This dinning room is an extension to an U-shape kitchen, adding a beverage station for convenience when hosting a dinner party.
Mid-sized minimalist dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Other with gray walls

The pass through island in this kitchen is great for setting out food at a dinner party while still keeping the kitchen open to the rest of the great room. It also doubles as a fantastic art display!

This landscape, inspired by mid-century design principles, has been meticulously crafted using durable, marine-grade materials to ensure low maintenance. Featuring IPE decking seamlessly transitioning onto artificial grass, it creates an expansive outdoor entertainment area. The deck's versatile layout allows for easy adaptation; whether hosting large dinner parties or transforming into a relaxing spot for sunset viewing. Adding to the natural ambiance, a driftwood outdoor shower offers both hot and cold water, evoking a lush, rainforest atmosphere. Nestled at the water's edge, a discreetly inset hot tub maintains a subtle profile.

By combining wood, and glass, the sophisticated Monza dining table will make an impact and bring elegance to your dining room. Slanted wooden legs paired with the sleek glass table top, bring a lightness to the table and complete the Scandinavian style. Need extra seats? Just pull out the two extension leaves and go from a 4-person family meal to a dinner party seating 12.

Our mission was to gift Bellevue with classic, natural and timeless style while setting it up with impressive functionality so that it was ready to be an entertaining-friendly home they needed it to be. Mission accepted! Our clients’ vision was clear: They wanted the focal point of every space to be the view of Oakland while making it cozy and infusing the space with color. We carefully selected a neutral color palette and balanced it with pops of color, unique greenery and personal touches to bring our clients’ vision of a stylish modern and casual vibes to life. An open floor concept was created by combing the Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room, + Seating Nook with lots of open space. We sourced low furniture to ensure we maximized the views and had enough space for everyday living and throwing dinner parties. Our clients also enjoyed cooking, so we created an organized, intuitive, functional and modern kitchen that made whipping up homemade dips and snacks for their friends a breeze.

Peter Rymwid Photography My young professional clients loved everything about their townhouse on the Hudson except for the cramped, dark, uninviting kitchen. During their frequent dinner parties they were always separated from their guests. Light which filled the rest of the living area never made it into the kitchen. Their most important request in this remodel was to create a bright, contemporary, light filled kitchen where their cooking would take center stage. We started by removing a large portion of the wall separating the kitchen and dining area. This integrated the kitchen into the living space and allowed interaction between cook and guests. Next we removed a side wall to gain more cabinet and countertop space. Existing drop ceilings were removed giving extra height in the wall cabinets. A raised waterfall end eating counter keeps the visual line clean and provides ample counter space for dining or wine tasting. Bright white painted cabinets with recessed panels and a crisp white quartz counter create a bright contemporary space. Blue white and taupe subway tiles made from recycled glass add a feel of waves to the back splash. A coordinating blue paint adds to the beachy vibe of the room. Shiny easy to clean stainless appliances are both functional and attractive especially as they are seen from the entire living area. The new engineered wood flooring was continued up the wall under the eating counter. The material provides a more durable surface than painted sheet rock. Recessed LED ceiling lights and under cabinet lights provide all the task lighting needed to prepare meals while using very little energy. Instead of installing any hanging fixtures which might block the open feeling, smaller can LED lights were installed over the raised counter.

