Room of the Day: Local Coffee Shops Inspire a Dining Spot
An Oregon designer builds her own table and transforms a boring corner into a lively dining space
Making a dining table the day before having guests over for Thanksgiving wasn’t a problem for designer Andrea Fernandez and her mother and sister — they knew they could make it happen in time for the meal. “We had a lot of people coming over, and the three of us have always been very hands-on and creative together,” Fernandez says. The trestle table they crafted seats 10 and inspired the rest of a clever dining area in a Portland, Oregon, farmhouse.
“My husband bought me a chop saw for my birthday, and I needed to start putting it to use,” Fernandez says. In addition to the trestle table, she made the banquette, staining its tongue-and-groove paneling to match the existing mahogany on the windows. White midcentury modern chairs add the modern contrast she loves, while their wooden dowel bases tie into the wood.
The botanical chart has a vintage look and picks up on the green stems, leaves and flowers the stylist loves to use.
The botanical chart has a vintage look and picks up on the green stems, leaves and flowers the stylist loves to use.
On the table, natural linens, white china and simple glass vessels as vases create a simple and fresh look that complements the woods in the room.
Across the room was a nonfunctioning fireplace that created an awkward corner. Fernandez transformed the area into a little reading nook and added picture rails. “I love old wood accent pieces,” she says. Her collection includes antique juggling pins and an antique board for Chinese checkers.
Lamp: Ikea; club chair: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Lamp: Ikea; club chair: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Here is the view of the rest of the living room from the banquette.
The next time Fernandez gets out her chop saw, it will be for their outdoor living space. She plans to build the bar herself.
See more Rooms of the Day
The next time Fernandez gets out her chop saw, it will be for their outdoor living space. She plans to build the bar herself.
See more Rooms of the Day
Room at a Glance
What happens here: A family of four eats meals, entertains, plays games and does homework
Location: Southwest Portland, Oregon
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Designer: Andrea Fernandez of To Market
As a stylist and designer, Fernandez has an eye that’s always open for fresh inspiration. The style of local coffee shops inspired the eating nook. “I’m seeing a lot of rustic dark wood with pops of modern black and white around the coffee shops and cafes here right now, and I wanted to bring that look home,” she says.
She transformed an unused corner of the living room in her 1943 farmhouse into a dining room. The banquette seating on one side makes the most of every inch. “It also gives us a lot of extra storage we needed in here,” she says.
Drum pendant: World Market