Decorating a Difficult Room

Question:

I’ve attached pictures of a room that is 30′ x 15′. I need a dining room, but don’t really need a living room. I live in an over 55 community and we practically live in our family room and kitchen (it’s too small to take the place of the dining room). I’d like to make the 30 x 15 room a combination living room and dining room. The pictures I’ve attached are the way it looks right now. I just bought the cottage-looking dining room table and buffet, and I’m trying to keep the grandfather clock, the mahagony portable fireplace, and the black hutch. I’m willing to get rid of the round rug, and I’m open to suggestions to purchase new pieces and get rid of some pieces if I have to.

How can I re-arrange this room? Can I utilize any of the pieces in the room? What should I put on the walls? I think I should get rid of the valances. Should I replace any of the furniture? The walls are sage green and the blinds are a linen color. I tend to keep the blinds closed during the day to protect the hardwood floors.

Thanks for your help.

Answer:

Congratulations on choosing your new dining room furniture. It really fits the space. We agree with you that combining the living room and dining room makes good sense. Adding a few key pieces along with some accessories should pull your room together and give you the look you want.

We are in agreement with you about changing the window treatments. Our Black Check Panel with Valance hung as high as possible above the windows will give the room an air of elegance. You only need one panel per window placed on the outer edge of each window. Use a decorative black rod to hold the panels.

Above the buffet, we think our Lucerne Mirror would open up the space. Make sure you hang it with 36” as the width and 45 ½” as the height. In looking at the space, we noticed no chandelier over the table. Chandeliers with dimmers can create an atmosphere and set the mood for dinner. The Montserrat Chandelier in Antique Cream with Bee Chandelier Shades in Cream will welcome your guests in style.

The wing chairs in the living room area seem a bit out of character with your new dining ensemble. We thought that two Gramercy Chairs upholstered in the Small Black Check fabric would help to tie the two areas together. These chairs are very versatile as they can be pulled up to the dining table for additional seating when needed. We do think the round rug is out of place and would suggest opting for a rectangular one either 5’3” x 7’7” or larger, perhaps in the Navarre pattern in black. This is an indoor/outdoor rug so it is not expensive and looks great! Above your fireplace, we would like to see either one of our Italian Gardens Medium Plaque or perhaps the Les Cachepots Blanc Print to pull the colors together. The entire look can be finished off with some accent pillows in off white quilted, sage linen, and black fleur-de-lis fabrics.

We do hope that our suggestions help you to visualize a well-planned, cohesive living area that is stylish and practical all at the same time. We are trying to give you examples of pieces that will work in your space. We don’t expect you to choose “Ballard” items only. When looking at the items, keep in mind the shape, color and patterns – that is what makes the room visually interesting and workable.

Please let us know how you feel about the look we have suggested for you. We truly love the feedback, and if you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us. We would love to post the finished project on Style Studio!

Sincerely,
The Style Studio Team

Posted 6/3/09