dining areas

A custom table in the breakfast nook features a contemporary base with a silver finish and a round white oak top in cerused gray.

The cane-back dining room chairs were Black’s first-ever eBay purchase, and the artwork is by Nancy Charak.

Modern and traditional meet in the dining room, where contemporary Jayson Home side chairs in wood and gray leather are paired with the homeowners’ own antique head chairs.

The only furnishings the family brought to their new home was this dining set, which was refinished and reupholstered with Romo fabric. It sits on a rug from Stark Carpet with a Lightmaker Studio pendant hanging above.

As in the rest of the home, the kitchen features natural materials, such as quarter-sawn oak floors and a granite island and countertop. A classic red Lacanche Citeaux range, Tabarka Studio’s Palio 1 tile backsplash, a steel-and-brass hood designed by Lisa Hilderbrand, and black-and-white photographs by Keith Dotson complete the space.

Like the house, the breakfast nook table seemed large at first but now feels just right. “We came with two kids and now there are four; we’ve definitely grown into it,” the homeowner says.

A pair of playful vintage monkeys from Trovare Home keep the formal dining room, with its Visual Comfort chandelier, from looking too serious.

The kids work on art projects at the banquette and custom SDS Design zinc-topped table that divides the kitchen and family room.

A trio of black-and-white prints featuring Elle Fanning, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Vanessa Paradis from Chanel’s Little Black Jacket exhibit bring a timeless and chic vibe to the dining room. The homeowner was happy to incorporate her fashion career into the home’s decor.

A series of molding-framed murals by Susan Harter could easily steal the scene in the dining room. Instead, Monahan selected the calming earth tones of grisaille, letting her mahogany dining table and antique chairs stand out. A chandelier from Arteriors accents a custom-finish ceiling painted by Deux Femmes Decorative Art.

Built-ins, such as the breakfast area’s banquette, give the home a ship-like quality.

The home’s modestly sized dining room doubles as a study/office with a nineteenth-century French refectory table, which is offset by a patchwork wool and silk carpet, Farrow & Ball wallpaper, and an antique Swedish Mora clock.

: Tharp chose a custom-built dining table in the shape of a surfboard. It sits near the entrance to the terrace, which is delineated by hydrangea-blue wooden doors, a backbone of the decor’s palette.

The designer sets her table with an eclectic mix of accessories from all over the globe, like this tablecloth from South Africa, her own line of ceramics, bowls filled with seashells, and a mix of glassware. “You should see the suitcases I bring back when I travel,” she says with a laugh.

Designer Liz Caan painted the original barn door in the dining area the same color as the kitchen island base (Benjamin Moore’s Mount Saint Anne) to tie together the two spaces. A heavy black trestle table contrasts nicely with lighter, more modern teak dining chairs with rattan seats.

An intimate dining area is simply furnished with a table from Noir and chairs from France & Sons.

In the library, a custom table and side chairs from Woodland Furniture are illuminated by The Urban Electric Co.’s Alexander fixture, while the bookshelves are lit by Visual Comfort picture lights.

The dining room is the central room in the house, and it includes a table designed by Martha’s Vineyard craftsman John Thayer and lighting fixtures from The Urban Electric Co. painted in a custom shade of red.

The designers sought to immerse Big Bluff in its late-1920s heritage, which meant using some of the original furnishings and sourcing other pieces, like these kitchen nook chairs, from places such as the Brimfield Antiques Show.

The dining area offers capacious views from an extension table found on Etsy and surrounded by Bacco chairs (designed by Omar De Biaggio, who named them for Bacchus, the Roman god of wine). Floors throughout are torrefied red oak.

Painted in a blue tone to match the waters of Lake Champlain, the dining room features a landscape mural by a local artist and a chandelier with wax candles whose light reflects off a high-gloss ceiling that increases the sense of space. The bay windows are original to the house.

A linear brass chandelier casts a warm glow for summer dining.

A custom banquette, roomy table, and eye-catching prints create a welcoming vibe in the breakfast area.

