Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for all of the terrific responses to Mel’s large dining room wall dilemma. Today, we’re going to dive into a few options. Some of you hit on exactly what I planned to do. Of course, the options are endless.
I hope you’ll get some new inspiration. Or maybe gain new insight as to what you don’t like. That’s valid too.
If you’re just landing here. Please start the post from the top.
Otherwise, to skip part 1 please click the link below, to read part 2.
Part 2 Begins Here
Recently, I received a note from a kind reader:
Dear Laurel,
Could you do a blog post on how to decorate a large blank wall in a dining room that coordinates with an open kitchen across from it?
Thanks!
Mel
Oh, this is a terrific topic. However, it’s not like we haven’t discussed a long drink of wall before.
We definitely have, a number of times. So, I asked Mel if she could send me some more information, including images, which she did. And then I asked permission.
Before we begin with the large dining room wall, let’s remember that Mel has kindly invited us into her home.
I learned that they built this home two years ago in the middle of the Canadian province– Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (say that 10 times fast) — population 300,000.
What? That’s triple the size of Albany, NY and Boca Raton, FL.
Triple.
But, Guys.
Brrrrrrrrr…..
Being the little geographical nerd that I am, I looked it up, and yes, the lowest temperature ever recorded was −50.0 °C (−58.0 °F) on February 1, 1893. But, just as shocking, the highest temp ever recorded was 106.7 on June 6, 1988!
Those, of course, are the two extremes. Still, the winters are long and very cold by anyone’s standards. It is not unheard of for the air temperature to dip down to -40, which is the same in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
MINUS 40 degrees air temperature. Not windchill, or “Real Feal™.”
I’ll let that sink in.
It’s a dry, cold, Laurel.
Okay, if you say so. Cold is cold!
So, Mel lives in this booming, either frozen or boiling, town with her husband and eight children.
Laurel, what on earth does the climate have to do with decorating a large dining room wall?
Nothing.
I’m just wasting your time.
Please forgive me. I’m a little giddy because the exterminator came and found the tiny little hole under the den baseboard heat where my “pet” mouse was getting in and scaring the crap outta me. So, he no longer has access, and I can sleep now.
No, really. The correct answer is Everything. Location is always an important factor, but for now, let’s just store that idea on a nearby shelf.
First, let’s look at the photos Mel sent me, and then we can discuss some possibilities.
Above is the dining area, which is open to the kitchen. Beyond is the 16-foot-long, empty wall.
Above is obviously the kitchen– with a butler’s pantry. This is a beautiful kitchen!
Super nice! I love both the range and sink walls. Really well done.
On the other side of the dining area is a beautiful living room featuring floor-to-ceiling transom windows!
There’s a wonderful fireplace mantel that suits the architecture very well.
That’s a wide opening, but I can see a day when they might need to expand their table (with card tables), and they can bring it out into the living room.
And one last image at the large entrance from the living room into the dining area.
Okay, let’s take a look at this floor plan.
The dining area is in the top right section.
Architecturally speaking, the bones are there. The only thing I might suggest would be to add a small crown moulding. There’s one over the sink area, and I’d love to see it run all the way around the dining area and living room.
I think that’ll finish it off nicely.
What style is this home?
I would say it falls under the umbrella of updated traditional.
Now, I didn’t ask Mel if anything is possibly going on. I’m assuming none of the big pieces are going.
Now, let’s look at the fixed elements and “givens.” Givens are items we need to work with.
- White Traditional kitchen with quartz marble-look backsplash and counters.
- White walls,
- Light Oak floor.
- Two off-white modern sofas, with a pale lavender modern rug.
- The coffee table is an Americanized traditional in a darkish walnut.
- The dining table and chairs coordinate with it.
But Mel, darling, what on earth did you do with your eight children? I mean, WHERE are they? Did you chain them to their beds?
You know I’m teasing you, but it’s only because I’m incredibly impressed! There isn’t even a hint that there are young children. Of course, all of them might be in high school. I don’t know. Maybe you had two sets of quadruplets. It can happen.
