Room styling: the art of relaxed dining

CURVED EDGES, AT LEAST FIVE SEATS AND A LAMP THAT SHINES OVER A FRUIT BOWL - THERE’S A RECIPE FOR GETTING YOUR KITCHEN DINING PIECES JUST RIGHT, SAYS DESIGNER FRED RIGBY

- FEATURE Pip Rich

You already know this, but a kitchen is so much more than a place to cook. It’s where the family gathers, life is played out, meals are grabbed, news shared, coffee made, souls comforted. Nigella Lawson once said that every kitchen should have a sofa in it so you can really relax, but that requires spare floor space. Failing that, but with a little extra room, the focus goes to dining furniture, a more robust and endlessly functional approach than a couch.