The high-contrast dining room provided the perfect canvas for a mix of moods—from the refined lines of the dining table and upholstered chairs to the bold metallic wallpaper and striking Cloud light fixture. The penguin painting is a crowd favorite.

The dining room’s white walls, like many throughout the home, were designed to display the family’s growing collection of modern art. The generously proportioned, custom-designed dining table is flanked by chairs that offer bold accents of color.

The custom teak campaign-style dining table was crafted by Kariba Woodworks in Sandy Hook; they worked with the homeowner, who turned the legs.

The stunning staircase of glass and metal rises to a casual family room that includes a dining nook and built-in bar. The Harvard logo was commissioned from artist Jennifer Lashbrook.

Vintage MR chairs by Mies van der Rohe surround the polished marble dining table. “The chairs already have wear and tear, so I don’t worry about the kids ruining them,” Frazier says.

Designer Dee Elms crafted sophisticated scenes and sightlines at every turn in the ninth-floor condominium overlooking Boston Harbor.

A tubular LED light from Luke Lamp in Mamaroneck, New York—twisted into shape by the designer and client—coils above the reflective surface of a Flexform Zefiro table and De Padova chairs clad in Spinneybeck leather.

On the dining area wall, the owners’ original photos of Ellis Island are displayed on inlaid art hangers.

The dining room exemplifies the important role of color, with its light green Brewster grasscloth wallcovering and the painterly velvet fabric on the lacquered chairs.

The breakfast nook’s table by Lorimer Studios is where the family takes most meals. Artwork by Christian Potter Drury adds a color pop.

The dining room’s custom built-ins have Niobe Beige marble countertops that double as serving surfaces. The Keith Fritz table, Sunbrella-upholstered chairs, and an Urban Electric Co. chandelier emphasize a circular motif.

Although gutted from top to bottom, the home retained its basic layout. The dining room is between the kitchen and living room, but all three spaces have a more open flow today. Clad in a Phillip Jeffries Bermuda grasscloth, the dining room exudes both elegance and comfort. The colorful painting is by Alberto Murillo, a Spanish artist who now lives in Florida.

A roaring fire on the screened porch makes for a pretty backdrop to spirited dinner conversation; the screened porch opens out to the pool and the ocean side of the property.

The statement-making bronze-finished steel doors open out, giving the dining room a European aesthetic. “It encourages the flow of indoor/outdoor activity,” says architect Thaddeus Siemasko. The dinner-party-ready dining table and chairs are from BDDW, and the modern light fixture is from Apparatus Studio.

New quarter-sawn oak herringbone floors lighten the home’s mood, as do the playful Miles Redd dining chairs.

A vintage copper artichoke chandelier illuminates the midcentury-inspired dining room in a Boston townhouse. In renovating, the architectural team took full advantage of the park-like views by opening up the rear of the home with an airy window wall.

Most of the art is by local artists from Provincetown galleries.

The fixture hanging above the table is a nineteenth-century Pennsylvania Dutch light in the style of an Italian Renaissance original.

Minimalist decor prevails throughout the home, including the dining room. The wall art of painted concrete panels adds just a hint of texture and muted color to match the velvet sofa.

Favorite objects create a personal tablescape atop Sister Parish’s Petite Fleur fabric.

Cohen says she’s traveled to two of the three places on her bucket list: Turkey and Morocco. The vintage suzani on the dining chair comes from Turkey. (The remaining spot on her list? India.)

The designer threw a cowhide over the dining room table she inherited from her mom. “I thought, hey, this is a dairy barn,” she says. “It’s stain-proof, heat-proof, and I can vacuum it.” The dining area’s framed lithographs belonged to Cupp’s husband’s great-grandmother.

The architectural team added a clerestory and wrapped windows around the formal dining area, bringing the property’s views to the foreground. Throughout the house, aluminum-frame windows and doors were chosen for their quiet palette. Bocci pendant lights dangle delicately above the table.

The dining room illustrates Dunn’s passion for stripes; note the ceiling, rug, curtains, and even the mirror’s subtle detailing.

