design kits
stacey’s dining room (warm & transitional) (USA clients)
Welcome to your design kit! I loved working on your home and I think I’ve come up with the perfect solution for your space, based on the photos and comments you’ve given me as we’ve gone through. This custom Design Kit has all the information you should need to finish off your space, including a floor plan, colour palette, moodboard, furniture choices and more! And remember, you don’t need to feel limited by the ideas here. If you love them, go ahead and use them all! Or, simply use these as suggestions to help guide and inform your own decisions. Now, let’s take a closer look at your existing space and your style!
You have asked me to re-design your dining room into a stylish and practical space for you and your husband to use as a formal dining space, a games room and a library. We are keeping your existing dining table and bookshelves, along with the deep sage green wall colour.
What we want to work on 1
Colour Scheme. You already have a neutral colour scheme established with sage green as your accent. I want to bring in a touch of a secondary accent colour to create some contrast and interest in the space.
2
Layout. While you have a nice sized space you have tricky issues to deal with, including the small ‘nook’ of the side of the room. I’ve suggested a layout that will hopefully make the room feel more finished, and solve these awkward space issues.
3
Accessories & Design. At the moment we’re working with an almost blank slate. I’ve suggested some new artwork to fill your walls, and some pretty accessories to dress up the dining table and bookcases.
The colour scheme The colour scheme I’m working uses with lots of neutrals, along with the rich sage green you have on the walls. However to keep the space from feeling too one-dimensional I want to add a touch of warm rust orange; a beautiful fall inspired palette which will feel contemporary yet cosy. The key to working with a primarily neutral and muted palette is to layer many different neutral shades as well as your accent tones, such as white, cream, beige and brown.
Your Style I would describe your style as transitional; a mix of classic and contemporary. You gravitate toward cosy spaces with lots of layered textiles for warmth. The spaces you love are primarily neutral with just a few muted colours to break it up. These beautiful spaces are incorporate a variety of organic textures including leather, wicker and timber.
You already have the main furniture in your room including the dining table, and would like to keep your large bookcases for storage.
Although you have some dining chairs already I feel they aren’t working well in the space. The floor-length slipcover makes the room feel closed in and smaller than it is. A more elegantly shaped, leggy chair like this one would give the room a more sophisticated, open feel. I love this particular chair for its clean lines and the patterned green floral fabric on the back. A great way to add a subtle pattern to the space!
I think a console or credenza is a great option for your space to fill that blank wall. I chose this piece as it has some closed storage to hide those board games, but is quite narrow, allowing it to fit easily into the space without obstructing the dining area too much. To stop the room feel too ‘matchy’ I have suggested this lighter timber to add another timber tone to the area.
I would suggest building a simple floating desk, and shelves into the small closet off the dining room. This is the perfect space to pay bills or check your emails and makes this little space feel more cohesive to the dining room. I would add this lovely little French style chair in persimmon to bring in your accent colour.
While I love your idea of a large abstract, I wanted to use a big mirror in the room to reflect some more light around. With no overhead lighting, a large mirror and two lamps should reflect a lot more light into the space, without feeling too bright. This beautiful mirror has a burnished gold tone which will contrast perfectly with the cool green wall colour.
These lamps are simply stunning and will look gorgeous in your room. The clean glass stand keeps the feel modern, while the touches of gold connect them with your mirror. The shades are bright, clean white will freshen up the look and coordinate with the curtains.
I know you like the existing curtains to coordinate with the living room but I would like to see a lighter curtain in this space to freshen up the room, and the darker wall colour. I would use a soft white linen curtain like these, but to give them an expensive custom look, add a panel of the existing curtain fabric to the bottom. This will tie the two rooms together without them feeling too similar. To finish off the look I would add a persimmon trim to match your desk chair. Finally, it’s really important to hang your curtains correctly. Keep them well above the window frame to make your ceilings feel much, MUCH taller. See the tutorials section for instructions and ideas!
For the small space between the desk nook and the windows I wanted some pretty art. These vintage bird illustrations are perfect, featuring all the colours used in the space. To frame these well choose a pre-made frame with a matt that fits around the photos. I would suggest Ikea or Target frames are a potential option. However, if possible, look for a frame in a light timber tone to match the buffet. This will tie the lighter timber colour into both sides of the room to make a cohesive space.
Your idea of hanging a photo gallery wall in the stairwell hallway is a great idea. This is the perfect space to show some family snaps and holiday photos. For your space I would choose a simple white frame (to tie in with the curtains and lampshades and stop this corner feeling too dark) and pick your favourite photos to have printed in a sepia tone. A symmetrical arrangement will keep this spot feeling clean, but feel free to go floor to ceiling to make a statement!
Bookcases Your bookcases can be stylish and practical with just a little bit of tweaking. The key is to mix your books with some lovely accessories and baskets. Your books don’t have to be ‘pretty’ - just leave some space around them to stop it feeling too cluttered.
Add some pretty wicker baskets to the lower shelves. Not only does this look lovely, but it is perfect for storing all those practical items that aren’t necessarily display-worthy. Think board games pieces, magazines and extra serving ware for the dining room. To stay organised, try designating a use for each basket - you could even add pretty labels to remind you.
The best accents for the perfect bookcase are always some colourful accessories in your feature colours (orange and green), some lovely bookends and a few small pieces of art. Choose vases and bowls for display which are bold and sculptural, anything too small or dark in colour will get lost against the dark background. Here are a few more tips for you.
1) Stick to a relatively consistent colour scheme, to keep it from looking too busy. With your room, use neutrals like white, cream, grey and black and add just a couple of touches of green and orangeto bring in your accent colours. 2) Keep it simple. Leaving some space between the objects and books gives the arrangement room to ‘breathe’ and keeps the look modern. 3) Use the best mix. Try and aim for about 50% books and 50% accessories. With your accessories you should also use a mix of heights and sizes. The key is to get a variety of shapes and heights on the shelf.
design kits
now the practical things (shopping & layout) (USA clients)
The Layout
Adding a narrow console or table to the dining room will give you additional closed storage without protruding too far into the dining area. I’ve also suggested leaving the bookcases where they are, and utilising the unused nook to create a built-in desk and laptop spot.
Photo Gallery Wall
Gold mirror
Create a built-in desk under the window
Bird prints
Shopping list Cutback Dining Chair Green Leaf $194 for set of two (not incl. freight) Target
Dresden Sofa Table $254.99 (not incl. postage) Overstock
Sonata Paprika Dining Chair $349 Crate and Barrel
Aina Curtains in White $49.99 Ikea
Ogden Dark Mirror $199.99 Target
Shopping list Glass & Gold Lamp $79.95 each Lamps Plus
Branas Basket $12.99 each Ikea
Lina Vases (for bookcase) Approx $49.99 for three Crate and Barrell
Footed Bowl (for table) $65 Pottery Barn
Bird Prints $11.95 each Etsy Seller Jiny
Ribba Frame (gallery wall) $9.99 Ikea
Creating a gallery wall http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-create-a-gallery-wall-164792 http://jenniferklementti.net/2012/06/how-to-hang-a-symmetrical-gallery-wallwith-your-portraits-barrie-portrait-photographer/
Hanging curtains & blinds How to hang curtains http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/hows-it-hangin/ General curtain and blind concepts http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/06/email-answer-its-curtains-for-you/
Arranging flowers in a low vase http://www.marthastewart.com/274335/marthas-flower-arrangingsecrets/@center/867185/flower-arranging#231667
Creating a desk in a closet http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-a-Closet-Into-a-Desk/