Lockdown has seen a rise in the number of interiors Instagram accounts, but is following what’s trending on social media always the best way to go?

Our surroundings have a huge impact on our senses, particularly when it comes to food. The likes of Mrs Hinch, Lydia Millen and Olivia Bowen all have interiors to die for, but how do their design choices affect the way their food tastes?

Rebecca Snowden, Interior Style Advisor at Furniture And Choice, explains how to design your dining space to maximise enjoyment at mealtimes.

Opt for greens like Lucy Meck

Lucy Meck adds a pop of forest green into her dining room: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9bYbRVApoT/ (@lucymeckinteriors)

Rebecca says: “Many of us choose paint colours and accessories that appeal to us, not always considering how it might affect the mood and tone of our homes. Colours can evoke powerful emotions and memories, therefore having a profound effect on mood, wellbeing and behaviour.”

For a dining room, it is important to carefully select colours and accessories that won’t hinder our taste experiences.

Rebecca advises: “Our brains associate green shades with nature and healthy eating, which can in turn increase appetites and help us get more enjoyment from our food. Red can also be a great colour for those who often play host, as it energises us and can increase social interaction, while also making people feel hungrier.”

Maximise natural light like Lydia Millens

Lifestyle influencer Lydia Millens’ light and bright dining space is to die for: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8gLo6NhGmw/ (@lydiamillenhome)

While ambient lighting is what most people aspire to have as part of their dining experience, it is important that people can see what they are eating as our eyesight triggers our taste buds.

Rebecca says: “Natural light is always best, but if that is not available, make sure the lighting is bright enough so people can see what they are about to enjoy; this stimulates the excitement of seeing the food itself and will make the experience of eating it that much more enjoyable.

Scent softly and avoid harsh cleaning products

While candles can look great in a dining room by adding ambience, scented candles may actually affect the taste of your food, as they overwhelm and distract your sense of smell, detracting from your lovingly prepared meal.

Although Mrs. Hinch may be the reigning Queen of clean, when it comes to cleaning the dining room the heavily scented products are best left in the cupboard.

Rebecca suggests opting for a mildly scented cleaning product instead: “It can be as simple as just using antibacterial washing up liquid diluted in water. Using harshly scented cleaning products will cause that smell to linger, which isn’t a bad thing in living areas, but in the dining room it can easily hamper the taste of your food.”

Keep patterns minimal like Alex and Olivia Bowen

The perfect dining table set up from everyone’s fave Love Island couple, Alex and Olivia Bowen: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDOVzukALmT/ (@thebowenhome)

Even your tableware can overwhelm the senses. In fact, research has found that in general, round white plates tend to enhance sweet flavours in foods, whereas black, angular plates tend to bring our more savoury flavours.

Patterned plates will interfere with what your eyes are seeing on the plate, therefore drawing your attention away from the food. This happens because the same food can look different when it’s placed on different plates, tricking our brains and therefore changing the flavour.

Rebecca suggests: “Stick to plain crockery so as to not overwhelm the senses. Depending on if you have a sweet or savoury tooth, using plain white or black dinnerware is usually best and helps the food to really stand out on the plate.”

Rebecca adds: “Taste as a sense incorporates all of our other senses including sight, smell and touch, so it is no surprise that how we decorate, accessorise and even clean our dining rooms can have a huge impact on our appetite and how we taste our food.

“These tips will enable you to make the most of your dining experience and make it even more enjoyable.”