The dining area next to the kitchen reflects the home’s new modern vibe—from the live-edge table designed by Rachel Reid to the industrial-feeling modular fixture that hangs over it.

The dining room’s azure rug and artwork hint at the home’s beachfront location.

A landscape by Vermont artist Craig Mooney adds a splash of color to the dining room’s quiet palette.

The mahogany dining table the husband grew up with is right at home here, illuminated by a wrought iron chandelier with recycled glass drops.

Pine walls and floors provide a clean, light frame for colorful midcentury furnishings, like the orange-shelled Eames chairs in the dining area.

Homeowner and designer Hannah Childs kept the dining room simple with a whitewashed oak table and Tolix-style chairs made comfortable with cushions. The painting, Fanya, is a beloved piece by Alice Neel, who was a family friend.

Banquette seating maximizes the relatively narrow space utilized for the dining area, which is further defined by an oversize print of curling surf.

The sunny breakfast room sits in the partially glassed-in front porch.

The vibrant watery-blue accents of the living room take a more dominant role in the dining room.

A combination of benches and transparent chairs surround the concrete-slab dining table.

Limestone floor inserts in the casual dining area lend a garden-room feel.

Upholstered host chairs join the heirloom dining table and Chippendale side chairs.

The graphic hooked rug, designed by del Toro, hints at modernity in the traditional dining room.

An eighteenth-century Breton table surrounded by reproduction English Windsor chairs makes the perfect setup for casual dining.

Photo by Peter Vanderwarker

A gorgeous alcove with unparalleled views holds the family’s only indoor dining space.

Pat combined traditional with contemporary, as in the breakfast area’s antique table surrounded by Eames chairs.

Because the house is on a hill, it provides one of the longest views in Truro.

High and low styles—a dining table from Roche Bobois, cabinetry from IKEA—coexist happily in the open kitchen/dining area.

High awning windows on one side of the house and low ones on the other create a constant flow of cooling breeze.

A cityscape of Manhattan on handmade paper by Barbara Macfarlane ratchets up interest in the dining area.

The casual dining area is part of the addition’s family room, and looks out over terraces and gardens.

The dining room walls are luxuriously upholstered with an overscale silk damask fabric. The sideboard is a 1stDibs find.

Removing a portion of the ceiling above the dining room created a loft-like second floor. The original wood-burning fireplace and baking oven were refaced with matte black granite for a contemporary look.

The hand-blocked, trellis-patterned wallpaper keeps the dining room feeling summery, while the round table softens the square room.

The custom wet bar crafted from reclaimed pine has a copper countertop and sink and an antiqued mirror reflecting the bottles and glassware.

Framed photos of palm trees above the high-backed banquette remind Edelman of his West Coast upbringing.

Metallic paper on the ceiling ramps up the glamour in the show-stopping dining room. Reider’s color scheme for the room, like the rest of the house, is based on neutrals energized with jolts of vivid color.

The dining room’s Saarinen table and chairs from Knoll serve up midcentury style beneath a contemporary chandelier. Light from an existing skylight floods the room, which was made even airier with the removal of a wall separating it from the kitchen.

The dining area is simple, with open cantilevered chairs, and a ceiling fixture that helps to define the space.

A walnut dining table and pale gray chairs adhere to the color scheme defined by the walls.

A built-in of stainless steel and faux-ostrich vinyl makes a striking display for art pieces.

A sultry Sophia Loren ups the glam factor in the dining area.

Design and durability unite in the casual dining area where a Verellen table is paired with Eames molded plastic dowel-leg chairs. The light fixture above provides minimal distraction from the views of the backyard.

A trio of brass elephants trumpet their presence behind the mirrored bar.

The bar room’s decor is built around the artwork on the wall, with a complementary color scheme, traditional moldings, and an oval captain’s window.

Reproduction loop dining chairs find spherical echoes in a cast-resin sphere chandelier and the Peter Dunham fabric on the head chairs. A weathered linen tea rose–hued wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries complements the vintage rug.

