10 Delightfully Eclectic Dining Rooms
Murals, color and brash pattern mixes take dining rooms far from the everyday
When it comes to dining rooms, we usually expect to see a lot of matching furniture and traditional details. There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes the expected dining room can be a missed design opportunity. Bold colors, vibrant wallpapers, sculptural chandeliers, modern art and displayed collections are just a few of the moves that make these rooms ready for a lively dinner party.
2. Wild whimsy in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, Victorian. Although landscape murals were a popular dining room element during the Victorian era, there certainly was never one quite like this. This family’s two young sons, intrepid attitudes and the work of French impressionists inspired interior designer Heidi Pribell to give them this charming mural. She consulted with fine artist Julia Purinton, who painted it. Beveled mirrors, eclectic furnishings and leaded glass china cabinet doors add to the room’s playful spirit.
Chairs: Sunpan; dining table: Hickory Chair; Ruhlmann chandelier: Visual Comfort
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Chairs: Sunpan; dining table: Hickory Chair; Ruhlmann chandelier: Visual Comfort
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3. Ready for a fiesta in Cincinnati. This homeowner’s extensive Fiestaware collection inspired the design in her formal dining room. Interior designer Karen Spiritoso helped her find the right composition to let the dotted wall take center stage.
Parsons chairs: Ballard Designs; drapery fabric: Pavilion Fretwork in Kiwi, P Kaufmann; wall paint (similar): Kodiak, Porter Paints
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Parsons chairs: Ballard Designs; drapery fabric: Pavilion Fretwork in Kiwi, P Kaufmann; wall paint (similar): Kodiak, Porter Paints
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4. Going oval in Chicago. These homeowners wanted their dining room to feel intimate and unfussy, and decided that an oval shape was the ticket. Interior designers Norah Meadows and Nancy Mayerfield helped them design and outfit the space. A chair rail adds a traditional base, while an abstract wallpaper brings in an unexpected and ethereal touch.
The vintage wood table’s patina and the Eames shell chairs stand up to abuse from the couple’s young children, so the whole family can enjoy the room.
Wallpaper: Alcyone, Trove; Audrey chandelier: Canopy; bookshelf paint: Off Black, Farrow & Ball; table: vintage, Jayson Home
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The vintage wood table’s patina and the Eames shell chairs stand up to abuse from the couple’s young children, so the whole family can enjoy the room.
Wallpaper: Alcyone, Trove; Audrey chandelier: Canopy; bookshelf paint: Off Black, Farrow & Ball; table: vintage, Jayson Home
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5. Warhol drama in a San Francisco mansion. Dark walls with their original paneling provide the right backdrop for four Warhol lithographs in this elegant yet eclectic dining room designed by John K. Anderson. A striped rug by Paul Smith plays off the colors in the artwork, while a white antler chandeliers add another artful touch.
Chairs: B&B Italia
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Chairs: B&B Italia
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6. Formal yet comfortable in Los Angeles. This couple didn’t want the formal dining room in their Colonial Revival home to feel stuffy and uninviting.
With the help of designer Taylor Jacobson, they were able to inject the room with their own unfussy style.
A striking blue botanical wallpaper dominates the room, while a unique chandelier made by a local artisan and a vintage midcentury modern dining room set hold their own in the sea of blue leaves.
Wallpaper: Raphael, Sandberg; chandelier: Jason Koharik
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With the help of designer Taylor Jacobson, they were able to inject the room with their own unfussy style.
A striking blue botanical wallpaper dominates the room, while a unique chandelier made by a local artisan and a vintage midcentury modern dining room set hold their own in the sea of blue leaves.
Wallpaper: Raphael, Sandberg; chandelier: Jason Koharik
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7. A contemporary take on tradition in Hillsborough, California. A cross-country move inspired these homeowners to shake up their style and embrace color. Working with designer Christy Allen, they chose Potalla fabric by Alan Campbell for Quadrille for the window treatments.
