This modestly sized dining room is open to the entry foyer and great room. The solid grey stained oak table has a curvaceous base. Upholstered dining chairs have easy care performance fabric and contrasting host chairs in teal velvet. Bold abstracted artwork mimics the pattern in the drapery fabric.

For this screened porch in Westport, Connecticut, Caroline Kopp chose a large trestle table which echoes the beadboard ceiling. Steel side chairs, softened by woven host chairs and blue pillows, provide a comfortable place for guests to sit. Teak lanterns and potted ferns beautify the table which has an antique boat lantern hanging over it. Rikki Snyder

Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Small 1950s single-wall medium tone wood floor bar cart photo in Other with medium tone wood cabinets and wood countertops

Interior Design By Krista Watterworth
Inspiration for a coastal great room remodel in Miami with white walls

Example of a trendy medium tone wood floor, brown floor and wall paneling dining room design in Houston with white walls

Paul S. Bartholomew
Transitional dark wood floor and brown floor dining room photo in New York with blue walls

Living room - coastal living room idea in Minneapolis

Habersham table and custom upholstered chairs with a classic country French wallpaper and Fine Art Chandelier
Example of a classic dining room design in Philadelphia with green walls, a corner fireplace and a stone fireplace

Kitchen/dining room combo - traditional dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Nashville with blue walls

Example of a beach style dining room design in Jacksonville

Inspiration for a huge contemporary dark wood floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Seattle with gray walls and no fireplace

Chic dining room at the Lake Austin project. The table is a custom made with a resin table top and bronze table base.
Trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room photo in Austin with white walls

Italian pendant lighting stands out against the custom graduated slate fireplace, custom old-growth redwood slab dining table with casters, contemporary high back host chairs with stainless steel nailhead trim, custom wool area rug, custom hand-planed walnut buffet with sliding doors and drawers, hand-planed Port Orford cedar beams, earth plaster walls and ceiling. Joel Berman glass sliding doors with stainless steel barn door hardware Photo:: Michael R. Timmer

With the original tray ceiling being a dominant feature in this space we decided to add a luxurious damask wall covering to make the room more elegant. The abstract rug adds a touch of modernity. Host and hostess chairs were custom-made for the project.

Photo Credit: Stephen Karlisch
Large beach style light wood floor and beige floor enclosed dining room photo in Other with white walls

It all started with a fabric. The client fell in love with the texture and richness of the embroidered fabric that now resides on the backs of the custom upholstered host dining chairs.

James Haefner
Example of a mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor great room design in Detroit with gray walls and no fireplace

Almost every room in the house offers stunning views of the outdoor living space and golf course. The dining room is subtly elegant creating an intimate dining space but also a space to enjoy looking outdoors. The custom chairs have a curved back design to contrast with the linear dining table. The host and hostess chairs add texture and Texas chic with their velvet alligator skin fabric. Permanently set, the tableware sparkles under the crystal chandelier revitalized by a talented faux finisher. Erika Barczak, By Design Interiors Inc. Photo Credit: Daniel Angulo www.danielangulo.com Builder: Kichi Creek Builders

From Plain to Fabulous A great thing about building a new home is that you are starting fresh. Being a Florida decorator, many of our clients are moving from the Northern or Mid-West states. We advise them to leave their often dark, large pieces of traditional furniture behind and just bring pieces that have value to them whether sentimental or monetary. This dining room was a pleasure because it was a clean slate with large windows letting in the morning sun. The floors are hand-scraped engineered wood in Brazilian walnut which give the entire home a warm feel to counteract the stark white walls. The home owners have a large art collection and specifically chose the white paint so that the paintings can be seen at their best and moved around the home easily. The owners host many dinner parties throughout the year and wanted a table that was virtually indestructible, and that visitors didn’t have to be careful with. This long Mango wood trestle table comfortably seats between eight and ten and has an antique grey, distressed look that is similar to driftwood. We alternated turquoise and light blue dining chairs for some contrast. An outstanding centerpiece for the room is a dazzling grey chandelier with an outstanding display of brilliant graphite crystals. Hundreds of faceted crystals are suspended from ten fluted glass arms. Wall sconces in chrome with grey linen shades were added and all the lighting is on dimmers for a choice of bright or mood lighting depending on the required ambience. To control the harsh Florida sunlight that can leech color out of furnishings within weeks, we installed light grey Silhouette window shades which keep approximately 97% of harmful UV rays out but still let in light even when fully closed. Traversing draperies were installed floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall providing a spectacular color wall of cream, green, purple and turquoise. The hardware is hidden behind the crown moulding for a clean, modern look. The best part of this design story lies in the large-scale artwork. The home owner had been given the painting years ago when she lived in Philadelphia but the colors didn’t suit her Northern palette. The painting was hidden in the attic but during the move was crated and sent to Florida. After not seeing it for sixteen years she had forgotten what it looked like and when she saw the crate about to be off-loaded asked the removal crew to take it away. At the last minute she decided to look in the crate and was surprised and delighted to find the perfect artwork for her dining room! Lastly, hand-torn wallpaper was installed in a custom color in the tray ceiling. As this room is used for dinner parties, games and even casual dining we decided not to install a rug for ease of use and movement around the table. Photographer: Rolando Diaz