Thanks for watching along with tonight’s episode of the Plain Jane house. I think my favorite room in this home has to be the dining room! There were so many interesting features in this home, but this particular space takes the cake. It started out as a dated front living room with very little interest, so we had to think outside the box and the result is a showstopper.
The couple needed an office and a dining room so we converted the original room into two rooms for the family. Read the “why” behind the design of this room and get a few new ideas for your own dining space below!
Ceiling Treatment
This ceiling treatment is meant to grab your attention, and it makes this smaller room actually feel larger and more elegant. Adding a feature like this to a space in need of extra detail is a great way to make it stand out. Even better, it can be done on a budget! You’d think elaborate looking trim work would make the ceiling feel lower, but it’s actually the opposite. And by going with this circular design in a small square room, the corners are softened and your eye is drawn up, making the room feel bigger and more dramatic. This space was previously a blank canvas, so adding this detail made a huge impact on the overall look and feel of this dining room.
Painting the Ceiling
Because most of the walls in the rest of the house were painted white, I wanted to incorporate this cool blue tone in the dining room. By taking the wall color up to the ceiling, it allowed for the wainscoting and the details in the trim work to really stand out—giving the space a more seamless look.
Lighting
This brass pendant light brings an element of warmth to all of the cool tones of the room. It also brings in the same brass we used for fixtures and hardware throughout the home. If you decide to install a trimmed out ceiling like this one, I’d suggest using a bold light fixture that will help complete the look of the overall design.
Wall Treatment
Wainscoting, the white paneling on the bottom 1/3rd of the room, is one of the easiest ways to make a room feel finished and bring texture to a space. Typically you see wainscoting in older and more established homes, so adding it to this room adds in that classic timelessness we were going for and helps define the room. I use this material a lot in my designs because it’s such a simple feature to install and makes a huge statement in any room.
Framed Antique Pages
When trying to decide what to decorate your home with, remember that your family’s story can be told in what you hang on your walls. In this case, the family loves music, so we framed this antique sheet music. The black frames with the pure white mat board provide a stark contrast to the light walls. It’s simple, unique, and affordable—which is a win in my book!
We loved getting to renovate The Plain Jane House—here's a peek at more photos and details!
