This elegant 2600 sf home epitomizes swank city living in the heart of Los Angeles. Originally built in the late 1970's, this Century City home has a lovely vintage style which we retained while streamlining and updating. The lovely bold bones created an architectural dream canvas to which we created a new open space plan that could easily entertain high profile guests and family alike.

We helped stylish blogger Erin Hatzis - one half of Suburban Bitches - choose chairs for her new wood and iron dining room table from Restoration Hardware. The silver tabouret chairs she had paired with her old, farmhouse table just weren't working, and Erin needed sorting through the overwhelming number of options available online. She had her eye on the handwoven, antiqued zinc CB2 Reed chair, and Decorist suggested layering in two Pascal Modern Shell Chairs from Overstock (with a sheepskin overlay for added comfort!) to blend the mid-century elements she had in her living room. Shop the room here http://www.decorist.com/makeovers/24/a-rustic-modern-dining-room-makeover Rachel Olsen Photography

A dining room with impact! This is the first room one sees when entering this home, so impact was important. Blue flamestitch wallcovering above a 7 feet high wainscoting blends with leather side chairs and blue velvet captain's chairs. The custom dining table is walnut with a brass base. Anchoring the area is a modern patterned gray area rug and a brass and glass sputnik light fixture crowns the tray ceiling. Photo: Stephen Allen

The Laurel was a project that required a rigorous lesson in southern architectural vernacular. The site being located in the hot climate of the Carolina shoreline, the client was eager to capture cross breezes and utilize outdoor entertainment spaces. The home was designed with three covered porches, one partially covered courtyard, and one screened porch, all accessed by way of French doors and extra tall double-hung windows. The open main level floor plan centers on common livings spaces, while still leaving room for a luxurious master suite. The upstairs loft includes two individual bed and bath suites, providing ample room for guests. Native materials were used in construction, including a metal roof and local timber.

The open plan living room includes large sliding glass doors that allow the exterior deck to connect to the indoors. Photo: Tyler Chartier
Living room - mid-sized contemporary open concept and formal medium tone wood floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Blue and pink are the perfect pair in this light and cheerful dining room. Consoles on either side of the room create flexible storage for entertaining and serving. The floral embroidered drapery fabric matches the outside dining chair fabric for an extra level of cohesion. Pops of blue are interspersed throughout in the chairs, wallpaper and lacquer ceiling. Photography: Vivian Johnson

Inspiration for a large coastal open concept light wood floor living room remodel in Boston with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

The French-limestone wall in this elegant dining room creates a gorgeous focal point, and sets the mood for sophisticated meals.
Example of a large transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Tampa with no fireplace and beige walls

Sink in to a down swivel chair and choose the lake view or turn around to chat with the cook. Great sitting room! photo by: Jason Hulet
Example of a classic medium tone wood floor family room design in Other with no tv

Example of a large transitional dark wood floor and white floor great room design in Dallas with white walls and a standard fireplace

Dining room - coastal dining room idea in New York with blue walls

A comfortable living room centered around a neutral sectional layered with blue and warm-toned pillows for depth and contrast. A round wood coffee table anchors the space, while natural textures and soft artwork create a relaxed, cohesive environment within the open floorplan.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Tracy Herbert Interiors, LLC
Transitional dark wood floor dining room photo in Portland with gray walls

The new vaulted and high ceiling living room has large aluminum framed windows of the San Francisco bay with see-through glass railings. Owner-sourced artwork, live edge wood and acrylic coffee table, Eames chair and grand piano complete the space.

This dining room showcases an elegant chandelier with glamorous crystal detailing, which hangs above a dining table with a chrome base and a round glass top. The dining chairs flaunt different fabrics on the back and seat, both in a silvery gray but with slightly contrasting patterns. Two pastel floral arrangements in jagged glass vases stand on a white wooden sideboard with crystal pulls. The light gray area rug was custom-made.

Photography ©2012 Tony Valainis
Dining room - mid-sized contemporary dark wood floor dining room idea in Indianapolis with blue walls and no fireplace

“People tend to want to place their sofas right against the wall,” Lovett says. “I always try to float the sofa a bit and give the sofa some breathing room. Here, we didn’t have floor outlets or any eye-level lighting. Incorporating table lamps allows for mood lighting and ambiance. We placed a console behind the sofa to bring in large-scale lamps, which also helped fill in the negative space between the sofa and the bottom of the windows.” Photography: Amy Bartlam

This modern formal dining room is softened by the textured wallpaper that wraps the room. Photo Credit: Angie Seckinger
Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in DC Metro with blue walls