DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR A BACHELOR'S DINING ROOM

Call me a design snob, but the phrase "bachelor pad" has always brought to mind tasteless wall calendars and cheap leather furniture. In my dating years I spent most of my time outside of his apartment, for reasons extending beyond his lack of design aesthetic, and thought of what I would do if he every asked for my design help.

For example, I find that most men do not use their formal dining room. Instead this area becomes a catchall space consisting of furniture from their college days, outdated media equipment, and sports paraphernalia. If your guy ever solicits your help in cleaning up his act, here are a few alternatives to make this "spare" room more conducive to his lifestyle.

photographer: joe schmelzer

Make his telecommute both functional and comfortable by creating a handsome home office space. Be sure to assess his needs regarding storage solutions so everything has its place. Here, he will be more focused and efficient while working. This equates to less overtime and more time to spend with you later!

design: kate hume

Is your guy a high achiever or a great athlete? Does he have an impressive art collection? If so, put his accomplishments on display. Create a museum of sorts displaying all of his accomplishments, trophies, photos, etc. It takes little furniture to create this space. After the installation, just add a bench or accent chair as seen in the photo above and you're done!

photographer: joe schmelzer

Score points with his family by creating a guest room. When his parents or sibs come to visit, they have a comfortable alternative to his cheap leather sofa. Again, it doesn't take much to complete the space. A bed or respectable air mattress along with a lamp and side table will do the trick. If the dining room is open to the entry, use a futon or sofa bed in lieu of a bed.

photographer: manny rodriguez

If your guys is set in his ways and rejects Options 1-3, then proceed to Option 4: Show Him How It's Done. Show him ways to add a healthy dose of testosterone by using pinstriped fabrics to recover chairs or as drapery fabric. This isn't his grandmother's dining room (no offense, Granny). The chrome chairs, rich wood tones in the table, and the rustic antler chandelier (as seen above) will make any man proud to have a proper place to wine and dine you his guests.

design: brian patrick flynn

So there, I've given you the plan of attack! Just make sure you have "creative license" before you start moving things around in his place. Hopefully the transformation will encourage him to do something about the rest of the place.

What is your biggest pet peeve regarding your guy's place? Which room needs the most help?

HUES YOU CAN USE: CHAR BROWN

Seduced by chocolate, I'm tempted to cover my dining room walls in Benjamin Moore's Char Brown. I originally earmarked the above image as inspiration for my client's dining room which we actually painted BM's Durango (equally delicious). The stark white ceiling, doors, and dining chairs seamlessly balance light and dark. The introduction of yellow/gold curtains in both images continue to warm the walls while simultaneously breaking up the sea of brown.

Coined the "Godiva Room," the above family room belongs to actress Ali Wentworth and news anchor George Stephanopoulos. At first glance the space reads quite formal, but the rich, velvety sofas provide an unspoken invitation to kick back and relax. So cozy, yet sophisticated...

How far will your obsession with chocolate lead you?

images: 1 | 2

HUES YOU CAN USE: SIERRA NIGHT

Dark rooms really don't have to feel dark. In this renovation by Anne Turner, former Cottage Living editor, she uses muted tones to bring warmth and refinement to a cookie cutter cottage. Would you try this look in your home?

Cottage Living November/December Issue 2008.

Want to see "Hues You Can Use" as a weekly feature? Let me know in  the comments section!

WEDDING DECOR INSPIRED BY FASHION AND INTERIOR DESIGN

Last Sunday at The Wedding Experience, Michelle Gainey, owner of Lemiga Events presented three inspiration boards she compiled to create the three table designs you see below. During Michelle's presentation, I began developing the personalities of these brides from the clues I gained from the inspiration boards.

I imagine this table entitled Classic Romance to belong to a bride with very refined taste. She loves billowy ball gowns, fine china, pretty shiny things, and above all the color pink.

Take a look at this romantic table setting. So feminine, so lovely, the table linens have dressmaker details that are sweet, but not immature. The china's intricate details are reminiscent of stitching on a gown and are accented by a fresh flower corsage.

Antiqued silver, mercury, and glass illuminate the table with help from candlelight. Flowers are displayed across the length of the table presenting each guest with their own personal arrangement. The wedding cake takes my breath away. The lattice design from the table linens is carried forth in the cake design as well as the ruffled skirt and exquisite heirloom brooch.

The next bride is a modern bride who is quite the socialite. Not only is she fashionable, but she has a great interior design aesthetic.  She loves anything tufted, the color turquoise, and most recently purchased the coveted ghost chair and think everyone else should own one, too!

The table seating combines a tufted banquette with individual ghost chairs giving this decor a social, lounge-like feeling.  This socialite loves being seen at the latest hot spots and wants her wedding for feel like one as well.

The glass plates allow the turquoise, gold bordered table linens to take center stage...and check out that table runner! I can totally "see" our socialite bride with such details on the back of her favorite "party girl" dress. In lieu of the traditional wedding cake she has chosen a non-traditional mousse cake and handcrafted pastries back lit by clubby blue lights! This bride has style and attitude to boot!

This last bride is a bride after my own heart! The Couture Glam loves a little edge, but knows when to pull back. Her desire is to have a wedding decor that perfectly balances tradition and modernity.

The focal point of this table has to be the daring combination of blooms, succulents, and branches. What a captivating landscape! I could easily envision an outdoor wedding in a greehouse or directly under the moonlight! Table linens have a hint of glitz while the placesettings are simple, yet still very beautiful.

I wouldn't be surprise if the Couture Glam bride requested that her wedding cake mimic her gown. Custom fitted, cascading rosettes and of course something blue...her cake and gown exemplify perfection!

I've had a wonderful time discussing weddings this week and love to shake things up a bit.  

If you are planning a sit down dinner this Mother's Day, I challenge you to incorporate one of the above elements into your own table design. If so, which element would you choose?

Smitten by the Haymarket Hotel - London

"There is magic...in the deep-jewel-colored room, warm and mysterious, where you discover its many beauties as you sit, seduced slowly." - Billy Baldwin

I am completely smitten by The Haymarket Hotel in London! It was love at first sight...The building is an historical landmark designed by the great John Nash (also the master architect of the Buckingham Palace) and decorated by Kit Kemp. The decor is the perfect marriage of modern and traditional style and the icing on the cake would have to be the use of bold color!

Each of the 50 bedrooms and suites have been uniquely designed and are said to be some of the larges rooms in central London.

The atmosphere is so welcoming and appears to look more like one's home
instead of a hotel room.
Find design inspiration in the fresh, contemporary color palettes. It's obvious each room was designed with such care and given much attention to detail.

With fabrics as my first love, I adore the mix of vivid colors and bold, geometric patterns.

Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be divine while dining in this room.

Haymarket Hotel

1 Suffolk Place
London SW1Y 4BP
SW1Y 4BP

Have you ever had the pleasure of being a guest at this sophisticated boutique hotel? Especially you Londoners out there...is it as beautiful as it appears in the photos? Until next time, Ciao!

Design Quote of the Week

"Even in a formal living room you don't want to be ponderous or gloomy. Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and its well worthwhile to make the game as pleasant as possible" -Dorothy Draper

Image credits: Living Etc., Canadian House and Home, Metropolitan Home (third & fifth image), Home Magazine, Elle Decor