This week in Home Glow’s “Sheltering in Your Forever Home” Challenge, participants were asked to set a nice table — with whatever they have! kids’ table with plastic, grownups’ table with china, whatever! — for 1 meal. Hopefully with Passover and Easter both occurring this week, the task wasn’t too tough!
(FYI — The Challenge is 5 weeks with tasks to help us love the homes we’re in with the decor we have for a chance to win a FREE 30-minute email consultation on a problem area that has you stuck. There are 2 weeks left if you want to join for a chance to win!)
In the spirit of Easter brunches being served up around the world tomorrow, I thought I would post the reveal of this Fresh Traditional dining room that Home Glow Design completed last year.
The clients, a couple in their early 40s with 3 young kids, bought their 1990s Colonial Revival style home about 8 years earlier and have been tackling updates to the home and property ever since. The dining room had largely been used as a catch-all space, and they were ready to be able to have a place to entertain family and friends in a relaxed but semi-formal atmosphere.
Both the husband and wife grew up on the Maine coast before settling permanently in New Hampshire, so their love of blues, grays, and a simple New England aesthetic came as no surprise (no florals or paisleys, I was told 🙂 ). But while the wife longed for a few pops of color, the husband was definitely a little suspect of pattern and richer hues.
A couple of bad “before” iPhone pics. Again, the room had largely been a staging area for a busy family of 5!
The room is about 13′ square, with beautiful pocket doors on 2 sides.
For a serene backdrop, we chose a subtle sky blue grasscloth (similar here) that gave plenty of texture and richness without overloading the senses with pattern. Layering different “values” of a single color (blue) — i.e. its darkness or lightness — is a great way to create depth without a lot of contrast.
All images by Emily O’Brien Photography.
Square rooms can be really tough for dining spaces. I find a round table works best. A custom sized rug is often needed. In this case, we used broadloom carpet cut to my specifications.
We wanted to balance the cool blue with a little warmth. You KNOW how I love color, and I’m so glad that the husband trusted us with the pops of red — backs of dining chairs, the barn in the painting, and just a teeny weeny trim on the Roman shades. Eyeliner, if you will.
The custom USA-made chairs are upholstered in white Crypton performance fabric that looks and feels like linen.
The couple had some case pieces of cerused wood and pine in other areas of the home — a coastal, weathered look that reminded them of Maine — so I wanted to continue in that vein, while bringing in classic, rich “brown furniture” that was appropriate to the reproduction Colonial Revival style of their beautiful home.
The buffet’s raised door panels are wrapped in performance fabric with double-needle stitching, bordered with cast aluminum frame in Vintage Nickel finish.
Nothing could be more New England-y: this Windsor chair belonged to the wife’s grandfather. I love bringing in antiques or vintage pieces to lend soul to any room — all the better if it is a family heirloom!!
The clients requested a china cabinet to display plenty of dinnerware. With its black interior of this piece and the fabulous circular mullions, its anything BUT your grandmother’s style.
An extra chair occupies an otherwise awkward corner between 2 sets of pocket doors. Contemporary art — again, layers of blue — reminiscent of water “youthfulizes” the vignette.
I profiled this simple & inexpensive table setting in this post about 3 tablescapes for spring. I love the way the dinner plate looks with the custom-bound carpet.
OMgosh, I LOVE this chandelier. It’s stunning when it’s lit, and yet the lines are so clean. My electrician said that this chandelier is his favorite that he’s ever installed. The acrylic on the lantern gives a fresh twist to a classic lighting motif.
This project also involved an entirely new lighting plan for the whole house and an exterior color package for the main house, shed, and pool guest house. I don’t have any good pictures of those yet, but maybe some day in the future!
A get-the-look with items you can access via retail!
And an image for your pinning pleasure!
Lastly, a few other posts that may interest you:
FREE “Sheltering in Your Forever Home” Challenge
“Brown Furniture” is Always En Vogue
Wishing you a blessed Easter weekend, with health and happiness in these uncertain times.
-Amy
1 thought on “A Grown-Up Dining Room: Project Classic Colonial Revival REVEAL!”
Beautifully done, Amy! Love the fresh, clean blue with the red accents on the chairs and the window treatments. The Windsor chair and basket with birch branches add nice texture, as does the grasscloth on the walls. The artwork is perfect. The homeowners must be thrilled!
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