Peter Landers

Crystal Palace kitchen extension

Emilie Fournet Interiors

Caitlin Mogridge

CHEZ CATHERINE

Jours & Nuits

The Mud and Wood House

Mud and Wood

The house is designed on the principle of passive solar gain. The large windows in the dining area maximise the light entering the room. The free heat is stored in the thermally massive mud walls and floor. Yes, the floor is earth too, sealed with layer upon layer of boiled linseed oil. The wall lights are moulded directly out of the mud walls. Photo: Steve Rogers

Art House

Calista Chandler Photography

AMPORDAN HOUSE

Serge Castella Interiors

MARK PETERS

Side return extension with feature Beams

JNJ Building Services Ltd

@FattoreQ

The Artisans Group, Inc.

Photo: Poppi Photography The North House is an eclectic, playful, monochromatic two-tone, with modern styling. This cheerful 1900sf Pacific Northwest home was designed for a young active family. Bright and roomy, the floor plan includes 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a large vaulted great room, a second story loft with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, a first floor master suite, and a flexible “away room”. Every square inch of this home was optimized in the design stage for flexible spaces with convenient traffic flow, and excellent storage - all within a modest footprint. The generous covered outdoor areas extend the living spaces year-round and provide geometric grace to a classic gable roof.

Pièce de vie

IH Studio

Pièce de vie avec cuisine ouverte sur coin repas et sous l'escalier le bureau. Fresque murale directe exécutée sur le mur par Isabelle Hamard pour IH Studio

Julep Restaurant Dining Room Design

Westside House, Santa Cruz, CA

Fiorito Interior Design

After a decade of being bi-coastal, my clients decided to retire from the east coast to the west. But the task of packing up a whole lifetime in a home was quite daunting so they hired me to comb through their furniture and accessories to see what could fit, what should be left behind, and what should make the move. The job proved difficult since my clients have a wealth of absolutely gorgeous objects and furnishings collected from trips to exotic, far-flung locales like Nepal, or inherited from relatives in England. It was tough to pare down, but after hours of diligent measuring, I mapped out what would migrate west and where it would be placed once here, and I filled in some blank spaces with new pieces. They bought their recent Craftsman-style home from the contractor who had designed and built it for his family. The only architectural work we did was to transform the den at the rear of the house into a television/garden room. My clients did not want the television to be on display, and sticking a TV in an armoire just doesn’t cut it anymore. I recommended installing a hidden, mirror TV with accompanying invisible in-wall speakers. To do this, we removed an unnecessary small door in the corner of the room to free up the entire wall. Now, at the touch of a remote, what looks like a beautiful wall mirror mounted over a Japanese tansu console comes to life, and sound magically floats out from the wall around it! We also replaced a bank of windows with French doors to allow easy access to the garden. While the house is extremely well made, the interiors were bland. The warm woodwork was lost in a sea of beige, so I chose a deep aqua color palette for the front rooms of the house which makes the woodwork sing. And we discovered a wonderful art niche over the fireplace that the previous owners had covered with a framed print. Conversely, a warm color palette in the TV room contrasts nicely with the greenery from the garden seen through the new French doors. Photo by Bernardo Grijalva

