An interior design blog with furniture reviews, interior decorating tips, DIY projects, and home furniture guides.

Archive for the ‘Dining Room Furniture & Design’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Country Living Cottage Style – Cottage Style Dining Room Ideas

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Today in the last part of this 3-part mini series “Country Living Cottage Style,” we’re focusing on the dining room. A cottage style dining room reflects lazy days spent by the lake or a place to come back to after a long trek through the woods or down a winding  lane in farm country. It’s comfortable, cozy and completely charming. If done “right,” it will give you the impression that time is not so important and this wonderful evening with family and friends is not going to end any time soon. Cottage style is eclectic and can be as casual (taking its cues from country) or as sophisticated (incorporating more traditional influences) as you want it to be.

When choosing a color palette for you cottage style dining room, pick earth tones, preferably more intense shades than lighter – the yellows and golds of autumn leaves; the greens found in moss, forests and grasses; and the browns and reds of the earth itself.

Another option is to start with antique white or soft cream. Then add a bold accent color or paper one wall with classic floral wallpaper in a bright hue. This will provide an ideal background for a two-tone dining table like the one that is part of the Cottage style furniture is typically made of wood, but as demonstrated by the Stanley Furniture Portofino Ivory Wood and Metal Table, iron is a natural element to throw into the mix. The metal base of the dining table includes traditional scrollwork that looks great when paired with wood. Popular woods used in the construction of cottage style dining furniture are pine, oak and ceder. Common finishes include pine, antique white, distressed and washed. It’s not uncommon for cottage style case goods such as sideboards, buffets, dresses, china cabinets or hutches to have beadboard panels or louvered doors.

Consider adding a large dresser to your dining room – it will perfectly emphasize the comfortable and versatile nature of cottage style while giving you an ideal place for storing tableware and displaying items like jugs, baskets and decorative plates. It is also an ideal way to re-purpose a now unused dresser from a redecorated bedroom.

A cottage style dining room is ideal for a home with children because it is an eclectic style, allowing you the freedom to be a laid-back or as formal as you want it to be. It’s easy to get that certain look that will make your dining room the place to entertain (with or without the kids around). Just remember to mix and match collectibles with more traditional reproduction pieces; when dressing windows use at least two different patterned fabrics like pairing gingham with floral; and finally, when accessorizing, don’t forget to include some natural, organic elements such as ceramic bowls, pottery jugs, heavy iron or stone candlesticks.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles | No Comments »

Global Warmth – Global style dining room

Friday, June 25th, 2010

If travel appeals to or you like to memorabilia from around the world, global style might be the interior design for you when decorating a dining room. Like shabby chic or French country, global style is an eclectic decorating style that takes its influences from around the globe. And for this reason, it is also known as international or world style. A global style dining room can reflect a trip to a Moroccan bazaar, market day in a village in India or a street market in Sri Lanka.

Gobal style is a growing interior design trend because it appeals to our sense of adventure, exploration and curiosity about the world around us. This trend’s popularity is also due to the “global village” our world has become – no corner of the globe seems beyond our reach. And as we move from one place to another, irregardless of borders, the cultural mosaic of any one particular geographic area is constantly evolving. Inspiration for a dining set like the Stanley Furniture Sunset Key 7 Piece Cinnamon Bay Dining Set tables can be found in objects from some exotic location of the world. And because of this, global style is rich in textures, colors and shapes. Decorative motifs like palm leaves, pineapple tops and exotic animals or tropical flowers are common.

When choosing dining furniture for your global style dining room, think natural fibers for upholstered dining chairs, window treatments and area rugs; teak, mahogany and other tropical woods for furniture pieces like a dining table, buffet or china cabinet; bamboo, rattan and tortoise shell as accent materials for tabletops, case goods and chair back inserts. While the overall appearance of global style furniture can range from the sophisticated to the rustic, its predominate characteristic is a hand-crafted look that comes from the use of a distressed finish, natural materials such as cane or rattan or matched veneers in a distinctive pattern.