This post is reminding me of the lovely woman who wanted help with her lamps, and I ended up redesigning her entire living room and did a facelift on the kitchen, too. It was in January 2023. There were three posts!
So, this post, too, will be at least two posts. It’s impossible to do it in one gulp.
For today, I only want to discuss furnishings– not colors, finishes, paint, or specifics of styling.
Please do not pick the place apart. It’s a lovely home. However, I can’t advise on what to put on that wall without addressing some other things first.
Below are some possible options for the large dining room wall.
The most obvious and definitely the most expensive option would be to do a built-in. However, I feel in this case, it might begin to feel like that is a continuation of the kitchen, not a separate space.
Therefore, it could be a built-in cabinet.
Another option would be a large breakfront, even larger than the one above; however, I think that will feel a bit heavy and again, too much like the kitchen. I would not do another dark-stained piece.
This one’s pretty cool, from Sarreid; however, it’s out of stock. It’s 122″ long! This wall is 192″, so 122″ is perfect.
There are also some ideas in this post about cheap living room furniture.
And also cheap bedroom furniture.
So then, I love the idea of a long, eight-foot minimum buffet or sideboard.
We could do an expansive art wall and flank the buffet with chairs. I love plants, but these feel a bit ad-hoc. It’s a lot like when you get picture frames as a wedding present, and they’re all different styles and don’t look good together.
One option would be to do a big mirror and sconces over the sideboard, and then two pieces of large art flanking the sideboard.
Another idea I love is to do some kind of wallpaper or mural on the entire big blank wall, and then there can still be a mirror and maybe some art.
I found this cool image on Pottery Barn today.
This is masterful decorating at its finest. Bravo PB!!! Alas, that shell mirror was discontinued.
One last conceptual idea, and that would be a faux or gas fireplace. There’s already a gas fireplace in the living room, so it would need to match. There’s certainly plenty of room. Then, I would put two smaller buffets or chests flanking the fireplace, with art and mirrors.
I have so many ideas!
However, this is where I will end for today.
Except for this.
I am thinking of one of two color palettes.
Mostly neutral, like the one above, maybe with a little blue and green.
Or another tone-on-tone neutral like the Serena & Lily Searose rug in Sepia
Or, much more colorful, maybe with a Persian rug with rusty reds, blue, gold, etc. Something like the one below.
Or, something else?
I’ll look forward to reading your comments.
xo,
*********************************************************
Part 2 Begins Here
Sunday December 14, 2025
Hi Everyone,
In typical fashion, I spent hours doing the artwork, and now it’s late. However, I don’t need to say too much about the large dining room wall across from the lovely kitchen.
Mel sent me an email and didn’t give any indication of color preference. I didn’t ask, so I kept it to muted neutral colors.
Here is what she said:
In case you might be wondering, here is some more information:
- The carpet in the living room is a good size, but I would prefer something else.
- I spent a lot on the dining room chairs and can’t change them, but I realize upholstered chairs would have been more suitable(but not for kids), maybe we could get upholstered chairs for the ends of the table.
- I would like to replace the kitchen island stools at some point with dark coloured ones.
- I have cream coloured drapes for the front living room window to be installed later this week.
- The chandelier above the dining table is one I saw recommended on one of your blog posts on coordinating kitchen and dining area lighting, and it is dimmable.
- The paint on the walls and cabinetry is White Dove and does look warmer in the daytime.
That all sounds terrific.
This was such an interesting exercise. But there’s one point that I think you’ll see by the end of this post.
It is unfair to judge any elements of a space until you’ve seen the entire plan.
The first thing I want to say before I jump in is about a mirror over a sideboard or fireplace mantel.
For a mantel, unless you’re well over six feet tall, you are not going to see yourself or the back of someone’s head. For a sideboard, some are on the lower side, and you might see the top of your head. In that case, you can put a lovely cachepot filled with a plant, real or faux, or a soup tureen and maybe some candlesticks. There are lots of things that can be used to style the sideboard.
