Why Your Dining Room Deserves A Refresh
Original Art:
Client’s teenage daughter
Photography:
Tyler Cunningham
Timeline:
2 months
Making Space for Gathering, Beauty, and Function
Many families overlook this space—but it has the potential to become a true centerpiece of the home. Yes, we’ve transformed plenty of dining rooms into libraries, bourbon rooms, sitting rooms. Some families simply don’t want the table or don’t have the space to devote to only dining. However, intentional design can turn a rarely-used room into a space that brings people together.
Many older Raleigh homes have formal or awkward dining layouts, but this space is most often the first room you see entering the home and it’s an opportunity for impact. Consider that it is also the simplest to keep tidy, so let it be your show-stopper!
Our clients wanted their dining room to have amazing lighting for entertaining and working from home (think ambient and task). She hoped to use the existing rug, which we did, and incorporate the existing dining chairs from RH that had already proven comfortable. We needed more seats for more people and cohesive finishes that pulled everything together in a polished yet welcoming way.
We started with that incredible Italian chandelier - those are all Murano glass loops hung on circular layers - and a hardworking yet gorgeous table that extends to seat fourteen. Two new host chairs are skirted to offset the leggy-ness of the pedestals and chair legs, but also to coordinate with the new bench seat. It is the height of a dining chair and can be pulled over for extra seating when the table is extended. And it’s a lovely perch for morning coffee!
Renovating a dining room may not seem like a priority at first glance, but for a family—especially one that loves to entertain, celebrate holidays, or simply enjoy dinner together—it can be a deeply impactful transformation. Keep in mind the flow to the rest of the house, use flexible furniture and allow for various uses, such as games and homework. Personal art and heirloom pieces are often easy to incorporate into a fresh scheme…this is a great space to express yourself.
Remember:
Grandma’s table can look great in this space!
Dining chairs are the easiest items to reupholster
Lighting is everything - we like table lamps for ambience on a sideboard and a chandelier for overhead (on a dimmer!)
