Staycation at Home: Classy Coastal Dining Room
All images courtesy of Dandelion Dreams Photography
Who says 'staycation' means leaving the house?
We could all use a little getaway every now and then, so why not transform one of the underutilized rooms in your home to create a mini-escape? Pour yourself that glass of Rosé, grab a good read, bask in the natural light and temporarily ignore kids, dogs, husbands, and responsibilities. We took this dining room to new heights with a Hamptons meets SoCal inspired classy coastal aesthetic. Read on!
The Project:
Summer 2017, Under $10k budget.
The Approach:
My client was looking for a coastal, warm, and inviting space. Given that this room is often underused, we took the opportunity to create a comfortable, informal dining space that she could use as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house. The washed wood table with the less traditional base took gave a unique look, while the artwork, paint, rug, and chairs really brought the space together.
The Transformation
DINING ROOM SPACE BEFORE
DINING ROOM SPACE AFTER
As you can see from the before image, we had some pretty significant architecture to work with. This room has an oversized, deeply-recessed archway showcasing beautiful windows. To highlight that area without blocking any views, we designed up a sitting bench built in. This does two things: 1) it creates added functionality to the window space and 2) it gives us the chance to pull some color with the bench cushions. We filled in just ½ of the depth of the window space, which makes it feel even more open.
The Design Choices:
Designer Tip:
CROWN MOLDING
Crown adds the instant elegance to any space. My favorite is 8" Georgian Crown 8”.
The Furnishings:
DINING TABLE:
Carnegie 60" Round Table from Orient Express
This table is absolutely beautiful, and its unusual trestle base surely makes it unique. We love Orient Express furniture for their hearty construction and reclaimed wood finishes. This soft gray color gives us contrast against the warmer tones of the wood flooring while staying within the overall neutral color scheme. We opted for a round table in this space instead of a tranditional rectangular one to maintain the open floor plan and open while also accenting the curvature of the window architecture.
DINING CHAIRS:
New Paris Fabric Chair from New Pacific Direct
We love these dining chairs for a few reasons. The linen fabric gives a perfectly coastal texture and the oatmeal color compliments the Campfire Ash paint color. The legs on these chairs match wonderfully with the wood floors. The seats are comfortable to sit in and their shape is reminiscent of side chairs from the 1940's lending a timeless elegance.
RUG:
8x8' Gray Monochromatic Rug by Safaveih
We framed the round 60" table with this 8x8' square rug from Safaveih. Its tone-on-tone with subtle silvery metallics gives a little texture. We loved how it looked a little like wet sand at low tide, again bringing in the coastal influence without being kitschy. These cool tones also contrast the warmer wood colors.
ARTWORK:
Oversized Coastal Print from Leftbank Art
Leftbank Art is one of our favorite vendors to work with. They have an unbelievably large gallery of unique artworks to choose from that you can customize to any size and material. We wanted one oversized piece that felt meaningful instead of a cluttered gallery wall of smaller pieces. This couple enjoys golfing at Torrey Pines, so we felt that the colors and the simplicity of the print totally transported us there. Coastal prints like this make it feel almost like you're looking out a window instead of at a piece of artwork which gives an added peaceful calming feel to the dining room space. The abstract, stylized beach composition becomes the star without compromising its upscale feel.
The After
