5 Dramatic Dining Room Makeovers
Bold palettes, creative lighting fixtures and personal touches update these spaces
Janet Paik
September 22, 2019
Houzz Associate Editor. Passionate about creative homes and the people behind them. Loves thoughtful design, improving her family's 1950s fixer-upper and VW buses. Former designer at the San Jose Mercury News.
Houzz Associate Editor. Passionate about creative homes and the people behind them.... More
A welcoming and stylish dining room can make mealtimes even more enjoyable, whether you’re dining solo or entertaining guests. See how these five homeowners featured in our My Houzz series worked with designers to transform their dining rooms into fresh and inviting spaces.
1. Refreshing Mix of Bold Greens and Floral Patterns Updates an 1897 Chicago Home
Before: Kimberly and James Elbaor live in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago and made dramatic changes to update their home’s mostly gray interior. The home had historic features the homeowners wanted to keep, but they also wanted to inject some personal touches.
The original dining room featured a handsome original fireplace and beautiful dentil molding. The Elbaors loved the old features but were not big fans of all the gray paint on the walls. “When we initially viewed the home, my least favorite feature was that the majority of the rooms were painted gray,” Kimberly says. “Thankfully, the architectural features of the home were preserved beautifully.”
The couple hired Julie Diorio of JC Licht to assist with the paint color selection and Tapia’s Works to paint the walls.
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Before: Kimberly and James Elbaor live in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago and made dramatic changes to update their home’s mostly gray interior. The home had historic features the homeowners wanted to keep, but they also wanted to inject some personal touches.
The original dining room featured a handsome original fireplace and beautiful dentil molding. The Elbaors loved the old features but were not big fans of all the gray paint on the walls. “When we initially viewed the home, my least favorite feature was that the majority of the rooms were painted gray,” Kimberly says. “Thankfully, the architectural features of the home were preserved beautifully.”
The couple hired Julie Diorio of JC Licht to assist with the paint color selection and Tapia’s Works to paint the walls.
Find an interior designer near you
After: A custom high-gloss green paint from Farrow & Ball covers the walls. The earthy hue complements a vintage Asmara floral rug and contrasts the white paint on the molding, ceiling and built-ins.
Kimberly’s father made the dining table, and she made the dining chairs as a weekend project by adding woven leather strips to wooden frames. The 1980s chandelier is from Paris. Kimberly found the oil painting seen here, by artist Stephanie Hier, at a show hosted by Chicago Manual Style, which holds exhibitions by emerging artists at a garage in Chicago.
“We live in every room of our house and have incorporated modern design elements while still honoring the traditional features of the home,” Kimberly says. “I enjoy seeing our contemporary artwork in such a traditional setting.” Vintage crystal Tiffany & Co. candlestick holders sit atop the dining table.
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Kimberly’s father made the dining table, and she made the dining chairs as a weekend project by adding woven leather strips to wooden frames. The 1980s chandelier is from Paris. Kimberly found the oil painting seen here, by artist Stephanie Hier, at a show hosted by Chicago Manual Style, which holds exhibitions by emerging artists at a garage in Chicago.
“We live in every room of our house and have incorporated modern design elements while still honoring the traditional features of the home,” Kimberly says. “I enjoy seeing our contemporary artwork in such a traditional setting.” Vintage crystal Tiffany & Co. candlestick holders sit atop the dining table.
Read more about this home
2. Pop Art and Joyful Colors in an Eclectic Chicago Home
Before: Homeowner Ruth Blatt teamed up with Mika Wegner Avni of Interiors by Mika to refresh the interior of her family’s 2008 three-story house in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. “What started as a design job turned into friendship for life,” Avni says.
The project involved new paint, an eclectic art collection and custom furniture pieces for the main living areas, including the dining room. The walls were previously a dark red, which the homeowner wanted to change.
Before: Homeowner Ruth Blatt teamed up with Mika Wegner Avni of Interiors by Mika to refresh the interior of her family’s 2008 three-story house in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. “What started as a design job turned into friendship for life,” Avni says.
The project involved new paint, an eclectic art collection and custom furniture pieces for the main living areas, including the dining room. The walls were previously a dark red, which the homeowner wanted to change.
After: White painted walls and a new-to-this-space lighting fixture transformed the dining room. The modern mobile chandelier is from the owners’ previous home.
