Designing a room around Dark Furniture: Part I

One of my good friends and her husband just bought the most AMAZING dining room table from Restoration Hardware.  It's actually this one (or very very similar to this one), and it's absolutely stunning.

Now that it's been delivered, they are in the process of making room for it in their apartment, and have very cleverly decided to split their huge living room, so that half is for the dining area, and half is for the living room.

The old floor-plan looked something like this:

I only know the general details of how the room is being split up, but I imagine the new floor-plan will look similar to this:

Genius, right?

By flip-flopping the room, you now walk into the "dining room" from the hallway, and in general have a good flow for entertaining.

What else is changing from the old layout?  Well the ottoman is going to be way too big to transfer over to the other side of the room, so that needs to be replaced.  By replacing it with a smaller coffee table, and eventually downsizing the TV stand, they will have room for living and dining spaces in the same room.  I LOVE this. City living at its best.

The challenge?  Designing the rest of the room around dark furniture (ding ding ding, the title of this post!)

The new dining room table is made of reclaimed oak - which is so incredibly gorgeous but the stain on it is a dark brown.  Their existing sofa and club chair that will live on the other half of the room are both made of dark brown leather, which means there is a lot of dark brown happening in this space.

The walls of the room are a very light taupe color, the crown molding is white, and a beautiful bay window that lets in tons of natural light. Oh, and the space still has original hardwood floors.  It doesn't get better than that! The room has good bones, so it will be an easy task to use what they already have, and turn it into a complete and cohesive space.

Here's where the room stood last week after the table was delivered.  Excuse the iPhone picture - it's a little grainy here:

The knee-jerk reaction to having lots of dark furniture is to compensate with lots of light colors everywhere else.  On one hand, yes, bringing in light colors around the dark pieces (ie: light pillows on a dark sofa) do help to lighten the space, but the real magic needs to happen in the space at and above eye level when you walk in a room.  Think about it for a second... dark furniture sits below eye level when you walk into a room, so if you have light walls, and light curtains, and light art (or worse, no art), your eye goes straight down, and visually the space just feels smaller.  Adding interest through color and pattern at and above eye level, creates a feeling of balance, and so the "challenge" of dark furniture, sort of isn't a "challenge" anymore.

Trust me, it will make more sense as you see it come together.

Ok, moving on... so what's the plan in here?  Since the above picture was taken, my friend already ordered a natural fiber rug to go under the dining room table.  Good call girl.

The rug is going to define the dining space, and separate it from the living room.  Also, massive area rugs are SUPER expensive, so to even think of getting a rug to cover this entire room, we're talking serious money.  No thanks.

Why else was it a good idea to go sisal?  It's neutral, it's easy to clean (it's going under a dining table after all) and it's mainly covered  up with the table anyway, so the focus of the room will be elsewhere.  Any pattern would go mainly unseen here with a huge table on top of it.

My friend also said that the curtains need to be replaced because they can't find the same ones anymore, but she likes the blue so isn't opposed to something similar.  

Sweet.  Perfect place to jump right in...

Here's what I think needs to happen on this side of the room:

Minimal changes my friends.  

First, they need chairs.  They obviously know this.

Then, I think that filling that back wall out is priority #2, so that your eye doesn't stop at the table. 

Oversize art will help... like OVERSIZE.  I always find that it's hard to find large scale art... it seems so big when you buy it, but once you get it on an empty wall like this one, it's like an island in the middle of an ocean.  My point?  We need to find massive, beautiful, and not ridiculously expensive art.  

What else?  A bigger lamp that takes up more visual real estate will help.  And plants.  I LOVE bringing in larger house plants to wake up an empty corner.

I started playing around to test out different looks, and at first, I went more "traditional".  I think the table is so amazing - it's a little rustic.... a little french-y feeling......... I loved the idea of adding Louis XIV chairs with it.  

Here's the first look I came up with:

I love love LOVE these chairs - that dusty blue linen is so pretty, and I was thrilled to see it on two complimentary sets of Louis XIV chairs.  The blue fabric and lighter wood on the chairs surrounding the table will immediately bring life into the space.

LOVE.  

I also thought it was nice to have the taller rectangular chairs at the head of the table, and mix in the round backs in the middle, but again if you like the look of one over the other, you could certainly stick with one type of chair.

I should also take the time now to call out the fact that the wood on the chairs is NOT the same color (or even same type) as the wood on the table. 

That's on purpose my friends.  

