Collection by Diana Budds
Inspired Dining Rooms
Ah, the holiday season—a time for warm spirits, an endless stream of guests, and to put your entertaining skills to the test. If you're hosting the big meal this year and have decided to upgrade from your ramshackle table and mismatched chairs, here are a handful of dining rooms for design inspiration. Will good furniture make the spread taste better? Debatable. But it might make guests more inclined to forgive your overcooked bird if that misfortune befalls you.
The Blues Are Still Blue
Grinding down the concrete floor was too costly, so the Benoits had it painted blue with inexpensive Benjamin Moore latex floor-and-patio paint and then sealed with Zinsser shellac—a natural, nontoxic product that brushes on and can be easily touched up. It darkened the blue paint a bit and gives the floor a hand-worked luster.
benjaminmoore.com
rustoleum.com/zin...
Scandinavian Grace
The Benoits bought their Scandinavian modern table from Klassik Living in Berkeley. “Their prices are very reasonable for the uniqueness and quality offered,” says Peter. They chose teak since it darkens nicely and naturally when exposed to sunlight—–helpful since their table gets blasted by morning rays.
klassikliving.com
A quartet of red paints (Raspberry Truffle, Million Dollar Red, Vermillion, Arroyo Red), all by Benjamin Moore, make the built-in shelving in the dining area pop. The table is a custom design made of bookmatched walnut slabs joined by lacquered butterflies. The chairs are vintage Paul McCobb lacquered in turquoise (Benjamin Moore's Aruba Blue). The Ligne Roset Ruché sofa, designed by Inga Sempé, separates the living and dining spaces. The chandelier is by David Weeks Studio.
When two actors purchased their West Village abode, it came with a 180-degree view of the Hudson River—and a frenetic series of odd angles and partitioned-off spaces. Designer Suchi Reddy renovated the interiors, keeping the bank of windows unobstructed while folding in a fleet of modern furnishings and built-ins. “My directive was to create something very comfortable, calm, textural, and modern,” explains Reddy, who used a palette of reclaimed oak, bleached wood floors, blonde millwork, and white plaster. “It’s a space where you want to linger,” she says.
An ExoFly pendant by Laurent Massaloux hangs above a custom WRK dining table surrounded by Morph side chairs by Zeitraum and a banquette covered in Glant’s Liquid Leather.