A large round painting of a rhinoceros is a focal point in the dining room; in Avni’s words, it “breaks the squareness of the room and adds some humor to the space.” Blatt says, “We wanted a room that was more earthy to echo the trees, flowers and bushes in the courtyard that it looks upon and that connected the muted colors of the library to the bright and playful family room.”
A custom square table was made to fit the room and includes leaves to accommodate large parties. The chairs were imported from Italy.
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Key Measurements for Planning the Perfect Dining Room
A large round painting of a rhinoceros is a focal point in the dining room; in Avni’s words, it “breaks the squareness of the room and adds some humor to the space.” Blatt says, “We wanted a room that was more earthy to echo the trees, flowers and bushes in the courtyard that it looks upon and that connected the muted colors of the library to the bright and playful family room.”
A custom square table was made to fit the room and includes leaves to accommodate large parties. The chairs were imported from Italy.
Read more about this home
Key Measurements for Planning the Perfect Dining Room
3. New Textiles and Wall Treatments Update a San Francisco Dining Room
Before: Eleanor Mason Reinholdt and Richard Reinholdt live in a traditional 1916 Edwardian in San Francisco’s Forest Hill Extension neighborhood. The couple hired interior designer Rachel Madden to help update their dining and living room spaces.
“The biggest problem I was trying to solve was to elevate the dining space by making it more contemporary using the existing dark and traditional furniture from Ethan Allen,” Madden says. To make the space feel brighter and more modern, “it needed more juxtaposition — something to make the 100-year-old house feel fresher and younger,” she adds.
Before: Eleanor Mason Reinholdt and Richard Reinholdt live in a traditional 1916 Edwardian in San Francisco’s Forest Hill Extension neighborhood. The couple hired interior designer Rachel Madden to help update their dining and living room spaces.
“The biggest problem I was trying to solve was to elevate the dining space by making it more contemporary using the existing dark and traditional furniture from Ethan Allen,” Madden says. To make the space feel brighter and more modern, “it needed more juxtaposition — something to make the 100-year-old house feel fresher and younger,” she adds.
After: Madden started with the walls to make a dramatic change. A playfully patterned metallic gold wallpaper by DwellStudio transformed the space.
“It made the furniture feel less traditional and serious,” Madden says. “The subtle pattern added texture and interest. The Reinholdts worked with Paintzen to install the new wallpaper.
The new abstract wall art provided the initial color inspiration for the redesign. “I liked the color palette and how it ties together with the living room yet isn’t busy,” Madden says.
“Overall I wanted things a little more casual and organic — I’m a T-shirt kind of gal,” Eleanor says. “The dining room now has a beautiful elegance, but I still feel comfortable in it.”
This was the first time the couple had worked with an interior designer. “I respect how much work it takes to do interior design. I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice, and this process really reaffirms what it is like to work with an expert,” Eleanor says. “Things moved far quicker because I had Rachel as a partner. I wouldn’t be remotely done if I tried to finish the rooms on my own.”
As soon as the dining room project was complete, “we celebrated with friends by ordering takeout from one of our favorite local Indian restaurants, Roti Bistro,” Eleanor says.
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Browse area rugs
“It made the furniture feel less traditional and serious,” Madden says. “The subtle pattern added texture and interest. The Reinholdts worked with Paintzen to install the new wallpaper.
The new abstract wall art provided the initial color inspiration for the redesign. “I liked the color palette and how it ties together with the living room yet isn’t busy,” Madden says.
“Overall I wanted things a little more casual and organic — I’m a T-shirt kind of gal,” Eleanor says. “The dining room now has a beautiful elegance, but I still feel comfortable in it.”
This was the first time the couple had worked with an interior designer. “I respect how much work it takes to do interior design. I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice, and this process really reaffirms what it is like to work with an expert,” Eleanor says. “Things moved far quicker because I had Rachel as a partner. I wouldn’t be remotely done if I tried to finish the rooms on my own.”
As soon as the dining room project was complete, “we celebrated with friends by ordering takeout from one of our favorite local Indian restaurants, Roti Bistro,” Eleanor says.
Read more about this home
Browse area rugs
4. Personalized Updates in an 1880s Cincinnati Home
Before: When first-time homeowners Victoria Lavelanet and Jeff Martin bought their 1880s home in Cincinnati, the dining room walls were bright red. In Lavelanet’s words, the house had “overlooked character that could be saved.” She adds, “What we loved was the location, … [the] original wood double-hung windows … and all the space we had to work with.”