Wall colors can be as bold or as muted as you desire. Reds, purples, oranges and golds would be a good starter palette for inspiration for a global style dining room. Accessorizing is easy – choose framed prints (or select pictures from your own collection of photographs) of exotic locales. Upholstered chairs can be made of brightly colored woven fabrics; fabrics for window treatments might be made of silk, brocade or damask. Layer the room throughout with objects de arte like ceramic elephants, Indonesian masks and oversized iron candlesticks. As with any eclectic style, and global style is no exception, the way you design and decorate your global style dining room will be totally unique to you.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles | No Comments »

From Coast to Coast – Coastal Dining Room

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Coastal style is a growing trend in interior design for many reasons. Neutrals are paired with punches of color; more formal or traditional furniture pieces blend happily with items crafted from organic materials; and a mix of fabrics that are both casual and dressy typically balance each other to create the atmosphere of a seaside resort. East coast living is different from the west coast lifestyle and for those living along tropical or Mediterranean coastlines, it’s different yet again. In other words, coastal style can be anything from totally casual to informal sophistication. If you want the feeling of the casual formality found homes with an ocean view, here are some ideas for decorating a coastal dining room that will be a place to relax with family and friends.

Since coastal style can be relaxed and casual, reminiscent of spending a day at the beach or a reflection of living by a lake or an ocean, choose a paint color for the walls that will bring water, sun, sand or sky into the room. Whether the palette leans more toward neutral tones or is brighter, will depend on the specific coast you have picked for your dining room’s focus. For example, vibrant hues such as coral, marine blue and primary yellow are reminiscent of the west coast, while sandy creams and softer grays say east coast.

A coastal dining room should have a cohesive and tranquil feel, even if you mix and match different furniture styles and/or coastal motifs. Wood is good; a wood dining table with a medium to dark wood finish or a white one with a washed or distressed finish is an excellent place to start. To create a relaxed dining environment, select furniture pieces with painted finishes such as white, lemon and cream that bring a sunny day spent by the ocean into your home. For a more exotic feel, pick a dining table like the Tommy Bahama Home Island Estate Cayman Pedestal Dining Table with matching chairs that has a richer finish and includes organic elements such as a cane inlay apron.

A coastal dining room is inspired by the diverse lifestyles, themes and activities associated with living by the sea or another type of body of water. Many interior designers feel that it’s those little touches that “make or break” a room: when accessorizing a coastal style dining area, choose items made of bamboo, rattan, cane or shells. Popular motifs for coastal style accessories are nautical stripes, anchors, coastal birds, seahorses and starfish. Tropical flowers and palm leaves are common patterns for upholstered dining chair fabric. Common decorative detailing for coastal accent pieces like a sideboard or a china cabinet include shutters, louvers or beadboard panels.

A coastal dining room is truly eclectic, utilizing a number of furniture styles such as country, traditional or even contemporary. It also incorporates natural elements like woven sea grass area rugs or objects like lamps, candlesticks and pictures made from shells. This style of dining room will make you feel as though every day is a holiday by the sea.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles | No Comments »

Urban Sprawl – Urban Style for Smaller Living Spaces

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

 

Urban style is ideal for smaller living spaces like apartments and condominiums because furniture pieces are specifically designed in scale for an upbeat, metropolitan lifestyle. This style can have an edgy, minimalist feel that borders on modern but still has some decorative detail and tapered or more relaxed lines and profiles. For a contemporary urban style living space, think darker finishes; furniture pieces with metal accents, glass tops or ceramic inlays; and at least a leather recliner if not a sofa or a loveseat.

Urban Living Room

Determine if you want a deep or lighter color palette for the walls, window treatments, any area rugs and fabrics, but definitely keep it neutral or earth toned. Select a coffee table, end tables and an entertainment center that has a dark, smooth finish, either ebony, java or espresso. In this urban living room interior design, the Tema Atlas Entertainment Center is the definitive focal point. But in an urban style living room you don’t necessarily have to stick to just one. Even though the living space might be smaller, urban style welcomes those conversational groupings that often require one or more focal points in the same room. Choose a type of couch that will be a space saver, like a convertible sofa or a sleeper sofa. That’s another thing about urban style; it’s highly functional and multi-purpose.