Meet Meridith: a super-mom who’s as busy as she is badass  — and easily my favorite overachiever. She slays her office job and comes home to an equally high-octane family life. We share a love for city living with farmhouse aspirations. There’s a vegetable garden in the backyard, a black cat, and a floppy eared rabbit named Rocky. There has been a mobile chicken coop and a colony of bees in the backyard. At one point they even had a pregnant hedgehog on their hands! Between gardening, entertaining, and helping with homework, Meridith has zero time for interior design. Spending several days a week in New York for work, she has limited amount of time at home with her family. My goal was to let her make the most of it by taking her design projects off her to do list and let her get back to her family (and rabbit). I wanted her to spend her weekends at her son's baseball games, not shopping for sofas. That’s my cue! Meridith is wonderful. She is one of the kindest people I know. We had so much fun, it doesn’t seem fair to call this “work”. She is loving, and smart, and funny. She’s one of those girlfriends everyone wants to call their own best friend. I wanted her house to reflect that: to feel cozy and inviting, and encourage guests to stay a while. Meridith is not your average beige person, and she has excellent taste. Plus, she was totally hands-on with design choices. It was a true collaboration. We played up her quirky side and built usable, inspiring spaces one lightbulb moment at a time. I took her love for color (sacré blue!) and immediately started creating a plan for her space and thinking about her design wish list. I set out hunting for vibrant hues and intriguing patterns that spoke to her color palette and taste for pattern. I focused on creating the right vibe in each space: a bit of drama in the dining room, a bit more refined and quiet atmosphere for the living room, and a neutral zen tone in their master bedroom. Her stuff. My eye. Meridith’s impeccable taste comes through in her art collection. The perfect placement of her beautiful paintings served as the design model for color and mood. We had a bit of a chair graveyard on our hands, but we worked with some key pieces of her existing furniture and incorporated other traditional pieces, which struck a pleasant balance. French chairs, Asian-influenced footstools, turned legs, gilded finishes, glass hurricanes – a wonderful mash-up of traditional and contemporary. Some special touches were custom-made (the marble backsplash in the powder room, the kitchen banquette) and others were happy accidents (a wallpaper we spotted via Pinterest). They all came together in a design aesthetic that feels warm, inviting, and vibrant — just like Meridith! We built her space based on function. We asked ourselves, “how will her family use each room on any given day?” Meridith throws legendary dinner parties, so we needed curated seating arrangements that could easily switch from family meals to elegant entertaining. We sought a cozy eat-in kitchen and decongested entryways that still made a statement. Above all, we wanted Meredith’s style and panache to shine through every detail. From the pendant in the entryway, to a wild use of pattern in her dining room drapery, Meredith’s space was a total win. See more of our work at www.safferstone.com. Connect with us on Facebook, get inspired on Pinterest, and share modern musings on life & design on Instagram. Or, share what's on your plate with us at hello@safferstone.com. Photo: Angie Seckinger

We love to entertain and wanted a large outdoor dining space for our dinner parties. We built a large pergola and paver patio and furnished it with an oversized farm table from Restoration Hardware and chairs from Palecek. Two outdoor light fixtures complete the look.

Kitchen and Bar: Brookhaven Vista Door in Vintage Baltic Sea and Nordic White Two empty nesters sought a downsized yet modern space that was ideal for entertaining at home. For their new home, Cabinets by Design delivered a contemporary, clutter-free interior that also supports the homeowners’ love of wine collecting and dinner parties. A centrally located kitchen is anchored by a large island with seating, and strategically situated between the dining and living rooms. The kitchen and adjacent bar are outfitted with luxury appliances, cabinetry and finishes while the large master bath provides a calm spa-like respite from the couple’s busy social life.

This homeowner was looking for a sophisticated yet functional outdoor space. We sought to keep the space organic but also clean and contemporary. The faux concrete containers give the space edge while the succulents and drought tolerant foliage add a natural feel. The homeowners also wanted to make sure their outdoor design incorporated drought-resistant features. We forwent grass for a cleaner natural stone patio throughout the entire yard making it a perfect space to host outdoor dinner parties in the summer!

With innovative designs and the latest technologies, The Azuria embodies extravagance. This dazzling kitchen provides the perfect space to host large dinner parties as well as small family gatherings.

Well-traveled. Relaxed. Timeless. Our well-traveled clients were soon-to-be empty nesters when they approached us for help reimagining their Presidio Heights home. The expansive Spanish-Revival residence originally constructed in 1908 had been substantially renovated 8 year prior, but needed some adaptations to better suit the needs of a family with three college-bound teens. We evolved the space to be a bright, relaxed reflection of the family’s time together, revising the function and layout of the ground-floor rooms and filling them with casual, comfortable furnishings and artifacts collected abroad. One of the key changes we made to the space plan was to eliminate the formal dining room and transform an area off the kitchen into a casual gathering spot for our clients and their children. The expandable table and coffee/wine bar means the room can handle large dinner parties and small study sessions with similar ease. The family room was relocated from a lower level to be more central part of the main floor, encouraging more quality family time, and freeing up space for a spacious home gym. In the living room, lounge-worthy upholstery grounds the space, encouraging a relaxed and effortless West Coast vibe. Exposed wood beams recall the original Spanish-influence, but feel updated and fresh in a light wood stain. Throughout the entry and main floor, found artifacts punctate the softer textures — ceramics from New Mexico, religious sculpture from Asia and a quirky wall-mounted phone that belonged to our client’s grandmother.