Some people are weird about mixing woods, but it doesn't bother me!  I like the look of different woods in a space, because it looks "collected" instead of "we bought the set".  If it will drive you nuts, the good thing about wood is that you can stain it, but I like the different wood tones.

Moving onto the art, I am SO into botanical art right now - you literally see it everywhere, from shelter magazines to the blog world.  These oversize prints from Ballard are SO GOOD.  They are massive - each one is 42" high, by 27" wide.  With prints this large, the frames should get pretty close to meeting the picture molding that runs around the walls, which will naturally draw the eye up, while taking up almost 5' across that wall. Mission accomplished - these would meet the goal of filling the blank space out, without making it feel super busy (the way that a gallery wall can sometimes do).

The floor lamp has a bent bronze neck (shaft? stem? base? what IS that called??) and I like that this also helps fill out the space on that wall.  I also like that having the bent shaft makes it different than a standard floor lamp.  If the wall was still feeling empty once all of this was in the room, my recommendation would be to have two identical floor lamps similar to this flanking either side of the buffet.  I also can't remember the overhead lighting situation in here, so they might actually need the extra light.  Boom. Kill two birds with one stone.

The fiddle leaf fig stands on the other side of the buffet in this mock up, but really any sizeable green houseplant would do in the corner.

And finally, the curtains... I thought that with the blue linen chairs, blue curtains might be a bit much, so I mocked this up with grey linen.  I think I like it.  The lightweight fabric will feel visually light (as opposed to a heavy fabric like velvet), while the grey still has enough of a color presence to draw the eye up to the ceiling.

Overall I like how this all came together, but I didn't stop there... I swapped a few things out and came up with another version of this room:

What changed?  Well the chairs are a slight variation of those first ones, this time in a sandy linen.  With the sisal rug and all the wood, it feels like a lot of brown on brown, and so the accessories need to change.  I did a dark blue (almost navy) curtain, and swapped out the art, for a symmetrical gallery wall of... wait... what is that... more botanical prints!  Holla!

I told you I'm crazy for botanical prints right now.

These ones have a super saturated inky blue background with that green... I love it.  I think with the navy curtains, it looks awesome.  I'm still half and half on the chairs though... is it too much brown or are they ok with the art and curtains?  I think I need to see the color of the linen in person to tell if its more brown than cream.

My friend mentioned that they do like the vibe of West Elm, so I wen on to put together a third, less traditional, more modern version of this space...

...so another mock-up was born:

The starting point for me in here was the curtains.  I think these are so cool, and the pattern will definitely succeed in drawing the eye up, and bringing some color to the room.  The floor lamp also got switched up for an aged bronze pharmacy lamp.  I like alternative floor lamps, and these just look cool, although take up less visual real estate than the floor lamp with the drum shade.

I'm loving the color that these chairs bring to the space - I also love the detail of the individually hammered nail heads around the edges.  It just makes it a little more special.

Some of you might be thinking... If you're trying to lighten up the space, why are you putting dark blue chairs with already dark furniture??  And I totally hear you... but the point I'm trying to drive home is the need for balance.  

The challenge is not how to bring as much light colored "stuff" as possible around the dark furniture, but rather in balancing the darkness with other rich colors at or above eye level.  So while these chairs are upholstered in a darker peacock colored fabric, the shock of color paired with similar colors in the art, and yet another variation of the color echoed in the curtains balances things out.

Even if none of these ideas make it off the cutting room floor and into real life, this is a good starting point for visualizing this half of the room...

Next up, I'll be tackling some ideas for the other side of the room... the living room side.  Working on integrating accessories that accent their dark leather sofa, club chair, and some ideas on how to style a cohesive space to pair with their new dining room...

Rustic Bookshelves

Sorry for the lag time on the dining-room-turned-office update photos... that room has not gotten any of the other promised updates since I posted about my beloved fiddle leaf fig (which by the way, is absolutely THRIVING so far knock-on-wood).

The original plan was to hang shelves for book storage on the walls flanking the entrance to the living room... three on the left wall, and two on the right wall so there would be room underneath for a nice comfy chair to read in... here's how we I envisioned it working out...

Since painting, and rearranging some of the furniture, I hung one of the shelves, but after getting it up, I wasn't convinced that I LOVED it... so I waited a week to see if I wanted to hang the rest, or if I wanted to switch up the plan.

The good news is, I do like it, so I want to hang the rest of the shelves...