But no. I tested it out in my living room and had to sit on three pillows before I could see most of my face. The mirror begins at 44″ above the floor, for a 38″ high sideboard is about where a mirror will start.
Below is the dining area from our old New York townhouse in 2011.
While I didn’t sit in front of the mirror very often, I don’t recall being able to see myself when I did.
Ahhh… this is where this blog/website got its start. Right there, on that laptop and that chair. And yeah, that’s my old Rolodex!
The digital version is on sale for only two more weeks!
As for reflecting the kitchen, yes, it will reflect a small portion. I am not thinking of a wide mirror. But a tall mirror no more than 3 feet wide or so.
In regard to the fireplace, I was figuring it might need to be decorative. That could work. If the mantel is four feet wide or a little more, then there could be two 60″ buffets or chests on either side.
Sorry, I didn’t do that design.
In real life, I might spend 40-60 hours working on a design for adjoining spaces. I don’t have anywhere near that much time, so I kept it to the one long sideboard, the one we looked at from Sarreid. Sarreid copies actual antiques, and their finishes are quite nice. There are 8 shelves inside, one for each child, haha. And two drawers, one for Mom and one for Dad. I’m only kidding.
Let’s look at the big dining room wall – phase one.
I did not add a crown moulding, but I still think it would look terrific.
I did add wainscoting. Even though a lot of it will be covered, you’ll see it on the ends and on the short walls. In this case, if one wants to do a cheat, I’m okay with just the chair rail, and then I would paint the entire wainscoting area a shinier paint.
Laurel, how did you get the wainscoting behind the table?
I removed the background. That’s how. :]
In addition to the wainscoting, I added a ceiling beam to the left of the sliding doors going towards the living room.
Why?
I did it to break up the large expanse of the ceiling. It’s not necessary, but it will make a difference.
Now, you can see the Sarreid sideboard flanked by two vintage chairs I used for a board or two in the Laurel Home Paint and Palette Collection. There are a few vintage chairs, and I enjoy changing the color of them to suit the rest of the decor.
There are some vintage prints in the manner of Claude Lorrain.
Two Chinoiserie lamps and a seagrass rug.
In front of the mirror, you can see the planter that is in my holiday decor widget, lol. Alas, someone bought it! I hope it was one of you. As you can see, I added some faux paper whites. While I love paper whites, their smell is noxious. So, some good faux paper whites for me.
While I think this is good, it could be better.
What would make the white walls work better would be a big piece of art, or some white slipcovered chairs. But, they’re not, so I really feel that a deeper wall color is in order.
I tried Apollo Blue, but it wasn’t wowing me.
So, I tried the tried and true Cleveland Green!
Both of these, and actually all of the paint colors mentioned today, are in the Laurel Home Essential Paint and Palette Collection that’s currently on sale for only two more weeks.
However, the sideboard looks better in a deeper color. This looks a lot like Knoxville Gray, the color in my downstairs entry. But, I like this toasty, warm color so much better!
Time prevented me from adding the wainscoting, but I would still do it and paint it and the baseboard in the Cleveland Green.
Okay, it’s time to hang onto your hats, guys. There are two versions of my favorite choice for the large dining room wall.
Yes, I put up the House of Hackney Plantasia in the sage colorway. I think the Claude Lorrain prints look amazing. It’s like trees on top of trees.
And yes, those are my yellow lamps, except you can’t have them. ;]
Now, I realize that some of you will love this and some won’t.
However, this room is ideal for Plantasia. There’s only one significant wall, and so it won’t be at all overwhelming. It’s a wonderful balance for all of the beautiful cabinetry in the kitchen.
I did one more iteration, and it’s my favorite one of this former big empty dining room wall.
This time, we painted the wainscoting Benjamin Moore Windsor Green. Oh, I think this looks so rich. And all of the leaves and trees suit the chairs beautifully, too.
Laurel, don’t you think with eight kids a seagrass rug will be impractical in the dining room?
