Hi, it’s Gabrielle from Savvy Home here again! Easter has me thinking about the ultimate gathering space: the dining room. Maybe it’s the coming of Spring or Easter influences, but when I decided to share a dining room before this weekend’s celebrations this soft pink dining room by Celerie Kemble immediately came to mind.

A dining room should be inviting and comfortable. It should inspire conversation and exchange, and it should look just as great in the daytime (for brunches and lunches) and at night (for long dinners). I think this dining room achieves exactly that, and we can only assume that the room is equally beautiful and glamorous at night.

Dining rooms often look awkward because it’s the only room that consists of placing a bulky bundle of furniture smack in the middle of the room. But there are many ways to make the dining room more coherent and cozy. Let’s look at a few aspects of this room that make it a successful dining room, to help you achieve the same result in your own home.

1. The soft pink grasscloth wallpaper gives the room texture and makes it a happy and warm place.

2. The vintage murano chandelier makes a big statement with it’s edgy shape.

3. The neutral linen curtains help soften the pink walls and are sheer enough to let the light in.

4. Oversized art is a must in the dining room because the walls would be otherwise largely empty. Don’t be afraid to use lots of patterns and colors.

5. The buffet is low and wide, which fits well with the architecture and the shape of the room.

6. Fresh Flowers always brighten up a room. Use them on the buffet instead of the table for something new.

7. Dining room chairs must above all be comfortable, so they need a soft seat. These low back chairs also engage people by enticing them not to lean back.

8. For something different with your centrepiece, why not try whimsical pottery like these porcelain artichokes?

9. A large rug that takes up most of the floorspace is essential to making the room seem more inviting and anchored. Sisal rugs are great because they’re inexpensive and easy to clean. Calculate at least two feet of rug space around the dinner table.

10. Whether you want a round, oval or rectangular table, calculate a minimum of three feet around the table for circulation. This raw and massive wooden table counterbalance the feminine edge of the room.

What do you think of this room? Do you love it, hate it or somewhere in between?

See you next week!

Gabrielle | Savvy Home

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Wallpaper: Schumacher, the light fixture: Corbett Lighting,& Mirror: Oly. Console: 1970′s vintage Table lamps: Hudson Valley Lighting. Dining chairs: vintage

I have a soft spot for wallpaper. That being said, not all wallpapers are created equal. I came across this Manhattan dining room by designer Matthew Patrick Smyth and my heart skipped a beat… literally.

source: Elle Decor

For the design groupies like myself, Jay Jeffers’ work has been a long standing source of inspiration for his sense of colour, his use of scale and the way he mixes eras and genres seamlessly. Case in point, here are a few images of his work where nordic sense meets vintage sensibility. One word: J.O.Y.!!  I also included a small part of a post by the Style Saloniste in which Jeffers gives some of his best Design Advice. I was excited to find out that a book is in the making due out in the Spring of 2014.

Here are a few of Jay Jeffers’ Design Advice:

Color: Edit 
Don’t be afraid of color, but don’t go crazy either. Deep tones can make a small room feel cozy and large rooms feel dramatic. And don’t forget the ceiling, an often-overlooked design opportunity. If you go dark, try painting the ceiling softer, at 50% strength of the wall color.

Lighting: Keep it flexible 
Give every room several light sources and opportunities, such as a chandelier where appropriate, sconces on the walls, lamps for reading instead of recessed cans and I always say that candles count as a light source. Every light switch should have a dimmer. Everyone looks better in dimmed light.

Art: Save for the best
No matter what your budget, buy good art. Really good art. One great piece is so much better than 5 not so great pieces in my opinion. Flea market finds and well priced galleries like Lost Art Salon in San Francisco are an excellent compliment, but build your collection with a piece that you love by an established artist.

Accessories: High/Low 
My favorite part of an installation is finishing a home with art and accessories, but I know they can really put a dent in the budget. One of my philosophies (and one of our core beliefs at Cavalier) is that you should have a mix of high and low. Buy some really wonderful pieces for your bookshelves, coffee table, and compliment it with less expensive pieces. The mix really elevates everything and gives your home a cool, collected look and feel.

Headboard: Get the scale right 
A headboard not only anchors the bed, it anchors the room. When choosing one, consider your surroundings. Do you want art to hang above your headboard? Then keep it low. With tall nightstands choose higher headboard. Be bold. Are you traditional? Tuft it. Prefer modern? Upholster it in soft smooth leather.

(A book compiling 10 years of the Jeffers’ Design Group will be published by Rissoli in the Spring of 2014) – The Style Saloniste

source: Jay Jeffers

Hi all, Gabrielle from Savvy Home here for another top 5. I want to talk about dining rooms today. They’re an important part of a house if you’re the entertaining type. It’s where your friends and family come together.

Here’s the thing: dining rooms rarely appeal to me. Not that I don’t like the concept of a dining room, quite the opposite. But I often find dining rooms to feel a little to formal, sterile, empty, like something’s missing.

I don’t know whether it’s the layout of a dining room (a big piece of furniture in an otherwise largely empty room) or just a general lack of “je-ne-sais-quoi” that makes me feel this way. Am I the only one?

If you feel this way too, here’s a few tricks to make your dining room more inviting.

1. Double-duty room: My favorite dining room trick, albeit not for everyone, is to make your room a library / dining room. The perk: it looks great on “off-days”. Add bookcases, style the dining table, and push some of the chairs aside. A little reshuffling and your room is ready for a formal dinner, a cocktail or a banquet.

2. Round table: You need to have the right shape of room, but a round or oval table just feels more convivial and less formal. Conversations flow better among a group. That being said it’s only ideal for groups smaller than 8 people.

3. Comfort: I hate seeing dining rooms with uncomfortable chairs, no rugs or no window treatments. A dining room is the place where you’ll entertain friends, and probably end up spending hours chatting and laughing around good food and wine. It needs to be comfortable. Think upholstered chairs, oversized rug (about an inch away from the walls is ideal) and dark moody colors.

4. Scale the lighting. I’ve seen so many dining rooms with awkward or small chandeliers. Don’t be afraid to go big and bold. Hang it low enough and make sure you have other lighting sources around the room at eye level.

5. Bold art: Sometimes all you need to break off the conventional feel of a classic dining room is a large scale piece of contemporary art: something a little abstract, yet a little glam. I find photography works wonders in dining rooms.

What have you done to make your dining room more convivial?

Gabrielle | Savvy Home

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Sources: 1. Celerie Kemble 2. L’Wren Scott 3. Alex Papachristidis 4. Tim Whealon 5. Brockschmidt & Coleman 6. Kim Hersov 7. Ken Fulk 8. Carolina Herrera Baez 9. Katie Ridder