More of us are entertaining at home—whether it’s a quick weeknight pasta with friends or a full-blown garden soirée—and that means our dining spaces are getting a little extra attention. While I’ve previously reported that formal dining rooms are shrinking to make space for open kitchens, they’re not disappearing entirely. In fact, they’re evolving.

Designers are seeing a shift toward warmer, more layered spaces that mix old and new, and make you want to linger long after the dishes are cleared. The dining room is having a quiet glow-up—and it’s not just about dramatic lighting or maximalist tablescapes. It’s about comfort, character, and (maybe most importantly) chairs you actually want to sit in.

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When Ashley Murphy and Marissa Hagmeyer—co-founders of NEAT Method and authors of The NEAT Method Organizing Recipe Book—stopped by our Brooklyn HQ recently, they didn’t just come for a quick hello. They came armed with drawer dividers, stylish bins, and a vision. In just a few hours, they transformed our most chaotic corners (think: a junk drawer overflowing with cords, a coat closet with mismatched hangers, and the under-sink abyss in our studio kitchen) into Pinterest-worthy spaces. But what stuck with me even more than the aesthetic glow-up? The way they made organizing feel approachable—even fun.

Their first ever book, which dropped in January, reads like a friend holding your hand through the chaos. It’s packed with more than 70 step-by-step projects, from refreshing your fridge to finally figuring out your bedroom drawers. “It’s about finding what works for you and what makes sense in your routine,” Marissa told me. “We thought the recipe concept would make it more bite-sized—you can follow the steps, take small doses within your home, and curate exactly what you're looking for.”

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In The Green Scene, there's no such thing as a silly question about cannabis. What's the difference between THC and CBD? How the heck do I make edibles at home? What home design advice can dispensaries teach me? Kick back—we have the answers.

Editor's note: This piece was updated in April, 2025

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