Today we're revealing a great design project that truly prioritizes working with a smaller budget and existing pieces. It's definitely possible to create a great space with these constraints - actually, it sometimes is much more gratifying to have worked with those challenges and come out the other side with a great space and happy clients!
Of course, we have to start with the before photo:
Blue, blue, and more blue! This client wanted a lighter, more youthful dining space, but due to budget constraints, needed to keep the dining table and chairs. We know this is a reality that most designers don't focus on, but it's important to us to share projects like this to illustrate that it CAN be done, and be done well...
We're going to break down the categories where we chose to change things up and why. Plus because I know many of y'all may be wondering what the actual budget was, I can share we were able to get this gorgeous result using a few new key pieces for under $10,000, including our design fees!
REARRANGING: To make the room feel more spacious, we decided to flank the new console with the existing head chairs. This keeps them accessible for large dinners, but also fills the large focal wall you see from the entry hallway.
PAINT: The mid toned blue walls and darker ceiling were keeping this room feeling smaller and darker than it could be. We painted the walls in a very light cool gray, and painted the ceiling white to reflect light back down into the space.
LIGHTING: The previous chandelier was the wrong style and size for the client and for the room. We switched it out for a longer, visually open chandelier in a brass finish to warm up the cooler tones in the room. The style echoes the traditional style of the dining set, but also modernizes the entire room! This was definitely the biggest investment piece for this room but you can't deny the wow factor it adds.
RUG: The lack of a rug before kept the space from feeling finished. Going with a textured woven light cream rug also separated the dark wood dining table from the mid toned wood floors, which automatically makes the room feel lighter.
CONSOLE: Adding storage in this room was important to the client, and all entertaining supplies get stored here, ready for any dinner party or game night. Seeing as this was the only piece of new large furniture, it needed to be a statement. The light gray wood finish plays off the new wall color, and the lucite and brass handles tie into the lighting quite nicely and add a little bling!
ACCESSORIES: Speaking of tying in, the mirror above the console actually was in another room of the house, but it made the perfect addition on this wall to pull in one more brass element. The two vases and table lamp also added some blue back into the room in much smaller doses.
We also added a big square lantern light fixture in their entrance hallway which is right off the entrance to the dining room. Needless to say it added a huge statement in their entrance, and ties it in nicely with the redesigned dining room!
What did you think of this project? Do you want to see more one room projects like this that work with existing pieces? Leave a comment below and let us know!