Have you seen Sarah Richardson's shows on HGTV? I learned about her when the show Sarah's cottage aired on HGTV and have been a fan since. The DVR recordings of Sarah's shows kind of replaced all of my existing design shows (Candice Olson, Genevieve), magazines (Veranda, House Beautiful) etc. I rarely watch any other show now. I started watching her shows again and again to study them.I figured after a hundred times I will be able to understand how she designs her rooms with good flow, harmony and freshness. This is one of those hundred attempts. Follow along if you are interested. Any suggestions, tips, corrections welcome! Let us consider this a group study :).
http://pinterest.com/pin/146226319121814276/
Courtesy: http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com
This is one of my favorite dining space from Sarah's house. One of the simpler ones too. So let us jump right in.
The first thing that caught my eye was the serenity of the space. It comes from the fact that the colors used are all muted and in the same family. All the colors are in the white/ cream/ light brown family. The wall paint is China White ICI# 45YY 74/073 from ICI Dulux paint, the trims and ceiling are Natural White ICI# 50YY 83/029. (One of my future projects is to find matching paints from the US brands.)
The dining table is the highlight of this pretty space. The bamboo dining table is unique and elegant. The glass table top keeps it airy. The bamboo legs keeps up with the color scheme and gives a slightly feminine touch with the braiding. Elegant! I think the light brown wood tone of the bamboo legs adds some warmth too. (By the way, a Google search for such a table did not return anything remotely pretty, phew! Sarah got it at Ritchies Auctioneers.)
I don't have any huge liking for the dining chairs. I think any reasonably good chair would work here. The main thing in this department is the color ad pattern of the fabric covering it. It is sort of a quiet pattern. The lighter shade piping also adds a nice touch to it. (Imagine it without the piping, I think it would not look as nice as it is now).
Next up is the drapes. I LOVE them!!! They look airy and elegant. Not heavy. Not boring. Not too loud. I think the pattern is lovely. The drapes like the dining table is a star in this space.
Let us not forget the chandelier. (I am generally on the fence about chandeliers.) The silver tone of the chandelier gives an unexpected twist to the scene. Its a departure from the creamish color family. But this departure is one of the aspects that makes the space interesting and not boring. (Typical Sarah!)
One of the last elements in this space is the dark wood floor. The dark wood adds some warmth and adds some contrast. This, in my opinion makes the space interesting (just creams and beiges can add to BORING.) Also note, there is no rug! I had heard a lot on HGTV shows that it is ideal to have rugs to separate spaces. I guess there is no such rule! I like the look of no rugs here.
The artwork. Not too much. Small pictures in a single frame. Not too much to add here.
Is that trim that is going over the curtain rods? It works for the room nicely. I don't understand much about it though.
Last but not the least, the vase of white flowers and green leaves kind of pulls it all together. Doesn't it? :) Nothing like fresh flowers. Makes me smile :).
All the above are my rookie thoughts. I will be glad to hear the thoughts from experienced or starter folks out there!