Gates brought a new level of comfort to the dining room with luxurious velvet-upholstered host chairs that complement the existing dining set. A custom wood and lacquer buffet balances the traditional style of the dining room with some contemporary lines.

Paint accentuates the dining room’s wood trim, while matching grasscloth minimizes contrast, so the room envelops you. Vintage Irish chairs anchor either end of the contemporary pedestal table.

At the table’s head, Plumb 12 (Leaves of Grass), by Henry Mandell, complements the dining area’s sophisticated tone. Intriguing accessories, like the trio of knot sculptures on the buffet, spark conversation.

The dining table has a top of hand-riveted zinc on a base of hammered aluminum.

The Paul Balmer painting in the dining room is Coughlin’s favorite. “Every time I look at it, I smile,” she says. She and Morris found the dining room’s unique ceiling fixtures during a shopping foray in Brooklyn.

The old dining room was updated with a lemon-colored bar and fanciful wallpaper.

The sunny breakfast room has an outdoorsy Saarinen tulip table.

In the dining room, Hollywood Regency host chairs and 1960s-era Steen Østergaard Cado chairs embrace a modern, burled-wood Parsons table.

Designer Tyler Karu wanted to create a “wow” moment in every room, so she turned part of the dining room into a picture gallery and chose Hague Blue walls to play up the gilded frames.

The kitchen’s dining area sports an arresting acrylic on panel by Duy Huynh and a contemporary Apparatus chandelier in blackened brass.

“The dining room’s focus is the wallpaper,” explains designer Kristine Irving, who also chose Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue paint for the ceiling.

The dining table’s pedestal base and the sconces display the turned forms that designer Rachel Reider favors.

The interior and the screened porch become one when a glass garage door is raised.

Tillett’s son Patrick McBride found the vintage Robert Kayton chairs at a flea market years ago.

Subtle textures in the grasscloth wallcovering, tufted upholstery, and a reclaimed wood fireplace make the dining room comfy, not fussy.

The condo’s beautiful crown moldings seduced the homeowners on first viewing; modern white-leather dining chairs keep the dining space from feeling too rococo.

The dining room features a round table custom designed by Roughan for the house; a graphic rug adds movement to the serene space.

Carefully chosen accessories and art stand out against the dining room’s simple ripple-fold curtains and pale walls.

A vintage chandelier appears frozen in air above the breakfast room table. The mirrored alcove separates the nook from the kitchen and provides another spot for decorative objects.

Nailhead trim on the upholstered dining chairs and Conrad handwoven shades at the windows introduce an extra layer of subtle texture.

Lindsey Adelman’s Agnes chandelier hovers above the B&B Italia chairs and dining table.

A built-in wet bar adds versatility to the breakfast nook.

Stripping, painting, and reupholstering the dining room chairs lent the beautiful but staid mahogany dining set a whole new look.

Designed by Tress-Balsbaugh, the Caesarstone-topped dining table creates a quiet focal point in an otherwise ornate room. The glitter of the original crystal chandelier is likewise subdued with a shade by Blanche Field.

A collection of pendants hung at various heights descends from the twenty-two-foot ceiling to illuminate the dining room. The owner’s Colonial-style chairs are just unfussy enough to play well with the home’s crisp, modernistic design.

Designer Phoebe Lovejoy Russell brought modern art and a contemporary light fixture into the airy dining room to balance traditional furnishings. The painting’s colors echo the room’s palette, while the candlesticks and striking chandelier are in step with Russell’s penchant for brass.

A prized woodcut by Jim Dine was given a place of honor.

A bump-out in the kitchen makes the perfect spot for a sheltered family hangout. The banquette makes the most of the compact space, and the chairs and table lend a modern note.

The dining room, with its graphic rug and X-based table, is an example of what the designer calls “casual, urban chic.”

An upholstered banquette and cafe chairs surround the breakfast area’s Saarinen table. Comfy cowhide-covered swivel chairs fill the sitting space off the kitchen.

A sculpture by New York artist Jeremy Holmes makes a statement on the custom wallpaper that wraps the elegant formal dining space.

The dining area can accommodate a crowd.

