Some of My Favorite Dining Rooms

Dining Rooms are some of my favorite rooms to design, because they can be light small flights of fancy. I really like to entertain, so creating a room where you hang with your friends on special occasions are very special events for me. Here are some of my favorites:

This one is in an old Hollywood mansion that we remodeled for a client who was a writer. So we decided to move the Dining Room into the Library. Unfortunately when we shot this for Met Home, they wanted clear shelves, but normally this room is full of books, which makes it a very cozy and inviting Dining Room to be in. 

I always like the contrast between old and new and in this home , we deliberately created an older Tuscan feel and then used cleaner more modern furniture. The chairs were from Hinson and the chandelier was Dessin Fournir.

We have newer Italian modern chairs in this room now (I need to get new pictures), but this room is a great collection of pieces, a chandelier from the South of France, a ruf grom Tibet with a huge Floral pattern and a modern Industrial table.

This room is interesting, the architect designed a two story high Dining Room, which felt a little stark, so by using a linen sheer we were able to create a lower ceiling that felt almost like a wonderful tent. The polished concrete floors add a little sparkle too and stops the room from feeling too feminine.

Just because it says WALLpaper it doesn't mean it won't look good on a ceiling!

I have been a huge fan of Lori Weitzner now for a while. I think that she brings such a cool fresh thought to all that she does. so I thought she was a perfect example to use for this post, because I think she would appreciate the idea of wall paper on the ceiling.

In this home we had an existing raised ceiling in the Dining Room that I wanted to find a way to highlight. I found a drawn plaster series that Lori has that is perfect for this kind of use, we installed it and then had a faux finisher add a subtle iridescent wash over it. It provided just enough sparkle to make the room feel more special, but with enough money still in the budget to buy great furniture.

The pattern we went with is called Cartouche. It was the right choice as it has a perfect blend of old and new and the spacing on the design was spread enough that it didn't get too busy.

Hope you like it.

I Love Small Dining Areas

There is something very special about the family meal. It's such a great opportunity to sit and discuss your day etc. So it's very important that you create a space that really encourages that, and I think that smaller spaces do that better than larger ones.

This is a room that I did that was directly off the Kitchen, and i think its a great example of how a space can really be stylish but work very practically as well.

Here are some tips:

• Using a banquette gives you a lot of seating flexibility.
• A large table no more than 60" across will allow lots of people, but still enable lots of conversation, from side to side.
• Simple color scheme is good, since there will be a lot of visual chaos.
• Good lighting is essentila, a blend of surface mounted fixtures and downlights is ideal.
• This might be a good area for the Family notice board too.

Resource Day-Before and After

I was going through some old photo's the other day and I came across some shots I had taken in a house, before we started work, and you can see beside it, the completed picture of the new Dining Room. So I thought today, for resource day I would let you in on the resources I used to make this project come to life. Let me walk you through some of the things I did to create more warmth and detail in the space.

• I decided that the old fireplace needed to go. The mirrored overmantle was serving no real purpose (in my mind a mirror should always give you something to see, and a reflection of the Entry didn't justify it being there). So I removed the mantle and replaced it with a new one, that had more architectural detail. (www.kernswilcheck.com)
• The next thing was the walls. I decided that wall paper would give me another layer of detail, so I went with this handpainted paper by Cowtan and Tout.
• In a lot of my projects I custom design pieces to create a unique look, and this was no exception, the chandelier is a custom piece, based on several antiques that I had found. It was made for me by the guys at Paul Ferrante (www.paulferrante.com)
• The chairs too, were made especially for me, based on some photograph's of some antiques that I had seen. This is not an unusual request, sometimes antiques are too small in scale or too delicate to use in situations where they will get a lot of use, so reproducing them is always a good option. Just make sure that you find someone who works in that style, and Richard Mulligan specialises in early American, so was the perfect choice (www.richardmulligan.com) .
• The table is a design by Formations in Los Angeles, they are part of the Dennis and Leen group, and unfortunately do not have a web presence, but if you are in Los Angeles a trip to their Melrose Ave showroom is not to be missed.
• Now for some of the other pieces in the room. The white wrought iron console on the right, is actually an old balcony that I purchased and repurposed from a terrific Architectural Salvage yard that I frequent, Scavengers Paradise (www.scavengersparadise.com) . And the stunning metal sconces on either side of the fireplace come from Mecox Gardens (www.mecoxgardens.com ) one of my favorite stores in L.A. and with stores on the East Coast too.

Well, that gives you an insight into who I use, I know it's a bit out of the ordinary for Resource Day, but I thought it might be helpful.

The Unexpected Element....

Decorating a room can be an intimidating task. Where do you begin? Or more importantly when do you know you are finished? One of the most common questions that i am asked, is how do you make a room that is co-ordinated and put together, but at the same time, does not look like the pages of a catalogue. One of the hallmarks of my design work is that it is totally a reflection of the people who live there and has an almost effortless looking, undecorated style. If I were to narrow this down to one thing I think I would call it the "unexpected element". It is that one thing in the room, that, on paper probably doesn't work, but in execution gives the room a bit of a shake up and stops it from feeling too "done".

As an example take a look at the image above, it is a home Library that i did a few years ago. The color palette is very neutral and the story is really all about the texture of the room, but then, out of nowhere comes this rug in magenta and orange. It gives the room a confident, just thrown together kind of feel, it is the unexpected element.

