The Unfussy Formal Dining Room

Yes, this is a room with no double duty! There are other places to eat and relax in this home, so this one could go glam with a scenic garden wallcovering and decorative details that feel right for this 1923 house.

The room is very light and so I knew we’d want a darker dining table to ground the space — its ebony finish really adds gravitas to the room. And with chairs, we often pick host and hostess chairs that are different from the others; I like to break it up!

This isn’t a room that gets wear-and-tear. It’s a room for special meals, so you can get away with a natural fiber like sisal or jute. A natural fiber rug is important in a glamorous room because it keeps the space from being too precious or over-the-top...it tempers the whole look.

The key to using wallpapers in rooms that view onto each other is to pick ones with a unifying thread, such as a color, but with different movement, scale or motif.

It depends on the architectural style of the house and the mood we are going for, but for me, lighter floors feel more casual, while darker toned floors feel elegant and timeless.

If you look closely, you’ll see that the trim and the windows are painted in this really pretty blue hue instead of white, which is a beautiful detail but also ties in with the silk-stripe pinch-pleat drapery. The chandelier feels like a more modern version of the Georgian original that would have come with the house — and the glass means it doesn’t distract from the wallpaper!

Benjamin Moore White Dove is infallible. It works in almost every space. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a crisper and brighter white. And I will always love Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge as a dusty, French blue.

Interview by Sophie Donelson