Urban Dining Room

An urban style dining room is trendy, yet with an air of timeless sophistication. Furniture designs are compact; the profiles of accent pieces like sideboards, servers or china cabinets are crisp and clean; and lines are relaxed, slightly curved or gently tapered. The back of a dining chair might be curved while the legs of the dining table are elegantly shaped. Choose warm earth toned upholstered chairs like the ones that make up the Hillsdale Verona 5-Piece Square Dining Set and put them against a backdrop of rich color. In this way, even though the urban style dining furniture possesses a relatively simple design, the color works with the lighting and the furniture to create a unique look that grab’s your attention, while being inviting and warm.

Urban Bedroom

Urban style bedroom furniture is beautiful to look at. While it has origins in contemporary design it goes one step further by being adaptable and flexible in specific urban environments such the condo or the apartment. The Modus Mondrian Leather Panel Platform Bed 4 Piece Bedroom Set has a casual, understated elegance that is typical of urban style. The lines are soothingly simple; the hardware displays a high-polished chic; and the leather panels of the bed give the room’s overall design a sense of cosmopolitan luxury. This is a bed you will want to ply with plenty of pillows in different textures and colors. Choosing to decorate your bedroom with an urban design will give it a contemporary urban flair that is unique to you.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles, Living Room Furniture & Design | No Comments »

Japanese Style for a Relaxing Dining Experience

Friday, May 28th, 2010

A Japanese style dining room takes the best of east-meets-west by combining the minimalist principles of traditional Japanese design with contemporary western lifestyles. The result is simple lines paired with warm earth tones; rich wood finishes married to lighter organic elements and dining furniture artfully arranged to create balance and harmony. Shape also plays an important role in Japanese dining room design: it’s important for each piece of furniture to work in concert to create a calming and tranquil space that is appealing to the senses.

To create a Japanese style dining room that is soothing and harmonious, start with a color palette that reflects natural elements. Choose soft grays and greens for rocks and leaves; earth-toned yellows for sand and sun; washed-out neutrals for waterfalls, mists and clouds. In a traditional Japanese style room, the walls are typically free of decoration, but one featured print or a choice grouping of smaller sized photographs would be acceptable in a contemporary Japanese dining room design.

When selecting furniture for a Japanese designed dining room, choose furnishings that have a definitive purpose. While esthetics certainly play a role in Japanese interior design, practicality is equally important. No furniture piece should be picked solely for its esthetic or decorative value. In fact, Japanese style dining furniture generally has no or very little decoration. The furniture should stand low to the ground, be made of wood and arranged in such a way that “empty space” is featured in room’s décor as much as the furniture is. It is this “push-pull” effect between empty and occupied that creates contrast and visual interest.

In Japanese interior design the proper lighting is important. Any available natural light should be made the most of and used to its best advantage. Lighting can be softened by rice paper, silk or white glass shades. When accessorizing a Japanese style dining room, adhere closely to the essentials or things that have a specific purpose, such a glass vase, candles or shoji screen-like window treatments or room dividers. The overall effect should be not too bare and definitely not cluttered or cramped. You might have to experiment to get the right balance, but it will be worth it in the long when your dining room is a tranquil and elegant example of Japanese interior design.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles | No Comments »

From the Design Files of Heather B – From Bachelor Pad to 3-Bedroom House

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Design Question

I just recently bought a home in [this city] and have moved from my one bedroom apartment into a 3 bed/2 bath/pool home, with hardwood floors and 1960s style bathrooms (all ceramic tile at weird angles). I have some cheap furniture which I brought in from my apartment but there is not much — literally, just have a small couch, chair, coffee table, bed, dresser — and I am not interested in keeping it.