Any other rug, yes, but seagrass is the most forgiving material. It repels stains as it has a waxy coating. I’m sure I’ve mentioned the client with four kids and two dogs ad nauseum. But, if you haven’t seen it, she had a huge seagrass rug in her playroom where the kids painted and did all sorts of stuff. She loved it. But everyone did. I frequently put seagrass rugs in dining rooms.
Of course, there are a zillion possibilities for this lovely dining space.
I have some ideas for the living room, too.
Would you like to see them?
I could also do a budget version of this room. That would be fun. (Hopefully!)
But here’s another important point.
They already have everything they need, so once they have a plan, all of this could be implemented over time.
This is why having a plan makes everything so much easier.
Even if the specifics change, it’s helpful to avoid making costly mistakes.
Well, that’s all for now.
Which one of these do you like the best?
xo,
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xo,
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48 Responses
I can personally vouch for seagrass rugs and their durability. I have 6 very destructive kids (now grown) and 2 elderly dogs. I bought my rugs through a widget in the blog at a great price. The kids and dogs tried their best to destroy the rugs via spills, poo, and vomit. (A rug shampooer is your best friend.) Seagrass is not soft and cushy under foot, but it looks amazing still in my dining room, living room, and family room. It’s been so successful that I even bought it for my rental beach cottage!!
Testing for Laurel
What a beautiful home! Question to everyone on the wallpaper (which I love in Laurel’s proposals): are we extending it up to the kitchen cabinets on the window wall? What is the break there? I have a similar dining room with three walls and one side open to the hallway (no cased opening thanks to my 1970s architecture) and would love to do a wallpaper but have always been stumped by this!
Hi Abbey, yes, I would continue it into the kitchen just past the sliding doors and sink wall. It’s a small area. Then, one day, the butler’s pantry would look terrific painted in a coordinating green.
Dear Laurel,
Thank you for working on this beautiful home. I love the version with white dove walls and wainscoting. It might look better with a cream patterned rug. My daughter-in-law purchased a very inexpensive rug to get her through the messy years so no need to freak out when the spills happen. If Mel decides to do a color or wallpaper how does it meet up with the kitchen? I’m trying to envision the beam, flat wall, wainscoting and kitchen cabinets connecting. Those details always trip me up. Such a fun exercise, Laurel! I vote yes to continue into the living room even though it is lovely already.
Hi Jean,
I would continue the color or wallpaper into the kitchen. That is, unless the wallpaper was something else like a true panoramic mural. In that case, it probably should stand alone.
This is for Lisa D, again somewhat off-topic — apologies to Laurel. I share your horror of LED lighting which does horrible things to many colours. One solution is to paint the place dirty green, which seems to be the colour which, along with pale blues, suffers the least. Rather limiting. You can get back to the look of incandescent by using halogen for some lights in a room. Halogen bulbs are still available but of course they get very hot and consume more electricity. I keep searching for LED bulbs with a colour rating of 95 and over (the standard is 80-90, which is no good at all). I’ve found one manufacturer whose bulbs have a rating of 99, but the problem is these are candle bulbs, 1 watt! They’re wonderful for imitation candles but shed hardly any light at all.
On the question of colour being interpretive, the neurologists would say of course, since colour doesn’t exist outside our brains, the world being simply light and shade.
I’ve got a question for anyone on here who has had cataracts operated on. My sister told me that during the intervention one sees lots of light and bright colours. Yes, but I was surprised at the very limited range of colours I saw. What I’m interested in is, does everyone see the same colours, and if not why not? I asked the surgeon and he said he didn’t have the slightest idea. Second time round, I asked the people in the recovery room (as it were), and nobody could (or would, they thought I was bonkers) remember. So my question is, what colours did you see?
Laurel, I love this post! When you take on your readers problem rooms it helps us all out more than you might imagine. Your ideas and input really helps us see our own rooms and the possibilities. Mel’s home is beautiful, lucky lady to receive your input! Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into every post.