The couple bought the home in 2014 and worked with general contractor Shawn Zemojtel of Problem Solved to remove wood paneling and restore the home’s original trim. They also had new insulation and drywall added to the walls. The couple worked closely with Zemojtel to renovate the dining space and other rooms. “He has such a passion for old homes and a talent for carpentry,” Lavelanet says.
The flooring, mantel and trim are original.
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Before: When first-time homeowners Victoria Lavelanet and Jeff Martin bought their 1880s home in Cincinnati, the dining room walls were bright red. In Lavelanet’s words, the house had “overlooked character that could be saved.” She adds, “What we loved was the location, … [the] original wood double-hung windows … and all the space we had to work with.”
The couple bought the home in 2014 and worked with general contractor Shawn Zemojtel of Problem Solved to remove wood paneling and restore the home’s original trim. They also had new insulation and drywall added to the walls. The couple worked closely with Zemojtel to renovate the dining space and other rooms. “He has such a passion for old homes and a talent for carpentry,” Lavelanet says.
The flooring, mantel and trim are original.
Find a local general contractor
After: Painting the walls and trim and refacing the fireplace were the big projects in the dining room. Removing the bright primary color transformed the look and feel of this space. The large antique mirror on the mantel is from a local estate auction house. The couple kept the original wood window trim and added contemporary furnishings.
Pink velvet GamFratesi Beetle chairs for Gubi surround a vintage table.
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Pink velvet GamFratesi Beetle chairs for Gubi surround a vintage table.
Read more about this home
5. Thoughtful Refresh for a Historic Home in Illinois
Before: The interior of Laura Kitsos and Michael Mariottini’s Oak Park, Illinois, home was in rough shape when they bought the place. Mariottini is a contractor, and the couple knew they could faithfully restore it. There were two things Kitsos definitely wanted to change: “Carpet was everywhere, and curtains were everywhere.”
They knew that the handsome wood molding would be worth saving. “The molding is all original, which is beautiful,” Kitsos says. But some of it had to be restored. “We had it stripped and painted with brushstrokes so it looks older and not caked with paint,” she says.
Before: The interior of Laura Kitsos and Michael Mariottini’s Oak Park, Illinois, home was in rough shape when they bought the place. Mariottini is a contractor, and the couple knew they could faithfully restore it. There were two things Kitsos definitely wanted to change: “Carpet was everywhere, and curtains were everywhere.”
They knew that the handsome wood molding would be worth saving. “The molding is all original, which is beautiful,” Kitsos says. But some of it had to be restored. “We had it stripped and painted with brushstrokes so it looks older and not caked with paint,” she says.
After: During the renovation, the couple discovered a hidden architectural feature: Paneled pocket doors were stuck in the wall between the dining room and living room. “They’re really beautiful. We pried them out, and they had a million coats of paint,” Kitsos says. The couple had the paint stripped off and liked the natural finish so much that they kept it, adding a sealant.
Removing the heavy window treatments and installing a new lighting fixture gave this space a fresh look.
The new flooring is oak stained black. When the homeowners moved in, Kitsos says, they could see through the floors into the basement. The existing surface was white pine subflooring; the couple installed new oak atop the old pine.
An antique Asian chest from a local consignment shop displays a crystal geode and two antique lions.
Read more about this home
More on Houzz
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Key Measurements for Planning the Perfect Dining Room
Shop dining room furniture
Find an interior designer near you
Removing the heavy window treatments and installing a new lighting fixture gave this space a fresh look.
The new flooring is oak stained black. When the homeowners moved in, Kitsos says, they could see through the floors into the basement. The existing surface was white pine subflooring; the couple installed new oak atop the old pine.
An antique Asian chest from a local consignment shop displays a crystal geode and two antique lions.
Read more about this home
More on Houzz
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Key Measurements for Planning the Perfect Dining Room
Shop dining room furniture
Find an interior designer near you
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Debbie Lusk, I love the idea of your snug! Thanks for sharing.
My family has an antique Asian chest just like the one in #5. Same color and style, same leather top. Just the painted scenery is a bit different. Neat to see someone who has a similar item.
Nice makeovers.
#5 is my favorite! Very nice .