The bad news is, I do not trust our plaster walls to support a heavy load.  After hanging the first one, I'm having visions of these shelves coming crashing down in the middle of the night after the plaster crumbles from the weight of our books... no bueno.

I wanted these shelves to function as a bookshelf, but I just don't see that happening now... I am so sick of staring at the cardboard boxes in our living room full of the books that used to be in the dining room (not a good look by the way) so I want to find somewhere to store them... stat.

What I need is a bookshelf... a small, pretty, but functional bookshelf, that can go along this wall in our living room...

Let's pretend that this photo wasn't taken right after I dumped all my treasures from Ikea, and that it's not a complete mess... sadly the console table still looks like that - books galore.

I plan to sell that console table (which really is a shame since I love it even more after painting it white recently (remember when it was blue and in our hallway??) It's come a long way since then...

Anyway, back to the bookshelf for this space.  I want it to be about four feet wide, and about three feet tall, and I really want something with an aged wood look...

Something like the Copenhagen Bookshelf from West Elm would be perfect... if it weren't like 7 feet tall. Simple clean lines, and that gorgeous wood... if only it had a little brother bookshelf!  Back to the drawing board...

The Emerson Bookshelf from World Market is also along the lines of what I'm looking for... although again, too dang tall!  Sooo frustrating!

But then... hello... what do we have here??

Overstock to the rescue?  This one is actually a TV stand, but it could actually work!!

It's 2.5 feet high, by almost exactly 4 feet long... I'm not loving the turned detail on the metal legs... I wish they were a bit more simple, and a few bad reviews always get me nervous, but this could be a serious contender...

I need to make a few more measurements to see if this size will fit, and do a bit more digging of course to be sure this will work in our living room...

What do we think?

Dining Room Progress...

Happy Monday all!  Last week, I'd talked about how I'd painted the trim in our dining room, and that from there my plans for this little space spiraled a bit out of control...

We'll let's take a look at a few before's and afters from just the trim...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Nothing earth shattering, but a DEFINITE improvement.  The trim and the ceiling had been the same color, so that really puts into context how much brighter the room felt once the trim got painted out.  Queue: sigh of relief.

This weekend, I made some SERIOUS headway on the other updates I'd wanted to make... remember this inspiration board I put together??

Well, I am VERY excited to say that the dining room is looking VERY close to this already - dare I say it, I will be finishing up our newly revamped space this week.  I'm going to hold out for a final room reveal, but I wanted to at least share a few sneak peeks at how it's evolving...

Ooh la la... look at those pale grey walls staring back at me....  and with the white trim...  I die.

.... and what is this??  A nubby, natural, gloriously textured jute rug??  Love at first sight....

Yes.  Yes I did.  Please say hi to my new BFF - she is soft and a very pale blonde, and I absolutely adore her!

This is just the smallest glimpse of the changes this room is seeing... I cannot wait to show you all the rest of the progress later this week!

Have a happy Monday

xo

Dining Room Revamp - No, I'm not Crazy (yet)

Hope you all had as good of a long weekend as we did - we spent most of it outside, soaking up the warm weather, bbqing, sun bathing, and watching a few fireworks. 

I also spent a few hours doing this:

Yep... that is paint my friends (Side note: can you believe how gross the color of the trim was before??? UGH. That swatch of white paint against it really shows how dingy it was!)  

I had an itch on Sunday and decided that the trim in the dining room needed to be painted immediately, and so I busted out the tape and my paintbrush and went to town... Kris came back from the coffee shop to find all our furniture in the living room, and me knee deep in paint.  Despite his concerns over my mental stability, I kept at it, and a few hours later, the trim was bright and white and clean, and I was able to let out a sigh of relief!

Have you ever read the book "When you Give a Mouse a Cookie"?

If you haven't, please do, because then you will fully understand what has transpired since I taped and painted the trim in the dining room.  Once the trim was painted, I wanted to paint the rest of the room... even though it's been painted once already.  I'm thinking a light grey...

Well with ideas of a light grey, simple room, I decided that the seat cushions on our chairs would need an update (something a bit more contemporary), and that with the grey walls, the curtains couldn't stay as is (they wouldn't match).  I also decided that with the bookshelf out of the room, it felt so much larger, so perhaps we should get rid of the big bulky bookshelf and install some open shelving...

Oh the domino effect!

I decided to corral all my ideas into an inspiration board, and here's what our dining room is soon going to look like:

Light and bright, and sophisticated with a color palette of black white and grey.  I want to bring in some black brush stroke art, fresh white curtain panels, and some bold graphic stripes.

