Design Plans: Dining Room

Last week I mentioned that I had swapped our kitchen sitting area and dining "room"--everything on this level of the house is pretty open-plan so is it really a room??

Anyhoo, I am still delighted by how the two spaces are functioning. But, design inspiration calls!

via

This space has a very similar layout to my own with the window on the right and the long, triple light fixture over the table.

Now just imagine that beach print as brush stroke art.

Source Unknown

Another option would be to paint the wall behind the table a dark, moody color like here and layer a large rug underneath the table. I think it would be great at nighttime, but probably not the look we are going for right now.

Carrie Hatfield

I've dreamed of a banquette for a long time and this cozy nook might be the perfect location for one. I'm not sure if ours should wrap around like the one in the room above, designed by another Carrie, or just run along the back wall.

Brushstroke art in the dining room just can't be beat! If this one were a Rorschach test, I'd see a bunny!

My Plan:

A reproduction of The Last Supper might not be for everyone, but it seems like a good choice for where a bunch of Catholics break bread. This bright, color-packed version of it also helps to balance out the other color choices in my plan. The Robert Allen ikat bands (far right) would be great on the banquette cushion and maybe on some drapes on either side of the window. A splash of neon is always fun; although I'm not yet sure how that could be incorporated since I intend to keep the table and chairs we already have. Another version of black brushstroke art, this time behind a bar. And, finally, a white tulip table. As I said, I want to keep our table, but I'm thinking of painting the top white. I even like the chair fabric in this last photo--we could easily swap out this lookalike for what is currently on the seats.

What do you think? Do you have any brushstroke art in your house? How about neon or religious scenes??