Thanks, MaryJane. When I do readers’ homes I try to do situations I know will apply to a good many people. Everyone has a kitchen and a place to eat. Sometimes, I’ll get a request for an unusual situation, like someone moved into a home with glass and cinder blocks and shoji screens. But all of their furniture is antique. That’s a tough one.
I also don’t do basements because that excludes everyone who doesn’t have a basement plus everyone who has a basement but it’s not finished or they only use it for storage and laundry, or a place for visiting relatives to sleep. In all of my years with clients I think I helped maybe a handful of clients with their basement.
I did two family room type spaces and one small basement was a music room with a sleep sofa.
Oh, Laurel, when I left my comment I forgot to add: YES, please do a post regarding the living room!!
I can tell you put a great deal of time and thought into all of your posts, Laurel, and it shows. All of the ideas look lovely to me, so it would be difficult to choose. I have to say that every time I look at any photos of your home, they are just stunning. Your home has such ambiance. Thank you for the response to my lighting and color question. I much prefer incandescent lights too, however, unless you are aware of some secret source that the rest of us aren’t, they are, sadly, no longer available.
Laurel, beautiful options that provide effective contrasts. I liked how you presented the mirror and I’d definitely reconsider a mirror option, now. For the reader who wrote about white upholstery with kids (might want to consider that it could read as slightly snarky, to me which I expect was not the comemtators intent): that is what we have, off white Crypton chenille material that wipes clean with a little dish soap. Kids can spill many things on it and it seemes impervious to whatever they can soil it with. We love it.
Beautiful wallpaper and ideas! I’m trying to figure out how ten people can fit on those two small sofas in the living room. Also, why would you have off white sofas with 8 children?
Hi Jeanine,
Please remember that the children are chained to their beds. ;]
But seriously, why ask either of those questions in the first place? It’s best to assume that the two sofas fulfill their needs.
I prefer that comments are kept more positive, especially as we are focusing on the dining area and kitchen, so there’s no need to mention the living room at all. As I said, Mel is allowing us to visit her home.
Incidentally, I had a living room with all white furniture when my two wild boys were 1 and 5.
Wow! I love your ideas for this dining room, especially the 2nd version. Yes, please show your ideas for the living room.
I love a mural in the dining room, so my favorite is the last iteration with the darker wainscoting. It makes such a statement without being fussy; it’s just stunning to me! I would be in heaven if I could stare at that wall while I was in the kitchen (and in this case, you can also see it from the living room)! If Mel doesn’t want to go the mural route, I would definitely do the darker color (with wainscoting, if possible) – the Cleveland Green is gorgeous in there. I knew you’d create a lovely space. Brilliant, Laurel!
Nice post, but very difficult to read because of the ad pop-ups. In the past few months, they appear to have doubled from what they used to be. And I don’t mind the ones in line, but today’s post had a pop up that did not have a way to get rid of it so was having to read the post moving it up and down to get the ad out of the way.
Hi Laurel,
I’m going to make a Christmas wish that your reader goes for the credenza & wallpaper. It would be stunning!
I love the room painted Cleveland Green -I gave a sigh when I saw the photo with the dark walls. It seemed to add so much life to the room.
It is amazing how we are victims of what is popular (more color and darker colors now vs. lighter neutrals of a few years ago), now Mel’s gorgeous neutral home feels like it needs more contrast. Of course that is the advantage of having a neutral base -you have the ability to go in many different ways!
This is one of my favorite blog posts! I absolutely love what you’ve proposed in this dining room. Everything is great but the wallpaper really makes it!
Both designs are beautiful and interesting. As an oil painter and someone who has had to remove way too much wallpaper in my 68 years, I prefer the rich solid painted wall. It just feels more serene and makes the beautiful lamps and artwork pop. I love wainscoting in a dining room and I think crown molding would add a lot to the room also. Overall, it’s a lovely space and a fun and interesting series of posts. Thanks, Laurel. Happy holidays to all.
The wallpapered, layered rendition is WOW! So wonderful. Warm and inviting without being fussy or overdone. I love layers, but oftentimes the pictures I see make me think, “Someone has to dust and clean all of that!” This room is warm, layered, and inviting, but would be easy to care for. Great job!!!