I've really enjoyed the light blue color we've had, but since the rest of the house has neutral walls, it feels disjointed, and after almost two years with that color, I'm ready for a change.

Actually, there won't be THAT much changing in here... just a few small tweaks to change the look and feel - the table will stay, but I'll finally get around to installing the chandelier I bought LAST NOVEMBER (remember this post??), roll out the rug that's been sitting in my office for the last few months, and pull the trigger on the cowhide rug.  I've already placed an order for the striped fabric that will recover the cushions, and the white curtains just require an easy trip to Ikea...

You guys - for once, a project I'm not sitting on!  I seriously can't wait for before's and afters :-)

Happy Monday!

Moroccan Inspired Dining Room

Isn't this the most lovely dining room???

Designer, Matthew Patrick Smythe went to town on this Manhattan apartment, featured this month in Elle Decor.  The apartment covers a range of styles from modern to eclectic, but somehow it works... I mean... quite obviously it more than works, but of all the rooms, this dining room was my favorite.  It's visually striking with graphic navy and white wallpaper, a pretty Capiz chandelier, and luxe velvet chairs.

If you couldn't tell, the wallpaper is Schumacher, and if you ask me, it MAKES the room.  The delicate lacy detail reminds me of an intricate Moroccan gate, leading into a serene courtyard garden.  It's absolutely amazing, but I don't know if I could pull the trigger on it myself.  Since wallpaper is hard to install, even harder to take down, and can get really pricey really quickly, I'd try to recreate this look using paint.

If you love this room, then you are going to love the affordable inspiration board I've drawn up.

I'd start the room off by painting it a dramatic navy with grey undertones.  Buying multiple wood carvings and hanging them in a grid will break up the wall, and simulate the beautiful detail of the Schumacher wallpaper. The ones in this inspiration are from Target, and at roughly 12" square, nine of these would create quite a large grid. 

Check out the where to buy guide if you want to try this look out on your own, and for more inspiration, look through the rest of this lovely apartment at Elle Decor!!

WHERE TO BUY:

Capiz Chandelier from West Elm

Wood Carving from Target

Pedestal table from Terrain

Square Back Louis Side Chair from Ballard Designs

White Ornate Wall Mirror from Wayfair

Console Table from Olioboard

Clear Glass Lamp from Lamps Plus

Wool Cable Rug from RugsUSA

Side note: the wood carvings are wood, but if you want them to be white, a quick coat of paint would do the trick!  

I'd also spend the extra $7 for the spray attachment if you are going the spray paint route... it will save you some major finger cramps (plus, you get to pretend you are in Charlie's Angels... which is pretty awesome, and well worth the extra $7)

Trestle Table Love

Oh my... this dining room is pretty much perfection - the great french doors and amazing light, molding, and architectural detail make this room fabulous on it's own, but it's this table I am most obsessed with!  

One of my favorite things I own is the table in our dining room.  It is a small pedestal table, just large enough for four.  It was a Craigslist find that is around 100 years old, and while the top is wobbly, and always seems to be at a slight angle, it has a beautiful turned pedestal that reminds me a lot of the detail on this trestle table above.  Isn't it pretty?

Restoration Hardware has a trestle table that is absolutely amazing, but it comes with the Restoration Hardware price tag (aka, they aren't exactly giving it away).  Luckily for you, I've put together an inspiration board with less expensive options for recreating this look!

Where to Buy:

Trestle Table - if you love the Restoration Hardware trestle table, you will LOVE this.  One of my favorite bloggers just bought this exact one for her house - for pics in real life, check it out  here!!

Veranda Linear Chandelier - this look has been a longtime favorite of mine - the perfect compliment to a rustic dining room.  Pottery Barn's version is relatively affordable, but I've seen fixtures similar to this at places like Lamps Plus or even Home Depot as well!

Nailhead Parsons Chair - if you are getting six of these for a dining room, costs can get really high really quickly, but this chair has great reviews in the blogworld, and are very affordable for the level of detail!  Not to mention, a parsons chair is ALWAYS in style

Burlap Panel Curtains - another affordable option - especially if you are looking for extra long curtains - Ballard Design's version has a great fringed bottom

Tile Border Rug - Pottery Barn's plush rugs aren't inexpensive, but they also won't break the bank.  My parents have a few in their home, so trust me when I say they are extremely plush, and have held up well!