I want to begin to furnish my home but I do not want to just start purchasing furniture without some sort of plan. I want to develop a theme for my home and furnish it accordingly. Interior design and decorating is not my forte, to say the least. I am a young sales professional and want to furnish my home to reflect this. Basically, I am looking for help with a theme or style. I tend to be minimalistic but also want my home to be comfortable. Thanks so much for your help.

Design Answer

I don’t know why, but when I read your question the words “1960s bathrooms” and “minimalistic” brought to mind jazz. Jazz music is all about improvisation, slick riffs and saxophones that have their own special language. But you don’t have to like jazz to create the look for your home that I have in mind. Minimalist is typically associated with modern style – it doesn’t have to “cold” or “bare.” Transitional style, a combination of traditional and contemporary styles sounds like it also might be a viable option for your living space.

Make a Plan

Make a plan for each room in your home. It sounds like there might be bathroom renos in your future. Don’t forget to incorporate any renos into the long-term vision for your interior design plan. It should include the following for each room you wish to redecorate and/or furnish:

Select a style or theme. An interior design style refers to the overall appearance of the furniture, while a theme is more the look and feel of the room based on a particular personal interest like a favorite sports team, sport you like to participate in or other hobby or interest. For that chill improv vibe whenever someone walks into your home

I would select transitional furniture or modern furniture in warm wood colors.

What needs to be done? If you’re not happy with the room’s wall color, while the space is relatively empty, now would be a good time to paint or wallpaper. In keeping with either modern or transitional styles, choose soothing neutrals such as beige, white or taupe or earth tones such as sand, light browns or sage. These color palettes will also apply when choosing window treatments, furniture and fabrics.

Measure each room so that you will know exactly how much space you have to work with.

Make a List

List the furniture pieces you would like to buy. For the bedroom, your list might include a platform bed, two nightstands, a double dresser, floor mirror, new area rug and new blinds.

Set a budget. Knowing how much you are willing to spend on each item you need to purchase will be easier on your wallet. It might also be useful to setup a timeline that corresponds to your budget so that you’re not purchasing everything at once. It sounds like you want to project a certain image – you will probably be looking for furniture items in the mid-price range. Consider buying what you need in sets, such as a bedroom set, sofa set or a dining set. It’s more economical than purchasing each piece separately.

Make it Happen

Once you know roughly what kinds of things you want for each room, it will be easier to comparison shop. Don’t forget about e-tailers – the internet furniture market has become very competitive, which is great for the consumer because you can find some really good deals online.

You mentioned a pool – if you can see the pool from, let’s say your living room or dining room window, and definitely plan on making it a focal point of the room.

When you are ready to place the furniture in each room, start with the largest items first. Don’t forget to take into account traffic flow and space for opening doors, drawers, etc.

Hope this is helpful in giving you a starting point. Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when we tackle another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Bedroom Furniture & Design Ideas, Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles, Living Room Furniture & Design | No Comments »

Country Style Make-over: Modern Country for the Dining Room

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Modern country is like shabby chic but with the focus on mixing vintage country pieces with modern or contemporary design components. Essential traditional decorative elements are reused, reinvented and revitalized for a style that can be individualized in such a way that it is truly unique. In the third part of this series, we will look at how to give a dining room a modern country make-over.

Step #1 – Color

Choose one wall for the accent color. Start with one of these earth-toned shades by Benjamin Moore and pair it with this lush accent color. Classic country shades such a lemon and sunshine yellows, spring greens and soft blues that imitate the color of spring skies are pumped up and given a contemporary boost.

Step #2 – The Dining Set

 Modern country style dining furniture possesses flowing but sleek lines; decorative detail that’s been contained and refined; and organic elements used in surprising ways. For every rustic element, counter-balance it with contemporary or modern design principles – an unfinished pine tabletop with brushed steel door handles; leather or microfiber side chairs with wood table that has a classic two-toned finish, one dark, the other whitewashed. To create this particular look, take the Hillsdale Embassy Cherry Top Pedestal Table and pair it with the more contemporary styled Homelegance Europa Dark Brown Parson Chair.

