The Great Hall of Parham House in West Sussex, which was restored in the 1920s to its former Elizabethan beauty. The heart of the property, the hall was where the Elizabethan household would dine and entertain (parhamin
sussex.co.uk)
Images Parham House; (Radbourne Hall) Paul Highnam/ Country Life Picture Library/ Future Publishing; (Standen) National Trust Images / Andreas Von Einsiedel
The dining room has been a place for formal use for centuries, yet historically these rooms were something of a novelty and tended to be the preserve of the wealthy. Many homes today don’t have a formal dining room, with homeowners instead choosing multifunctional spaces that offer more flexible use. The history and development of the dining room, however, is fascinating, and whether you create a dedicated dining space, or adopt elements from the room’s history to suit your purposes, there are many ways they can enhance our period homes.