Marina Del Rey, CA

Daleet Spector Design

Lee Manning

Maison mix&match sur l'Île Saint Denis

Projet Wabi-sabi

Une belle et grande maison de l’Île Saint Denis, en bord de Seine. Ce qui aura constitué l’un de mes plus gros défis ! Madame aime le pop, le rose, le batik, les 50’s-60’s-70’s, elle est tendre, romantique et tient à quelques références qui ont construit ses souvenirs de maman et d’amoureuse. Monsieur lui, aime le minimalisme, le minéral, l’art déco et les couleurs froides (et le rose aussi quand même!). Tous deux aiment les chats, les plantes, le rock, rire et voyager. Ils sont drôles, accueillants, généreux, (très) patients mais (super) perfectionnistes et parfois difficiles à mettre d’accord ? Et voilà le résultat : un mix and match de folie, loin de mes codes habituels et du Wabi-sabi pur et dur, mais dans lequel on retrouve l’essence absolue de cette démarche esthétique japonaise : donner leur chance aux objets du passé, respecter les vibrations, les émotions et l’intime conviction, ne pas chercher à copier ou à être « tendance » mais au contraire, ne jamais oublier que nous sommes des êtres uniques qui avons le droit de vivre dans un lieu unique. Que ce lieu est rare et inédit parce que nous l’avons façonné pièce par pièce, objet par objet, motif par motif, accord après accord, à notre image et selon notre cœur. Cette maison de bord de Seine peuplée de trouvailles vintage et d’icônes du design respire la bonne humeur et la complémentarité de ce couple de clients merveilleux qui resteront des amis. Des clients capables de franchir l’Atlantique pour aller chercher des miroirs que je leur ai proposés mais qui, le temps de passer de la conception à la réalisation, sont sold out en France. Des clients capables de passer la journée avec nous sur le chantier, mètre et niveau à la main, pour nous aider à traquer la perfection dans les finitions. Des clients avec qui refaire le monde, dans la quiétude du jardin, un verre à la main, est un pur moment de bonheur. Merci pour votre confiance, votre ténacité et votre ouverture d’esprit. ????

Living Rooms

SurfaceCo

Gallery Place Loft Renovation

Balodemas Architects

Anice Hoachlander, Hoachlander Davis Photography

Westlake Residence

Exclusive Builders

Eclectic Dining Room Design Ideas with Concrete Floors

A eclectic dining room can be used for casual dining, integrated into an open plan and connected to the living and kitchen areas; or as a formal space reserved solely for entertaining. While it may not be used frequently, it is a great focal point in the home, and requires little furnishings. Here's what you need to consider before you start planning a new dining room...

How will you use your dining room?

First, consider how frequently you will use the space. If you plan on using your eclectic dining room on a daily basis, a casual dining set-up with sturdy, long-lasting furniture is best. As for where you position it – well, any unused space in the home can be converted into a casual dining space, whether it be at the end of a kitchen island, or at the bottom of the stairs. A formal dining room, on the other hand, is more suited to a dedicated space, which is more common in heritage homes where space originally wasn’t at a premium. Perhaps you want your dining room to multi-task and accommodate everyday meals, homework sessions and grown-up dinner parties… If that’s the case, furniture is key. Look for versatile dining tables in either Australian or New Zealand hardwood or weathered timber for a more rustic look. These won’t show up sticky fingerprints as much and can be dressed up for guests.

What size and shape should your dining table be?

Your eclectic dining table should be able to seat all family members with some room for additional guests – each person should have at least 60 centimetres of space at the table. The right size, however, also depends on how much room you have. A general rule of thumb is to leave no less than 1 metre from the dining table to the wall or any additional furniture, so people have enough room to comfortably move around the space. Rectangular dining tables are versatile and can work in a variety of settings, while oval dining tables are more traditional and can turn any meal into an occasion. If you have a tight space to work in, a round dining table is best, and also a great option if you want to encourage conversation. A square dining table can be a dramatic addition to a dining room, but only if you have the space. It allows everyone at the table to see each other, but the bigger the table, the harder it will be able to hold a conversation with someone at the other end.

What type of dining chairs should you choose?

Once you’ve decided on a dining table, look for eclectic dining chairs that share a common design element. If your dining table legs are curved, for example, try to match them with dining chairs that have a similar curve, either in the legs or back. Next, consider the dimensions of the chair. The height of your dining chairs should allow at least 30 centimetres between the top of the seat and the top of the table. And to keep your tush happy, avoid dining chairs narrower than 45 centimetres.

How can you decorate your dining room?

Dining rooms are relatively minimal spaces, but that makes them a great place to splash a little colour through artwork, especially if yours is a formal dining room. If your dining room is lacking warmth, consider painting the walls a deep shade of red or blue, or go contemporary with black or grey. A cosy rug will make the space feel more intimate, while a sideboard or cabinet of curiosities will further personalise the space. Often overlooked, dining room lighting can also drastically alter the mood of a room, creating drama, spurring romance or encouraging conversation. Opt for soft lighting in the dining area with dimmer switches, and choose oversized pendants in large, open spaces or to make the dining area more of a focal point. Finally, add some table settings, such as a lace tablecloth for a whimsy feel, or a more basic table runner for a chic look. If you need some help designing your dining room, consider checking the Houzz directory of interior designers, home stylists, cabinet makers and more!