The Dining Room will now be located where the family room currently exists. It will measure the same at 15'5" x 21'. This room is a great space for a large harvest table, but it was a little bit too shallow for a family room furniture layout. The butler's pantry, which is really also a wine/beverage center and a buffet area for serving, is well placed to serve the dining room and great room areas, as well as act as another focal point opposite the view outside. We have amended the plan to also include a box bay window seat.
The Dining Room will almost be a part of the future Great Room in this location. I like this concept. The room can be festive and inviting with this layout, but not separate from the main entertaining space as it is in many traditional homes. I think it's nice when people start to leave the table to relax in the great room, guests can still feel like they are in the same general vicinity. Plus, the big table can double as a grand buffet area during a large party. I have seen it done quite a bit in vacation homes in Colorado, and the mountains of North Carolina. Our style has definitely been influenced by both the rustic elegance and the functionality of the entertainment spaces in these homes. Although, our version will probably blend more effortlessly with the more traditional aspects of our home.
One of my favorite Dining rooms, done by Suzanne Kasler for a lake home, and the table I have admired for years. Our ceiling will have beams and planks too.
This fabric is in my home, and it has
so many of the colors we are using throughout the house.
I have had this photo for years too. It is much too traditional for me, yet still warm and inviting. I love the red wingback host/hostess chairs.
We have really had a hard time making decisions in the Dining Room. I want everything ordered and here for the holidays, so I know I am cutting it close almost half way through August. So many other areas are influencing this space, both indoors and out, and nothing has been completed yet. So, it has been sort of a leap of faith to start to choose furnishings. I feel confident knowing that I have chosen a table top design that I have had in my files for several years. Although this table top was designed by Formations, I will be working with David Michael Furniture to do some custom fabrication of this top design and place it on one of their table bases. The table base, which we saw in San Francisco last Fall, is stunning. I love the detail of the legs, as well as the iron scroll. For the chairs, I have decided to keep the chair backs square, upholstered, and relatively low. I want the Dining Area to be inviting from the Great Room, which will most likely be two steps down. I envision our formal dining area to be a well appointed, yet comfortable and casual conversation table. This room will have a great view of the landscape. The lighting fixtures will be subdued enough not to take anything away from the view outside. Maybe something in the simple realm.
Probably an antique...
Empel Collections
Bobo
Currey & co.
Festoni
The table dimensions we would like will be 96" long x 50" wide x 30"tall x 1 1/2 to 1 3/4" table top thickness. The table is walnut, and the grain is always running parallel to the finished edges, even on the curved corner section (see photos).
I would like the base legs to be set slightly wider than they are shown on the 817 model base. I belive they are about 58" apart, based on the 13"space of leg room on each end (85"-26"=58"). Anyway, I would like to comfortably fit three chairs between the legs when the table if not extended, so I think I would like then set at about 64" at the table top, and then the slight angle of the leg will allow for a few more inches of space for the chair legs.
Also of great importance...no sharp edges on the iron details. I don't remember if the leaf design was sharp or not, but I want to make sure it is not on my table.
I like several things about this top, but my favorite is this corner detail. Notice how the corner comes together using a third trim piece rather than simply joining two boards with the standard 45 degree miter.
I love the soft ogee edge detail on the top. I believe it finished off the same way on the bottom, rather than just rounding out, but it is hard to tell from my photos.
I also love that the planks are set horizontally rather than vertically in the framing trim boards. It gives the illusion of more width, and it makes the center leaf line less conspicuous.
There are a total of 18 planks inside the framing trim boards that make up the 96" standard length. By my calculations, it means that the planks are probably about 4.75", and the trim boards are probably about 5.25", to look similar to the plank, and still have room to complete the ogee edge. I think that the trim board flat surface ends up looking slightly less wide than the planks in the center, but is actually wider overall when you add the edge detail.
I am going to see if this table is still on display at the DC Design Center and try to get some specific measurements.
I am still on the fence about center leaves vs. an extension table. I am not sure I would like the extra bulk of the extension table rails, but maybe the could be set in farther so that they looked less like extra thickness in the table top.
The formations table base would not have worked for our needs. It would bug me that that stretcher was blocking everyone's feet....and I have visions of my children destroying it.
The base on the 817 model from David Michael is so beautiful in person. The catalog photo really does not do the finish detail justice. The problem with this table as seen here is that the apron hits the knees of a larger person sitting in the side chairs. We will have it made without the apron, since we do not require the leaves to be self storing. Problem solved! ;)
The finish color and level of distressing should be similar to the photos, but I have found samples that show more detail. I want to avoid red tones in the wood. I like smokey warm browns with yellow undertones. Darker mottling is nice, but not an ebony rub. The two samples below show a range I would consider.
8-16-2009. This sample is exactly what I was thinking. It is called Spanish Walnut from Bausman & Co. It is walnut wood and medium distressing. The stain just makes the walnut look deeper brown, but still lets the wood shine through. There is no red undertone, only yellow. I like the darker mottling with watermarks, and the edge that was allowed to absorb more color.
Some other detail photos of the Formations table.
I love both of these chairs in the photos below. They have lower backs, but are still upholstered and cozy. My research to find manufacturers has led me to discover that this style was among the first upholstered dining chairs available to the general public in England. Sometimes called the Turkey-work chair, named for the durable canvas backing for fabric that Turkish carpets inspired in the 1600's. Anyway, I am not sure whether or not to do the wood framed back, but I love the handle detail in the back of both of these chairs.