Elegance meets rusticity in the dining room, where a dramatic chandelier hangs above a live-edge walnut table.

Iconic Arne Jacobsen chairs ring the dining table.

Above the table, the outline of a polished nickel chandelier from Circa Lighting brings to mind a sailboat’s rigging and the motion of waves.

Chairs upholstered in a Jane Churchill print liven up the white milk-paint dining table from Circa Antiques.

Designer Richard Hallberg used two tables in the dining room to accommodate large or small gatherings; the woven rope patio chairs can be used indoors or out.

The sophisticated walnut dining room table sports a hand-planed top and rustic carved bases—a fetching contrast to the hearth’s edited frame. The living room’s vintage black barley twist writing table was among the first purchases made for the home.

The breakfast area is open to the kitchen and living room, which allows family members to engage in different activities and still be together; the framed commemorative scarf is a memento of one of the numerous Newport to Bermuda races the husband has sailed.

A twentieth-century Rockport School painting marks the entrance to the pantry.

Like much of the house, the bright, airy dining room is designed with invitingly neutral colors that, rather than compete with nature, invite it in.

The commode next to the kitchen banquette doubles as a bed for the owners’ Brussels Griffon.

A Ralph Lauren chandelier fitted with Edison bulbs illuminates breakfast chairs covered in hand-rubbed silver foil and matching laser-cut leather.

Mismatched chairs from Theodore Alexander surround a David Michael table in the dining room. “I don’t like cookie-cutter chairs,” Burke says. “I like to mix and match.

Nancy’s favorite wall color, Farrow & Ball’s Dix Blue, was the starting point for the home’s palette of blues and whites. The dining room’s pristine white walls get a warm boost from the antique chestnut that replaced the pine floors.

Bamboo pieces enliven the dining room’s pine dresser, which doubles as a bar

French doors lead from the living room to the dining room where a warm blend of colors creates a welcoming atmosphere, especially in the evening, the designer explains.

The kitchen table, grounded by a classic checkerboard floor, is surrounded with chairs from Crate & Barrel and Serena & Lily.

The silvery wall piece is by Providence artist Allison Paschke. An abstract painting by Michael Rich commands the dining end of the open living area.

In the breakfast area, a glass-top table in a white-gold finish is a subtle nod to nature.

Propane-fueled tabletop fireplaces play off the birch wall sculptures and take the place of candles in the chic dining room.

Surrounded by nature on three sides, the breakfast room creates the illusion of dining outdoors.

The kitchen’s broad, granite-topped island provides plenty of space to cook and entertain.

A contemporary Avrett pendant and butterfly-print pillows lend a youthful feel to the breakfast area.

The dining room’s eye-catching abstract painting by Boston artist Trevor Watson reflects the surroundings in its high-gloss surface.

Designer Andrew J. Paraskos let the view take the starring role in the family room, complementing it with furniture in sandy neutrals and grounding it with a textured rug that has a horizontal pattern to echo the transoms and subtle colors that speak to the water.

The expansive new kitchen has double Caesarstone-topped islands. Rift- and quarter-sawn oak cabinets are a modern interpretation of the Shaker style.

Goff designed a sliding barn door that lets the homeowners close off the dining room from the kitchen.

The breakfast niche’s walnut table is a delicious contrast to the oak floors, and with a custom banquette and upholstered chairs from Hickory Chair, the setting is as comfortable as it is stylish.

Dark and light make fine companions in the breakfast area, where seating outfitted in a mix of pale fabrics comes together around a custom table illuminated by a two-tier ring chandelier.

In the dining room, Griffin Balsbaugh took her cue from the domed ceiling, choosing furniture and accessories that echo its form, drawing the eye downward and around the room.

A mix of textures and materials—silk, linen, and velvet fabrics, shiny metals and glass—energizes the pale color scheme and injects a glamorous note.

Comfortable, durable seating was of paramount importance to the homeowners, who have three young children.

A modern bistro set and a sunny window seat add a splash of fun to the kitchen area.

The dining room fulfills the owners’ wish for a space that seats their large extended family without being too formal.