Design Project: Transitional & Textural Casual Dining Room

Hello there! I'm back on the blog today to document a recent design project. The design implementation is well underway and the space is starting to come together. Most pieces have arrived, with just a couple items delayed due mostly to vendors experiencing high volume sales.

BACKGROUND

The project involved an informal dining area that the clients referred to as their "breakfast nook". It was part of a larger open-concept space that I designed remotely for the homeowners.

The design brief required providing a flexible/expandable seating arrangement within a succinct space. Durability was also important for this family of six - plus a dog - that lives there. In addition, the dining nook had to tie into the design of the adjacent family room (since this was part of an open-concept room design) while being "special" on its own. Texture became an intrinsic part of the design plan since the entire room had a neutral foundation. 

ROOM (BEFORE) PHOTOS

FLOOR PLAN

As you can see above, the dining nook is part of an open-concept great room design. I'll document the "family room" section in a separate post.

DESIGN PLAN

The design plan (for the entire space) actually evolved a bit after the initial design was provided. The homeowner and I started chatting about their remodeling plans for the kitchen, which led to an update of certain aspects of the original design plan. I was able to deviate from the original budget, which allowed me to source "designer" selections (light fixture, table) and include a custom-upholstered banquette. Speaking of which, the homeowner loves how the banquette turned out!

Tip: When ordering custom-upholstered pieces, it's helpful to order a larger sample cut of the fabric rather than just rely on a swatch. It offers a better sense of color, texture and pattern. In this situation, the client was uncertain about the proposed fabric selection until she saw the larger fabric sample.