Beautiful home and so nice to feature a Canadian reader! We have a similar issue in our home, not the dining room but the living room. We opted for a large buffet from West Elm that had the same colour and tone of the floors and some great art. Its still not perfect but….. I use lots of colour and patterns so I find that warms the space up. Love the idea of a great rug and 2 upholstered chairs and although I don’t love wallpaper, that also could look lovely. So many ideas, it’s the cash that stops me!
On another note, the Christmas tree comment from Tracey, I’m from Nova Scotia and I do go all out, perhaps too much but what the heck, it’s Christmas!. I keep saying that I’m going to do a simple tree each year,BUT…. LOL and Merry Christmas!!!!!
Lovely home with lovely minimalist aesthetic. Congrats.
I love the blue Sarreid piece. Something like that with art above. Nix the mirror idea as others have said.
There is nothing wrong with the plants. They just need to be arranged more carefully. I am sure they are being used as filler for the time being.
IMHO art is absolutely individual and should always be a reflection of the owner’s inner self, not a decorating rule. My art all has a place in my history. I can narrate a story for all of it.
As the owner really likes clean neutrals, I have no objection to a set of neutral pieces. Would it be out of place to do real sea fans? They can be ordered in all colors or left natural.
But I really like that pale blue Sarreid. Neutral textured art. That is why I thought of the sea fans which have wonderful texture.
Mel, you are a wonder of a house maven to keep 8 children and their messes corralled. Please come to my house to help me!!
Mel, you have a beautiful home and furnishings; thank you for sharing it with us! I know Laurel will do her “magic” and help you take your space to the next level. Other readers have left great comments, but I’ll put in my two cents. I like a breakfront (with lamps and/or sconces), flanked by 2 chairs, some large art (and/or a gallery wall) or a mural, and I love a colorful rug like the 2nd one Laurel shows. Laurel, I love when you do these kinds of posts, and I love all the weather nerd info, so thanks for that :]
Hello Laurel. I know this is off-topic of this post, but without researching the entire history of your blog posts, have you done any posts that speak specifically to light and color? I believe that color, to some degree, is interpretive. Am I wrong in thinking this? I realize this is a complicated subject, which requires a complicated answer. Thank you.
Hi Lisa,
Yes, I have talked a lot about lighting and the temperature of the lighting if that is what you mean by color. I prefer incandescent bulbs. I’d go into more detail, but I have to get this post out. There’s a search box in the sidebar. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
LOL Most of us in the USA do not have the time, money, nor desire to decorate a tree in Christmas “throw up” fashion. Many of us do have less on the bottom of the tree than the top, due to pets, grandchildren, young children or some mix of the three. Tree perfection, top bottom back and front, is an internet thing, not often real life.
Hi Laurel,
Although she has no fireplace I still see more of a keeping room kind of situation. Comfy sofa or settee, cozy chairs, special art, maybe shelves too. Keep plants but vary heights. Maybe mismatched chairs at the table
What an engaging post! I love when readers give you a practical challenge, you invite comments, then offer design solutions. Factoid: Saskatoon gets 320 days of sun a year. Winter days are cold and short but bright. Not sure which direction the dining room faces. Nonetheless I think that soft furnishings like rugs, drapes, wall sconces and table lamps with shades will add warmth to the lovely interior. For that nice, long dining room, I have to concur with others – nix to a fireplace and even a mirror but yes to a long lighter-colored sideboard with the wall above displaying artwork which could include a monumental print/painting or tryptich, quilts/tapestries, an art wall, or frame boxes containing knickknacks or cherished collection items.
Mel, hello fellow Canadian (From small town Ontario)!
Your house is GORGEOUS!! All of it! You have great taste!