This fabulous backyard started as small patio with no covered area to escape the heat or grill outdoors. Tradition Outdoor Living transformed it into an oasis with three distinct areas for year -round entertaining. To achieve the clients’ vision for a space that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors, two outside walls were removed and replaced with panoramic glass doors. We designed the ultimate outdoor kitchen with built in Kamado, stainless steel grill, refrigerator and ice maker. Pull up a bar stool and enjoy glass of wine or a beer on tap. The outdoor dining area is directly off the kitchen, making it perfect for family meals and dinner parties. The space’s true focal point is the grand stacked stone fireplace. A large sectional allows the family to enjoy a movie or cheer on their favorite team even on chilly winter nights. Day or night, this outdoor space is the ideal setting for friends and family to gather.

This lovely craftsman style home provided the perfect blank slate for us to elevate with our clients' personalities. On the "must haves" list was add color, make it approachable and cozy, and keep the sunshine pouring in. The front rooms open to each other, so creating a flow connecting the spaces was important - however, giving each space its own twist was priority. We selected a bold red paint on the exterior of the front door and a classic, chevron-patterned, textured grasscloth for the Entry to set the stage. Lighting and furnishings were layered in for added pops of color and functionality. The Living Room furnishings were selected to maximize seating and relaxation. We delivered on color with the addition of an uber comfy, lime green swivel chair and placed it bordering the Living Room and Dining Room so one could join both conversations. The Dining Room walls were painted a moody blue to create a backdrop for chic dinner parties and record listening sessions. Reupholstered vintage dining chairs brought their own stories to the table while a custom made buffet stores oodles of board games and records. Custom window treatments in both spaces added the necessary privacy while allowing the sun to shine through and create the perfect sunny spots for their sweet dog to nap. Adding in artwork provided the fun punctuations in these two areas. When my client mentioned that she loves to sit out on the deck with a cup of tea and listen to the birds sing, my first thought was - let's have them join you inside! We reimagined the Breakfast Nook seating and created a custom banquette to perch on amongst the sweetest bird themed wallpaper. The Breakfast Nook's color palette of olive green and saturated orange paired with the lovely natural light is calming and perfectly reflective of our client's disposition.

Perfect Your Dining Table Setup – Modern & Stylish Ideas for Every Occasion Elevate your dining experience with a beautifully styled dining table setup that blends elegance, functionality, and modern design. Whether you're hosting a formal dinner party, a casual brunch, or an intimate family meal, the right table setting enhances the ambiance and makes every gathering special.

Hardscaping is the implementation of garden architecture combining plants, walls, walkways, and even water. This landscaping technique utilizes non-plant based elements as an integral part of the overall design and construction of your landscape, providing more than ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs and flowers to your outdoor space. Retaining Walls That Tame the Landscape and Protect Your Investment More than functional, our retaining walls are works of art. Made of modular concrete or natural stone, they are both classic and contemporary in style. We’ll work hard to complement the style of your home’s existing structures and outdoor surfaces while ensuring a design that is integral to preventing erosion, providing easy transitions to steep grades and protecting your investment in plantings. Sustainable and Beautiful Patios, Entryways and Driveways Turf Tamer, Inc. is known for unique, custom stonework and specialty brick paving that varies from subtle to dramatic. We use a variety of materials, including concrete permeable pavers, bricks, concrete, and flagstone, some of which carry up to a lifetime warranty. Our designers and crew can create an incredible, low-maintenance outdoor surface that increases the beauty, function and value of your home. Sustainable Decks for Value, Beauty and Enjoyment If it’s a deck you want, we’ll design it to be uniquely yours. And, we’ll build it from cedar, redwood or even longer lasting composition materials. Whatever it takes, we’ll make those transitions from inside to outside living beautiful, low-maintenance and perfect for your next dinner party or family get together.

Interior view of curtain lights hanging from the upper deck. Gorgeous lighting for every season, great for summer evenings and dinner parties! Feel like you can always see a starry night with these dangling lights on the deck.

Our mission was to gift Bellevue with classic, natural and timeless style while setting it up with impressive functionality so that it was ready to be an entertaining-friendly home they needed it to be. Mission accepted! Our clients’ vision was clear: They wanted the focal point of every space to be the view of Oakland while making it cozy and infusing the space with color. We carefully selected a neutral color palette and balanced it with pops of color, unique greenery and personal touches to bring our clients’ vision of a stylish modern and casual vibes to life. An open floor concept was created by combing the Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room, + Seating Nook with lots of open space. We sourced low furniture to ensure we maximized the views and had enough space for everyday living and throwing dinner parties. Our clients also enjoyed cooking, so we created an organized, intuitive, functional and modern kitchen that made whipping up homemade dips and snacks for their friends a breeze.

Setting the buffet style serving table for a dinner party
Mountain style dining room photo in Orange County