Today’s dining rooms often have several identities. With the use of a foldable table
and the addition of a couple of comfortable club chairs, a dining room can also
function as a sitting or entertainment area. A fixed, formal dining table can
become an office desk, a craft or sewing worktable, or a display area for
collectibles or photos. Shelves or bookcases add storage and an inviting
library ambience; bookcases that are low can assume the role of a sideboard for
serving guests.
Cecilie Starin, owner of Cecilie Starin Interior Design Inc., a full-service
firm in San Francisco, was hired by the prestigious Hamlin School to create a
multifunctional room that would offer an area for business meetings, a formal
dining room for guests, and a space to accommodate buffet-style entertaining
for events. “This residential home needed some small adjustments in order to be transformed
into an efficient and welcoming administrative building for the school,” notes Starin. “With minimal structural changes, we were able to turn the dining room into a
functional business and entertainment center.”
The existing cabinets were created to hold dishes and serving pieces in the
original formal dining room. “We removed the upper cabinet doors, which immediately opened up the space,” explains Starin. “We kept the colors simple—vanilla trim and creamy beige tones on the walls with touches of china blue and
turquoise in accent pieces—helping to lighten the space and keep it airy. We contrasted this light
background with rich, dark mahogany furniture in a Chippendaleish style and the
dark countertop. The chairs have lovely camel-mohair-covered cushions, which
are extremely practical for any busy room. [They’re] very wearable and easily cleaned.”
Starin believes in combining classical elements with an updated twist in her
designs. “The school had lots of wonderful old books and historic letterpress block prints
of interiors of the school from the past,” says Starin. “We framed the prints in black frames with wide cream-white mats and placed them
on the countertop. We placed the books on the shelves to create the feel of a
library, an environment I’m particularly fond of.” Starin then added some classical touches, such as the Greco-Roman bust and the
sphinx, the small globe, and the Asian-style ginger jar. “Then we introduced some architectural features and some plants,” she explains.
Starin likes to mix natural and faux elements. “I find that if the faux arrangements are placed a bit farther from the viewer
and the real flowers and greens are more up front,” she says, “the eye tricks the viewer into believing all the plants are real.”
The chandelier has clean and classic lines and was hung high so people can
comfortably walk under it when the room is used as a buffet station. “The chandelier couldn’t be too fussy,” Starin says. “It needed to be clean and airy to work in the room. Almost something you could
look through without really seeing it.”
Silver candlesticks add a formal touch to the table, but since they do not
match, they are not overly stiff or pretentious looking. The galvanized
blue-speckled bucket offers a casual contrast to the silver and holds a cluster
of real roses in tones that blend with the warm colors in the room. “Everything is a contrast of formal and casual, classical and contemporary, old
and new, real and faux,” says Starin. “This play between elements creates a comfortable and versatile environment with
personality and interest.”
Written by Carolyn M. Runyon.
Creating a Dining Room That Works for You
“First, ask yourself how you use the room,” says Starin. “Second, study everything that already exists in the room. And, finally, decide
what your realistic budget is.”
Study decorating magazines, books, catalogs, and online sites. Collect pictures
of furniture and designs that you’re drawn to and note whether there’s a trend in the styles or colors that you like.
Once you decide what your budget is, you can make the choice of having something
custom built, buying items online from a big-box store or a company like
Pottery Barn, or modifying the pieces you already have. “Paint can work wonders,” says Starin. “Moving things around within the room or from other rooms can bring an entirely
new look to a space.”
Measure each piece carefully. Draw a layout that includes your intended
furnishings to make sure they fit before you purchase them.
Use what you already have. Turn old color photos into black-and-white or sepia
prints before hanging them. Add favorite pieces or collectibles to the design.
Display your interests, your passions, and your mementos, and it will work.
