A well-used dining room speaks of sharing; food, drink, and merriment (and operates at full capacity during the holidays); indeed, it's the most sociable space in your home. In this roundup, we visit a collection of serene, minimalist rooms from the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, from the more casual to the more formal. To see more spaces, visit the Dining Room Gallery on the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: This lower Manhattan loft in a former printing house, designed by Specht Harpman, accommodates a young family. Photo by Michael Moran.

Above: Anabelle Seldorff of Selldorf Architects anchors the dining space in this loft with a pair of Nelson pendant lights. Photo via Selldorf Architects.

Above: The dramatic oversized black hanging pendant in this Orina dining room by Kriste Michelini Interiors has a sculptural quality that holds the room together. Photo via Kriste Michelini Interiors.

Above: NY-based Workstead created an intimate dining area in this Prospect Park project; the geometric cabinetry and the mismatched Wishbone chairs add visual interest to the space.

Above: This West Chelsea dining room by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects features a collection of shimmery mercury glass pendants.

Above: This dining room in a Croatian house by Rees Roberts + Partners features a mix of rustic (stone walls and floors) and modern (Saarinen office chairs). Photo by Scott Frances.

Above: In this Sands Point, NY, house by Ohlhausen DuBois Architects, the floor to ceiling glass on both sides of the modern dining room extension give you the feeling of being part of the landscape. Photo by Christopher Cooper.

Above: Buttrick Wong Architects integrated a built-in side board into a wall of storage cupboards in this Berkeley dining room. Photo by J. D. Peterson.