skip to main content

Design Dilemma Home Decorating

converted sunken LR/DR into DR

5 years ago

Water leak damaged the floor in this 30 yr old house w/sunken LR/DR. Now a DR with 108" walnut table;taupe heather weave chairs. White shutters & baseboard, cream with hint of peach walls. Yes, there still is a fireplace. I have seen a lot of blue these days and wondered about a rug with blue, and find a fabric for captain chairs. Think the big wall needs big artwork. Shorter wall buffet NOT in dark wood. Any other color suggests? Idea?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
IMO a large art work on that bare wall is all you need and as for a buffet could you post pics of the rest of the living space that will help with ideas. I love what you have so far other than I do not like fake flowers anywhere , blue is aninteresting color to work with and I would need to see the rest of the space sbefore hazarding a guess. I also think captains chairs are a dated look especially inyour space which is leaning toward contemporary.Why not try a blue vase in the alcove above the frieplace for a start .The art could also have some blue and then see what you would want for more blue.
welkster
Original Author
5 years ago
There are no fake flowers, they are white shells in the shell vase on the fireplace. You are seeing the whole room. Shorter wall is what I'm thinking for sideboard or buffet 60-72" is all it could take. So you think upholstered arm chairs at the head of the table are dated? What would you suggest? I am thinking 8-9' to 12-13' area rug under the table and let the rug dictate the color for the end chairs and artwork. Your thoughts?
Related Discussions
Would you buy a Farmhouse 9' table and switch DR & LR
Q
Comments (12)
I'm not much help, but we are purchasing a home in a few days where the PO swapped her formal dining and living rooms. She is in her 70s and up until now generally hosted the large family get togethers in her home. We are planning to convert the formal living room to a study, and will keep the "dining room" (as set up by PO, but originally a formal living room) as our dining room. My husband and I are looking for a 90+ inch long farmhouse table as a matter of fact. We have 3 children, so with 5 of us, we need something that can seat a minimum of 8 people. My parents dine w/ us pretty regularly and we see my ILs a good bit. For us, it just seems like the best use of the space. In my ideal world I'd have some built ins put in place (not in the budget currently) so that the space could also serve as a library.
...See More
Opinion, please. Smaller DR for larger Kitchen?
Q
Comments (7)
I would also consider what homes have in your area. In my town the there are areas with homes that are 50 years old and areas that have 150 years old. My area is 90-100 years old. They are more 'formal' type homes where a dining room is expected. The really old homes are too small to have one and the newer ones seem to have combo kitchen/dr or living room/dr (think split level). The people who move here do so for the old/small town feel and move into the neighborhoods that have that certain type of home. We didn't even have an eating area in our kitchen (many don't) so the dining room gets used daily. It's an extravagance to now have a window seat and table! If you think you may move, decide if not having a functional dining room takes you out of your real estate realm! If not, do what works for you!
...See More
Need DR chandelier for off center outlet
Q
Comments (15)
HELLO!!!! Hoosiergirl!!! Now that I know there's a way to center or, that it will still look ok to swag it, I like your idea to start another thread solely for rusty chandeliers. And I hope you too are enjoying your new home and getting settled. Your home is still one of my all time inspiration favorites. It's amazingly beautiful. cyn10 Thank You! We're in a canyon with mountains both front and back. For a SoCal girl it's pretty cool to have "fall colors" and that occasional weird white really cold stuff. :) Our table is hammered copper. Right now it's on an iron base but after Christmas I'm doing a wood pedestal. Our kitchen, LR and DR are all one big room and you see that table when you first walk into the home so the iron base is a bit patio for me. annz I really would prefer two pendants. Now that I have a little more understanding I can at least ask the electrician (who is good even if he can't find center) what he thinks. And I think I now know why DH is fighting the pendants so much, he doesn't think there will be enough light given from them. lionors No, there is absolutely no room for anything in that space other than the table and chairs. We had a huge dining room in our other home and NEVER used it in 20 years. I wanted instead a "dining-nook" but didn't realize it was going to be this small. Counter to window is only 9' and with people seated it spans 8' AND I still need swing room for the exterior French door. johnmari and Okmoreh Thanks! that might be a big help! And Okmoreh, I LIKE that lamp. Might just work for us. :)
...See More
Wood tile in sunken DR. Cream walls throughout house.
Q
Comments (7)
Fori,,I meant if they're not wood they're always white. Ok,,,maybe .05% of the time someone paints their baseboards a weird color like gray or black or blue. But they're white. Unless they're wood,,,which I stated. OP seemed to think white baseboards were something from Mars and was befuddled about painting them white, even though there are no white walls. Perhaps looking through living room pictures would help. those dated, 1.5" wood baseboards he has need to go. they aren't even in decent shape. He asked about staining them. do you know how much work it would be to strip and stain those thin moldings? I'm trying to save him a ton of work. Welkster, Rip out those baseboards and replace them w/white ones. You don't need to pick any certain white. Just a simple, neutral white. no one wants dingy white baseboards. If you want to keep the ones you have then paint those white.
...See More
saratogaswizzlestick
5 years ago
Perhaps captain chairs are not the in thing right now but do you really care about that? They will be comfortable and look great in your dining room. All matching is also dated and the ship has sailed on having all different chairs. I like your idea of pulling colors from the new rug. I think you have an excellent start but I also am not loving the shells in the shell vase as it looks granny in your contemporary space. You certainly have the room for a sideboard which would be a nice functional addition. Do you have anything in mind?
welkster
Original Author
5 years ago
The shells/vase are leftover from Z Gallerie so I didn't think they were out of date. Yikes! I have no idea about sideboard except NOT dark wood. Thoughts?

Related Stories

COLOR 11 Reasons to Paint Your Ceiling Black

Mask flaws, trick the eye, create drama ... a black ceiling solves a host of design dilemmas while looking smashing

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Collective Panache for an 1890s Home

By Esther Hershcovich

Meaningful collages mix with globally gathered mementos in a mom and son’s engaging Montreal house

MOST POPULAR Is Open-Plan Living a Fad, or Here to Stay?

By Victoria Harrison

Architects, designers and Houzzers around the world have their say on this trend and predict how our homes might evolve

KITCHEN DESIGN Open vs. Closed Kitchens — Which Style Works Best for You?

By Vanessa Brunner

Get the kitchen layout that's right for you with this advice from 3 experts

REMODELING GUIDES Get What You Need From the House You Have

By SPACE Architects + Planners

6 ways to rethink your house and get that extra living space you need now

DECORATING GUIDES The Case for the Anti-Accent Wall

By Annie Thornton

Go ahead, paint everything the same color (even the trim)

DECORATING GUIDES 13 Strategies for Making a Large Room Feel Comfortable

By Laura Gaskill

Bigger spaces come with their own layout and decorating challenges. These ideas can help

ENTRYWAYS No Entryway? Create the Illusion of One

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Create the feeling of an entry hall even when your door opens straight into the living room. Here are 12 tricks to try

LIFE Houzz Call: What’s Your Perfect House Size?

By Erin Carlyle

How big is too big? How small is too small? Please tell us which home size is just right for you

MOST POPULAR 5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and 5 That Don’t

By Matt Clawson

Find out which projects offer the best return on your investment dollars

Sponsored

The Creative Kitchen Company

47 Reviews

Franklin County's Kitchen Remodeling and Refacing Professional

More Discussions

Need ideas for this long skinny 12 x 10 tv room. They want a sectional

12

Most realistic wood look tile

9

Need help with dining chairs

3

how to make this wall a focal point?

4

Do you know where I could find this type of chair?

3