 Step #3 – The Focal Point

Place the Lifestyle California Crestline Buffet and Hutch against the accent wall to create a focal point. This transitional flavored hutch brings a breath of contemporary into the mix to give this dining room its modern country look.

Step #4 – Mix and Match Assessories

Modern country is all about mixing classic country furniture pieces, nubby fabrics like wool and other organic elements like woven cane backrests with modern and contemporary accents. Vintage lamps with neutral colored silk shades; ultrasuede upholstered side chairs placed on top of an area rug woven of natural materials like jute or a chandelier that at first glance appears as if its traditional country but it’s made of a contemporary material like polished nickel are just a few of the different ways you can get a modern country look that will perfectly express your personality and lifestyle.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Interior Design Styles | 3 Comments »

The Buffet as Modern Art

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Buffets and sideboards make serving meals and entertaining easier and more enjoyable. While they both essentially serve the same purpose – storing meal-related items such as china, utensils and table linens – there are some subtle differences between the two. Typically, a sideboard resembles a table and includes a center drawer especially designed for either linens or silverware and an open or enclosed area for storing or displaying larger items. Buffets first emerged in the Middle Ages, but today they largely resemble a long, waist-high cabinet with one or a number of doors and/or drawers.

A focal point is generally the place or a specific item that the eye is naturally drawn to when first entering a room. It gives a particular room definition, creating visual interest by adding texture and “weight” to the space. But consider this: when planning a dining room, augmenting your existing dining furniture or improving the area by making it more functional, take a buffet of sideboard that is more similar to a piece of modern art than it is to dining furniture and make it the focal point of the room.

For that Contemporary Look

If your dining room has a contemporary décor, look for a buffet or sideboard that will match or complement the furniture currently in the dining room. If there are other furniture pieces with hardware, you might want to choose a buffet that has a similar kind of drawer pull or door handle. The veneer insets of the doors of the Coaster Buffet Server definitely qualify as artwork. It is also a great example of how the buffet’s design adds texture to the room.

 For that Transitional Look

Transitional is a happy combination of traditional and contemporary styles. Choose a buffet or sideboard that has restrained decoration – not too much and not too little. The hand-painted door and drawers fronts make of the transitional Ultimate Accents 58″ Sideboard an enchanting work of art. 

For that Modern Look

The Modloft Greenwich Sideboard is ultra-modern. Its lines are clean and angular; there are no decorative elements and stainless legs and hardware paired with grained woods are all hallmarks of modern style. The use of veneers and the “floating” appearance of the body of this sideboard gives it its modern art appeal.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas | No Comments »

From the Design Files of Heather B – Lighting Fixture Dilemma

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Design Question

What type of lighting fixture would you place over a Tommy Bahama glass dining table (48″) with black cushions, in a room that has alternating panels of wood and mirrors? Also, the room, although narrow, has no tables – any suggestions?

Design Answer

This is a very cool looking space! Your instinct about the lighting fixture is a good one – it doesn’t really suit the style or mood of the room. Because the dining area and your living room are virtually one space I would suggest that you select a chandelier or pendant lighting fixture that matches the color of the ceiling fan, if you pick something that is predominately made of metal. (I can’t really tell from the picture if it’s brass, gold or brown.) Due to the number of reflective surfaces in the room, I’d try to avoid anything with mirrors or a really shiny metal finish.

Something like the Landmark Lighting Cirque 3-Light Pendant would fit in with the current décor design. The shade, comprised of different circles of colored shells, brings another layer of texture into the room. It is casual yet has an air of sophistication.

Since the dining set is made of natural material like rattan, choose a lighting fixture that will complement the “coastal” or organic appearance of your dining table and dining chairs. Even though it’s specifically designed for the outdoors, the Shady Lady Outdoor Atmosphere Pendant would be ideal for your dining area.

