The Hurts' Reveal: a Bold & Dramatic Dining Room
When it came to the color for the Rebecca Hurt’s dining room we knew that we wanted to do something BOLD and DRAMATIC! After toying around with the idea of wall paper, the trendy color “mauve”, or a forest green we landed on Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball. A departure from the soft, neutral wall colors used throughout the rest of the home, this color makes a statement while undoubtedly remaining a classic - not to mention - it looks great with Rebecca’s collection of worn, vintage rugs and rich wooden furniture.
To keep things from feeling too “stuffy” we incorporated a variety of contemporary touches throughout the room such as a record player, the woven shade over the light fixture, and a medicine cabinet filled with pieces picked up via travels. We also choose to flank one of the windows with two large, black and white portraits of her boys. NOTE: not all dining rooms have to be designed alike! Since the Hurts usually eat in the kitchen or dining room, we decided to treat the “dining room” as more of a library/bar.
THE FUNCTIONAL NEEDS:
Flexible: this is a room that will continue to evolve over the years, so it was very important to keep the design flexible. While the Hurts eat most of their meals in the kitchen and then den, down the road they have plans to purchase a round, Mid-Century Modern dining room table and chairs, as well as a more functional buffet. We did our best to make this room work for now, adding in storage here and there, and giving it a cool library/bar vibe.
Bar Set-Up: right-off the living room and kitchen, this is the perfect room to pour guests a drink! We set up a discreet bar in an antique wooden chest below one of the windows, complete with decanters, glasses and alcohol.
Display: One of the main functions of the dining room is to display some of the Hurt’s most treasured items: two large portraits of their boys, pieces picked up from their world travels, collections, etc. This is a room for enjoying.
THEIR STYLISTIC DESIRE:
New Traditional: The Hurts are all about the “new traditional” style, pairing exquisite oriental rugs with wooden furniture, and brass with wicker; mixed together with more modern, graphic elements, as seen in the wall art, medicine cabinet, and light fixture. This is the modern American family home.
Bold: While the rest of the houses boasts neutral walls, we wanted to go BOLD and DRAMATIC in the dining room! We did this through choosing a dark wall color (Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball) and graphic wall art.
One of our favorite “moments” happening in this dining room is the vintage American flag nailed to the wall, with the brass candle-stick collection below. We gave this collection a youthful vibe by using a variety of colored candle sticks (ivory, red, gray, and blue).
To keep things from feeling too “stuffy” we incorporated a variety of contemporary touches throughout the room such as a record player, the woven shade on the light fixture, and a medicine cabinet filled with pieces picked up from the Hurt’s world travels. Being that this is a room where people would gather in, we wanted to provide some conversation starters!
Photography: Luke & Ashley Photography | Styling: Making Room for Peace
“I feel as if I stepping into a spa,” our client recently remarked. “It’s just so peaceful and elegant.”