office-stuff is upstairs. You're right that homes need to evolve into a happy place for families. I'm a Texas REALTOR® so I surely have opinions about making a house a home, but I'm not one of the professional designers on houzz. Thanks for reaching out.
4 months ago ·
Britastina Lanie,
Greetings from a Texas town that bleeds maroon! Bummer about the library. My dining room is actually a large room at the front of the house that I think the builder thought would be a living/dining/entry. It is 21' wide by 24' long. Seven feet of the width has hardwood flooring and is "divided" from the rest of the room by 2 pillars. That would be the entry hall. The rest of the room is supposed to be the living/dining. Too small to be both and too large to be one. I had a bookcase built on a wall towards the front and finished by placing a seating group of 4 club chairs surrounding a table next to the bookcase (8' long, 2' deep, 8' high) . The rest of the room has my dining table and chairs. I'm still having trouble with the "entry hall". The right hunt board hasn't found me yet. Don't want chairs, who sits in an entry hall anyway. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice house and is my forever house so I have plenty of time (I hope). I remember you, you had a listing posted in the thread about "Salt Boxes". Beautiful house!
4 months ago ·
Joanna Zygo Becky, make a poll so that ppl can vote, additionally to the article...
4 months ago ·
georgetownsandi I'm having trouble typing because I started the drinking game... Lol, Jk. I love cozy, woods, fireplaces, bookes, and cool chandeliers. Great post!
4 months ago ·
wantsideas Love number three because of the built in and the interesting window.
4 months ago ·
kmacwhirter The last one looks like a small scale medieval hall. I love it!
4 months ago ·
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