I often like rooms where the lighting makes a bold statement. In some houses with the right architecture and ceiling height, you can have large scale lighting that becomes a feature in the room. The dining room above has always been a favourite of mine, ...
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CLASSIC DINING ROOM
I'm working on a home where we have limited space. This attractive dining room table from Crate & Barrel is expandable, which is extremely functional in a small, open concept space. We're considering this table, chairs and this beautiful light fixture. It's solid wood, comes in a couple of nice colour options and has a classic look!
Furniture: Crate & Barrel
Light fixture: Circa Lighting
THIS OLD LANTERN
This old lantern has been with me for many years and has traveled around to a few different places. I found it in Toronto many years ago, and it wasn't wired, so I had the wiring and internal chandelier components added. Originally it was in my dining room in Toronto.
About 7 years ago, I was very inspired after working on this shoot with Suzanne Dimma, for Style Department. I found my lantern shortly after this!
I had it my kitchen for many years (below). I still love the fixture, it's a classic piece that can work in different rooms and I like the character it adds.
ASK DEB NELSON: DINING ROOM
In my newspaper column, Ask Deb Nelson, I was recently asked about how to create a casual, light and airy dining room. The reader wanted to have a room that could be used for entertaining or where kids could spread out with their homework. I found the image above as 'inspiration'. You can pretty easily replicate a room like this with a few items. This room has beautiful architectural details, but even without 10' ceilings, you can paint any room in a nice warm white colour. You could also add crown moulding, wainscoting or even a non-functioning fireplace with an old mantel.
Unfinished wooden tables are still quite trendy and easy to find, something like this would be a great addition to the room.
A couple of glass pendant lights above the table add some sparkle but keep the sight line open. They naturally provide a light and airy feel.
A slipcovered white chair looks great, and as long as it's a machine washable cover, it can be functional for a dining room.
Dining room ideas
In my newspaper column, 'Ask Deb Nelson', I had a question about how to add more colour to a dining room. The homeowner had an oak pedestal table they were planning on painting white. I found the image above as 'inspiration' for the room. I thought the addition of a modern, graphic wallpaper would look be a great backdrop to the room. I suggested this paper in green, because I thought it looked so fresh with the white, but any colour paper would work to add a burst of pattern. I also suggested these chairs in white, they are affordable and can be easily wiped clean in case of spills. I also like these chairs because they can be stacked, so it's easy to store a couple of extras elsewhere and bring them out for additional seating as needed. A large piece of artwork or a mirror can be a great way to add a focal point on one wall. And last but not least, the addition of a drum shade chandelier really works well above the round table.