I wish you knew a little more about you, but from what I can gather looking at your pics is that you like a more minimalist aesthetic (Based on, lack of colour, neutral sofas, neutral rug, white walls, and even a rather minimalist tree). And I like it all. Most Canadians though don’t decorate our trees so it looks like Christmas threw up all over the tree, with ribbons coming out the top and so much “stuff” that you can’t even tell there’s an actual tree under the stuff 😁
If I was your decorator, I’d ask if you would like colour, if you need more storage, do you have any collections to display, or would you like artwork. I doubt that wallpaper and panels and excessive decor is your jam. Just guessing. I do like a matching fireplace with cabinets either side if it’s in the budget, or some nice artwork
some scones. That look like candles for warmth. If you don’t already have dimmers on your light fixtures, I’d start with that as well. The candle sconces would be so warm.
I’m happy Laura is doing a series like this again. I’m excited to see what her suggestions a for you, and what you decide on. I know it will look great, as we do know your taste is impeccable so far!
Tracey
As a fellow Canadian a 2nd fireplace would look nice BUT is not practical for Saskatoon in winter! Even if it is gas. The chimney is a huge escape of heat . With gas the flue must always be partial open by our building codes. And you have to have a fresh area intake. Fireplaces even if you use them alot are net losers of energy. A self contained sealed unit is only slightly better than is why electric fireplaces are starting to become big. But an electric one would not look good there with the gas fireplace in the living rm.
I would vote for a larger/ longer buffet
Or wall gallery of pictures art or quilts.
Hi Laurel. Ventless gas fireplaces — sometimes known as gas logs — are illegal in Canada and in at least three U.S. states. Adding a vented gas fireplace in the middle of a structure would entail adding a flue and chimney, so it’s probably not a workable idea for this beautiful home. In case folks are wondering, ventless fireplaces are very bad for indoor air quality, even when they are working perfectly. They also pose a significant carbon monoxide risk, particularly in tightly sealed homes. Finally, if the fireplace malfunctions, every item in your home can be ruined by soot in a matter of hours. This happened to a friend of mine in Chicago. He lost a lifetime’s worth of possessions in eight hours. If people are interested, there has been quite a bit written on the dangers of ventless fireplaces. If folks own and want to use one, it’s important to leave a nearby window partially open to ensure adequate oxygen supply and not to leave the fireplace running when you’re away from home or are asleep.
Lovely, well thought out home. I like all of your options except the large mirror. I agree with Margaret about not wanting to see the reflection of a messy kitchen while eating. Also looking yourself and the back of someone else’s head doesn’t seem like a pleasant dinner experience. Looking forward to your next post.
Geez, Mel’s house is gorgeous! How in the world she keeps it so organized and clean, I’ll never know, but I have noticed that women who have what is today considered to be a lot of children tend to be super organized.
So, we know Mel has great taste and a good sense of scale, proportion, and light. The house seems to flow really well. I’m wondering if she has a collection of something she’d like to display or whether she has things she needs to store that that wall could help with. Whenever I see a wall like that with a pretty table, I always have the urge to put a built in banquette on the wall to expand seating (and hidden storage) when necessary.
I like how Mel’s kept a lot of things really light and airy, but in such a cold place I’d like to see it cozied up with pattern, color, window treatments, rugs, books, candles and art. With the bones that house has, it doesn’t need anything architectural added. I know Laurel will have that house singing a happy tune in no time.
Oops, the bones are SO good ! Apologies for the typo.
The great thing about this is that the “bones” are do good, endless possibilities to play around with the decoration. Yes, crown moulding in the dining area and the sitting room would make it more “finished”. For the blank wall, I’d go for a long buffet, perhaps breakfront, and definitely painted rather than stained wood, in a fairly bold colour. One could go either modern with solid colour or more traditional with a distressed finish as in Laurel’s example. I agree with Margaret that a large mirror would reflect the kitchen, perhaps not a good idea. I’d put in a series of large reproductions of Arcimboldo’s Seasons above the buffet. The fruit and flowers theme appropriate for a dining room but not too obvious. I’d also put in curtains to the big French windows, I think velvet in a solid jewel colour, for winter at least. Perhaps linen in a paler colour for summer. Yes to shades on the chandelier lights, and yes to lamps on the buffet.