This inspired the palette, which includes a rich pomegranate for the woven wallcovering and velvet chair seats. White Klismos chairs, brass light fixtures and a Greek key rug round out the room.
Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries; Diana side chairs: Oly; light fixtures: Circa Lighting; chair upholstery: Donghia
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This inspired the palette, which includes a rich pomegranate for the woven wallcovering and velvet chair seats. White Klismos chairs, brass light fixtures and a Greek key rug round out the room.
Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries; Diana side chairs: Oly; light fixtures: Circa Lighting; chair upholstery: Donghia
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8. Full of personality in Sumter, South Carolina. This room fits in a whole lot of personality from homeowners Ann and Mack Kolb. With the help of interior designer friend Nicole Norris, they let both of their personal styles show through. Pieces like the exotic wood table, glass bird chandelier and artwork they collect together create an exuberant mix.
Red abstract painting: Amy Dixon; area rug: Oracle in Chocolate, Prestige Mills; molding paint: Griffin 7026, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: New Art Clover Motif, Casamance; drapery fabric: Pepper, Trend Fabrics; dining table: chamcha wood, Phillips Collection; Kudu dining chairs: Arteriors; fabric for host chairs: Shanghai Peacock, Schumacher; cream-colored bar cabinet; Belle Meade Signature; white buffet: Bernhardt; mahogany cabinet: Currey & Company
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Red abstract painting: Amy Dixon; area rug: Oracle in Chocolate, Prestige Mills; molding paint: Griffin 7026, Sherwin-Williams; wallpaper: New Art Clover Motif, Casamance; drapery fabric: Pepper, Trend Fabrics; dining table: chamcha wood, Phillips Collection; Kudu dining chairs: Arteriors; fabric for host chairs: Shanghai Peacock, Schumacher; cream-colored bar cabinet; Belle Meade Signature; white buffet: Bernhardt; mahogany cabinet: Currey & Company
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9. Perking up Seattle days. Emily and Scott Baker, homeowners, parents and dog owners, decided to take on their own dining room redesign. They put up 6-inch-wide plywood planks to create a shiplap-like wainscoting, built a window bench and the buffet themselves, found the table at ReStore and the mirror at Goodwill. Turquoise paint and slipcovered chairs from Ikea enliven the space. The results are a cheerful room that’s budget-, kid- and dog-friendly.
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10. Elegant and kidproof in North Carolina. Interior designer Heather Garrett’s clients didn’t believe they could have a stylish dining room that could stand up to their lively get-togethers and young children, but they were wrong.
The luxe silk threads in the owners’ prayer rug (hanging on the wall) inspired her to infuse the room with deep reds and silvery and dark grays.
Garrett designed an original table and had the reclaimed pine top and acrylic base fabricated locally. The clear table base allows the Eiffel-style bases of the Eames chairs to shine, while a cluster of glass bubbles hangs from a textured silver ceiling.
Faux painting on ceiling: Davide Aguiar; Caviar chandelier: Arteriors
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Show us: Have you redone your dining room in a bold, eclectic style? Please share a photo in the Comments.
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The luxe silk threads in the owners’ prayer rug (hanging on the wall) inspired her to infuse the room with deep reds and silvery and dark grays.
Garrett designed an original table and had the reclaimed pine top and acrylic base fabricated locally. The clear table base allows the Eiffel-style bases of the Eames chairs to shine, while a cluster of glass bubbles hangs from a textured silver ceiling.
Faux painting on ceiling: Davide Aguiar; Caviar chandelier: Arteriors
Learn more about this dining room
Show us: Have you redone your dining room in a bold, eclectic style? Please share a photo in the Comments.
See thousands more eclectic dining rooms and save your favorites
Coral paint: Soft Glow, Benjamin Moore; white paint: White Heron, Benjamin Moore; bowl and Holden vase: Crate & Barrel; Stimulight chandelier: Etsy
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