I, like many others, spend a lot amount of time daydreaming about the perfect home on Instagram and Pinterest. I could spend hours planning the design for my mansion, kid's bedrooms, home office, formal dining room and basement game room. None of which will fit well in my “shared by 3 people second story two bedroom apartment, lack of children, budget and that pesky lease that prevents me from calling in an architect and rebuilding the home of my dreams. But the more DIY projects I attempted, the keener my sense of design became and the better I became at working with a “I’m paying back student loans budget, I realized that I wasn’t as far away from an impeccably designed home as I was away from a mansion and kids.
I recently got a chance to talk to an incredible New York based designer, Rinat Lavi and was able to look through some of the projects that she has done. I was inspired by a beautiful formal dining room and decided to find out how we could get a similar look for our homes. With advice from Rinat, Wayfair and a little DIY, you can make this daydream a reality.
About the room:
This beautiful formal dining room is designed in an Eclectic style, meaning it draws from multiple design styles in a way that it doesn’t feel overpowering or distracting. It has a bit of Rococo style in the wallpaper and Art Deco, which feels like old Hollywood glam, in the chairs, lighting, and overall feel of the room.
The Inspiration:
Rinat as a designer, loves to design homes that are not only beautiful but tailored to the needs of those who are going to live in it. When I asked her about the inspiration for this home I wasn’t surprised to hear, in part, that the family was the inspiration.
“The inspiration for the room was the house it is in. The house itself isn’t a defined style and my clients loved it because of the lush landscaping. Since this is their weekend home they asked for a ‘Formal’ dining room but they are not very formal people and they have young children. This is a dining room that is used for the Holidays. So it needed to be somewhat glam but also light and airy because you pass by it all the time as its is off the main entrance foyer which is where the stairs to the bedrooms are.
Get The Look:
The Wallpaper:
Wallpaper is not just for your crazy great aunt’s horrifyingly floral living room anymore, in fact, it can make your home feel updated, classy, fun or really just about anything you want it to. And that’s exactly what it does for this room, it feels formal and classy but still fun and welcoming, perfect for the home it’s in.
From the Designer:
“The wallpaper was chosen for its bold pattern because it wasn't going floor to ceiling. But it is the only pattern - the rest are textures so the room doesn't feel busy or overwhelming.
Living in a rental or find yourself afraid of the commitment with wallpaper? Don’t miss out on this amazing look, there is a DIY for you. With a little bit of liquid starch, lightweight cotton fabric and a touch of DIY spirit, you can get a similar look.
Table and Chair Design:
The table legs, though not visible in the photos, has a Rococo theme to them to balance out the wallpaper, but this room would work with other types of dark stained tables as well. What’s great about the dark table is that what you put on top really stands out. In this room Rinat went with gold, but other metallics would look amazing as well.
From the Designer:
“In general when I work with metals I like to mix them - not always keep to the same. I would want to see silver as accent on the dinnerware or as decorations on the table.
Anchor Colors:
Gold is a really bold choice for an anchor color in a room and most people try to avoid bold colors and stick with a more neutral tone, but I’m not one of those people. Though I am someone who lived in a home in which every room was a different shade of pink, I think everyone, including myself, can stand to step out of their comfort zone and into a bolder room.
From the Designer:
“Gold was the tone of choice as it complements beautifully with the green that is outside and it provides a glam feel.
Accent Colors:
An accent color is meant to draw the eye and yet, blend into the room almost seamlessly and in this case, the cobalt blue dining wear does exactly that. In my experience, the best way to find a good accent color is to bring something of the anchor color with you while shopping. You might look a little strange carrying around a piece of wallpaper or fabric swatch and holding it up to dinner ware, but ultimately you will find the perfect accent for your room.
From the Designer:
“The room feels neutral so any accent color for the table setting would work beautifully. Cobalt blue is a favorite jewel tone and great compliment to gold.
Window Dressing:
Window dressings are always the hardest part of a room for me. I never really can make a decision and end up buying and returning curtains for a month before I make a decision. But these silk taffeta curtains are really perfect for this room. It is both glamorous and welcoming as well as complimenting the beautiful outside landscaping.
From the Designer:
“Because the room has only one window I was able to use a silk taffeta stripe which adds to the glam fee. If there were several windows it would have created a higher level of formality, which we wanted to avoid. So the materials chosen are sometime dictated by the room's architecture and how much of that is being used.
We all find ourselves dreaming of the homes we could have sometimes, but what we have to remember is that the home we want, need and can afford is well within our grasps. Even a luxurious dining room could be a staple in your home when you have the right design and know how and when to save a buck!
Rinat Lavi:
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