Here are some tips on how you can introduce this into your designs, and bring them to life even more:

• Pick a piece that can stand alone from the rest of your design, a rug or an occasional chair are perfect pieces for this kind of approach.
• While you want it to stand out from the rest of the room, pay close attention to the other design elements of the piece. For instance, if you are using a piece in an off color, pay close attention that it ties to the room in scale and texture. Or if you are using something that is over scaled, make sure that the color works with the other pieces in the room.
• A piece can become unexpected by using it in an unusual location. For instance, using outdoor furniture inside, or a great French antique chair in a bathroom. It is the context that can create the tension that makes the piece interesting.
• One or two of these elements in a room is usually more than enough to create the desired effect, more than that and you start looking like a random assortment of cast-offs.
• Mixing periods is also a simple way to create this sort of visual texture. I just designed a Dining Room with a great old antique table and then paired it with a classic modern chair, the Brno Chair.

Remember the key to making this work, make it look effortless! Happy Designing!

Dining Room Lighting

I find that with so many things in life as well as in design, that the first solution to a problem is not necessarily the best. A light fixture to hang over the Dining Room table is the perfect example of this problem. For so many people, the first reaction is to put in a crystal chandelier, while it may be very pretty, there are a host of other options that can create a much more interesting solution.

Here are some thoughts you may want to consider:

• If one is good maybe three is better? If you really want the sparkle of a chandelier, maybe you could try using a grouping of three smaller ones, clustered together and hung at different heights. Using a collection like this can create a fresh, hipper feeling, and allow you to use less expensive, smaller choices.




• Try using a lantern instead of a chandelier. Especially in a colonial home, this can be a great, simple choice.




• The fixture in the picture above is made of papier mache and Christmas lights. I bought it in the south of France from an artist there, and I think it creates the perfect counterpoint to an otherwise sophisticated room.




• If you find an old piece that you want to use, maybe you can have the wiring removed and use real candles instead of bulbs. This will make even the most pedestrian fixture into a glamorous item. Be sure to use drip less candles!!




• I like the simplicity of the rice paper lanterns too, that are so readily available at import shops. Their quiet simplicity is perfect, and they cost very little, so you can swap them out for different shapes on a whim.




• With a little work a regular lamp shape can make a very pretty hanging fixture. You may want to make sure you make a base for it, because sitting at the table looking up into a bare bulb is not want you want your guests to see.

Happy Entertaining!

Just a Fun Thing....

Well its Sunday, I thought I would post something that is just fun. Reaction to my post on the Tableaux Cloths was so positive, I thought people might enjoy this, the next logical extension; the Tableaux Room. This is actually a space I did for an Elle Decor event called Dining by Design, which raises funds for DIFFA. It features dining vignettes by different people, its fascinating to see all the different approaches by all the designers. If there is ever one of these events in your city I cannot recommend it enough.

Dramatic Dining Rooms

I did this house a few years ago and it remains one of my favorite Dining Rooms ever. The architect is Robert Sinclair (will post his link later today) a Los Angeles based architect who I think does beautiful work. On this house the gauntlet was really thrown down, I was given this huge, double height space and told to make it dramatic but at the same time warm and inviting. This is what I came up with.
The first thing I did was finish the walls in a polished terracotta colored plaster, then I tented and draped the whole room in a fairly rough linen sheer, that acted as a nice counterpoint. I then lit the linen from behind so that the terracotta glowed through the sheer, creating the effect of a warm, glowing tent. To compete with the height I made three huge drum shades, that really fill the space without getting as serious as a crystal chandelier would have. The floor is polished concrete and the buffet is a custom designed piece that completes the whole package.
What I love about this room is that it really captures that idea that a Dining Room is the one room in the house where you can get a bit more dramatic and fanciful, because it is usually an occasional use room. So be a bit more bold about color or texture etc, this is the room to let your imagination go wild. Good Luck!

Banquettes

As the weekend is coming up, my mind naturally goes to all those great get together's that will be happening, especially with summer right around the corner. I love casual entertaining, sitting with friends as we cook etc etc, and nothing is more conducive to that than the banquette. Made popular in the 30's and 40's as a space saver in the "modern kitchen", this handy device is making a great comeback. I have included two examples;

• The first is an old home that we renovated, originally built in the late 1920's, this space was the old Breakfast Room. I wanted to create an area for the whole family and their friends, so I thought that a simple banquette that wrapped around three of the walls would do the trick. The family can sit almost 12 people at this table when the need arises, far more than a freestanding table and chairs would ever allow, and it feels neater and tidier on top of that. Just as an aside, a cool thing to notice, the walls are upholstered, which cuts down the noise and provides a convenient location for bus and soccer schedules! Don't miss the center light fixture either, it was designed to hold the family gold fish, the best seat in the house.
• The second example is a bit more typical, using a spare corner, I created a curved seating nook, flanked by two chairs. This Kitchen had a bit more of a mid-century kind of feeling, so laminate was used on the table, with a stainless steel edge trim, that gives it a "diner" kind of feel. Upholstery is in vinyl, so it is stain resistant, and the color brightens up every morning.

Banquettes don't just need to be used in Kitchens; look around the house and see if there are any unused areas that could benefit from this handy item of furniture. Maybe a bay window, the foot of the bed (especially in a small studio type apartment) or even in your office for meeting space, where you occasionally need to be able to squeeze in more people. It offers flexibility, comfort and economy of size, all good things in my book.