As for your second question, I definitely would not add a coffee table; it would interrupt the flow and lines of the space, which I think are perfect – it’s inviting and comfortable looking. I would suggest nesting tables. They come in a set of at least two, typically three different sized tables designed to fit one underneath the other. The great thing about them is that they can be stored in one place, like at either the right or left side of the sofa, and moved around the room as needed. Again, selecting nesting tables like the Hillsdale Pompei Nesting Occational Tables continues to add organic materials to the living and dining areas.

Hope these suggestions have been helpful.

Keep sending me your design questions, and especially if you’re asking for advice regarding wall color, tips on rearranging a specific room etc., include pictures if you can.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, Home Decor and Design Ideas, Home Decor Design Ideas, Living Room Furniture & Design | No Comments »

Mosaic Table Tops: How to Make Your Own

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I’m the first to admit that when it comes to DIY projects, I’m not the handiest person on the planet. But when I told a girlfriend of mine about this collectible dinner set that my family had hung on to for some reason, and was now worthless because almost every single piece had been broken and glued back together, she suggested we break the plates again and make a mosaic table. As long as I had DIY guide, I was willing to attempt something crafty. Besides, it sounded fun and it actually did turn rather well (if we may so say ourselves).

Start with an old table in need of a transformation. We chose a round one but any shape or size will do. Collect a variety of broken or found objects such as tiles, plates, colored glass, mirrors, beads, seashells, stones, etc. To create as smooth and flat a tabletop as possible, the more level the pieces, the better.

Tools and Materials You Will Need

- Tile Adhesive

- Tiling tool

- Grout

- 1” paint brush

- Super strong glue (WeldBond works well)

- Enough square tiles to surround the outside of the table. (Tile size is determined by this calculation: tabletop +  thickest mosaic piece + 1/16” polymer = total thickness)*

- Thin cardboard, cut the same height as the tiles for the perimeter of the table, enough to go around the outside  (Cardboard from cereal boxes works well)

- A level

- A polymer compound such as EnviroTex Lite (Amount will vary depending on how big your table top is and how thick you want the top coat)

- Spray paint or stain for the base (optional)

- Tile cutter (optional)

Prep Work

- Wash the table

- Paint the table in a well ventilated area

- Level the table (If the table is wobbly, you can buy levelers at a hardware store)

- When breaking plates, glass, tiles, etc. make sure you protect your hands and eyes with gloves and goggles

- Make a sketch of your pattern or practice on the floor first

Creating the Mosaic Tabletop

- Cover the table top with tile adhesive

- Arrange broken/cut tiles in desired pattern

- Let dry

- Measure the tabletop width and the biggest piece on your mosaic, decide how thick you want your top coat and add these 3 numbers together. (i.e. tabletop 1” thick + 1/4” mosaic piece + 1/16” polymer = total thickness of 1 5/16”)*

- Cut cardboard into total thickness measurement

- Fill in the gaps between mosaic pieces with grout

- Leave to dry as per grout instructions

- Clean the tabletop with a damp cloth or sponge

- Glue cardboard to the perimeter with super strong glue, creating a level mould to pour Polymer compound in, be sure there are no gaps or holes for polymer to leak out of*

- Mix polymer as per manufacturer directions and pour into card board ring or paint onto surface (Save about 1 cup for the last step)

- Check for any leaks.

- Remove bubbles and let dry as per instructions

- Remove cardboard

*NOTE: This step can be skipped if level tiles are used OR if the table top is not meant to be level. In these cases only a thin layer of Polymer is painted onto the table top surface.

Finishing Touches

Paint the sides with tile adhesive. Then glue the tiles to the sides of the table. Let it dry thoroughly. Fill in with grout. Then let this dry. Paint polymer compound all around the new tiles to seal the tiles on the side (or sides) of the table.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Dining Room Furniture & Design, How To & DIY Furniture, Living Room Furniture & Design | 2 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »