When a client approached me with the goal of designing a dining room for entertaining large gatherings in a formal setting, I really enjoyed both the challenge and the opportunity to build a room around many truly beautiful design pieces.
The dining room originally had a generic wood mantel with very little appeal or individuality. I also had to consider how many people would use the space and how to configure the design to appeal to both large and small groups of guests. The bay windows provided another challenge, being difficult to treat while keeping the design and scale appropriate.
To begin, we decided on a fabulous color palette using Farrow and Ball paint in Pipe Down against a chinoiserie patterned butter yellow paper and predominantly grey curtains. In addition, every aspect of this room was custom designed, from the walls to the carpet, for a highly individualized room.
In place of the boring wood mantel, I installed a custom, hand-carved stone mantel which provides a nice focal point for the room. The gorgeous hand-painted chinoiserie wall paper from de Gourney gives the room a lovely backdrop without the need for paintings or decorative items. The unexpected dark color of the woodwork is the perfect contrast to the custom panels, and the window treatments accent the large bay windows without becoming overpowering or detracting from the view.
One of the most stunning pieces in the room is the dining room table. As the centerpiece of the room where guests will gather, the table needed to be something special. Every aspect of the Ebanista table was customized to allow the clients to entertain large or intimate groups of guests in beauty and style. Every small detail of the table, including the inlay, had to be carefully considered and strategically placed.
The overall impression of this dining room is one of luxury and comfort, a room as individual and unique as any client could ask. Using such a range of exquisite products and companies allowed me to give my clients a dining room perfectly suited to their tastes and needs.