Cabinets of any sort are always great; you need not have to fill every one of them if the doors are solid. Glass, front I feel would need to have some interesting items on display within. Not a pro nor a con, just a thought.
I was going to do a built- in, when we did our home renovation and the price point was a bit more than expected. Also talking with others, I was told to think about the future and one of us passing away. Would the other stay in our large home, alone? No. A free-standing cabinet could be taken to another home and used in various ways, vs a built-in would stay in the house. Just something that was mentioned to me to think about. We’re in our late 60’s, so it applies.
A long credenza with artwork and chairs flanking it sounds great. I’m not sure about an accent wall of wallpaper. However a few noted the chandelier should be changed. It’s a nice chandy and could use some cute patterned shades to tone down the hardness of the light. I think scones or lamps above or on the credenza would be needed to give a more intimate feeling in the room.
Crown molding
Long buffet
2 upholstered chairs at the ends of the dining table, place 2 of the existing bistro chairs on either end of the buffet
A colorful runner on the table
Drapery panels on either end of the adjacent living room area windows
A large gold framed mirror above the buffet
Consider replacing the light fixture above the dining table with something less severe
I love this home. And I love the house keeping. I am sitting in my lovely kitchen, which desperately needs to be brought up to this owner’s standards. I do not like the mirror idea. I am a sucker for fireplaces, so that is my favorite idea. The two chests I assume are wooden to compliment the dining table.
I too like the idea of wallpaper and a china cabinet or buffet. In terms of what I would put over it, one thing to consider is a long room screen, hung flat like art. I have a lot of regular size and smaller pieces of art, plates, etc on walls but didn’t want that everywhere and didn’t want to clutter the longest wall we had. I kept a close eye on FB Marketplace for almost a year and then early one morning an antique, handpainted Italian screen popped up for $300. I snatched that up so fast!!! Its perfect and it fills the space like a large single piece of art.
I really like the idea of a fireplace with buffets or chests flanking it. There is a lot of space in this lovely home. A break front would be super practical but something about that fireplace in Saskatoon just feels cozy and lovely. BTW…I love our neighbors to the north and their beautiful country.
Laurel, I am sorry about your “pet” mouse … if it were me, you would have heard my screaming all the way from Alabama! 😂 Frogs, snakes … no mice!
My Orkin pest guy (we need them here like you all need snow blowers) suggested copper mesh, like the kind used for kitchen scrubbers … it doesnt rust, and he used it in all the little spaces under my sink plumbing and the baseboard holes & around the dryer vent. No more mice!
As for the house wall designs … yay! I love when you do these posts! I like the idea of a breakfront.
Lovely home with lots of options…fun!
I suggest making the dining room a statement room with wallpaper. Wallpaper the whole room with an accent paint color on ceiling and moulding, if added. If those are sliding doors, stay away from a light colored rug and go with sisal or an oriental. Both hide dirt well, especially with a big family. The sisal will blend well with the existing decor. Add another interesting chandelier (love the one in the kitchen). You can put one long buffet, or two shorter buffets, pushed together for more storage. I would not put a mirror on that wall as it can reflect a messy kitchen (bad Feng Shui). Opt for a nice big piece of art as a focal point. It can be enjoyed from all rooms. I’m not sure what direction the dining room faces but that can help determine color and wallpaper. It’d be nice to find a wallpaper that has a touch of the dining room rug color to tie it in or that can be done through the artwork or chair cushions.
Good luck!
Love the idea of a huge breakfront styled with large mirror and art on both sides. it would fill out the space a bit, provide a ton of storage for tablecloths, candles, extra glass ware and china etc. and the top would be nice to use as a buffet. With a beautiful rug, it would warm up the space so much.
Love a fireplace in the dining area.
I have several beautiful quilts made by my great-grandmother, my mother, and my daughter. I like to hang them on large wall spaces. If there is room, I’ll put my Sheraton sideboard or a sofa in front. The quilts have the same impact as a large piece of art and are also a conversation piece.