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Collection by Olivia Martin

Casual Dining Rooms

A dining room doesn’t have to stay behind closed doors and for most, an extremely formal space isn’t only unnecessary, it is uncomfortable. Here, we present five casual dining rooms with a year-round open door policy.

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"We didn't want to diminish the openness and height and feeling of a great expanse of space," said the owner of this resurrected 19th-century barn house in Pine Plains, New York. Fortunately, the barn frame's horizontal beams perform a domestic function by creating the illusion of a lower ceiling. An abundance of furnishings in rich materials fills out the space. Photo by Raimund Koch.
"We didn't want to diminish the openness and height and feeling of a great expanse of space," said the owner of this resurrected 19th-century barn house in Pine Plains, New York. Fortunately, the barn frame's horizontal beams perform a domestic function by creating the illusion of a lower ceiling. An abundance of furnishings in rich materials fills out the space. Photo by Raimund Koch.
The blurring of boundaries between outside and inside encourages the Siegel/Subbotin family to enjoy the temperate climate year-round. “My favorite thing to do at the house is to sit in the dogtrot and read,” Kyra Subbotin says.
The blurring of boundaries between outside and inside encourages the Siegel/Subbotin family to enjoy the temperate climate year-round. “My favorite thing to do at the house is to sit in the dogtrot and read,” Kyra Subbotin says.
In the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis successfully renovates this 1940s home. The kitchen opens up to the dining room, where Hollis played with size and shape. She designed the solid French oak dining table and bench, which were fabricated by B Serota Furniture and Architectural Design, and flanked the table with a Host and Hostess chair from Coup d'Etat San Francisco. Photo by: Ben Mayorga Photography
In the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis successfully renovates this 1940s home. The kitchen opens up to the dining room, where Hollis played with size and shape. She designed the solid French oak dining table and bench, which were fabricated by B Serota Furniture and Architectural Design, and flanked the table with a Host and Hostess chair from Coup d'Etat San Francisco. Photo by: Ben Mayorga Photography
The more planning you do and the fewer changes you make, the higher chance you have of staying within your budget. Take the time to figure out what the scope of the project is and get a sense of how much work is needed so that you can make educated decisions when presented with options.
The more planning you do and the fewer changes you make, the higher chance you have of staying within your budget. Take the time to figure out what the scope of the project is and get a sense of how much work is needed so that you can make educated decisions when presented with options.