warm it up for dinner

A little-used room gets a much-needed injection of warmth and style.

* the formal dining room has gotten a bum rap. It sits alone and unused, its uppity attitude keeping friends and family at bay. Good news: It doesn't have to be that way.

Shed the uptight mood for a tasty mix of sophistication and comfort. Decorator Sandra Lynn helped the Williams family do just that. Here's her recipe for success.

change direction

The first step was to discard unwanted furniture: hand-medown chairs and a dark buffet. The table, which was relatively new, remained but was turned in the opposite direction. It gives the illusion of elongated space when seen from the adjacent living room.

Sandra replaced the too-cheerful yellow on the walls with a subtle gold (Gold Strand by Sherwin-Williams). Eight new chairs, upholstered in a muted red-and-gold print, pull in colors from nearby rooms. The chairs look comfortable enough to be inviting, but they don't interrupt the elegant decor.

dress for comfort

The room, all dark woods and hard surfaces, was devoid of softness. Dressing the windows in generous draperies does the trick. Sandra chose raw silk for its texture. Because it's not shiny like a more refined silk, it avoids being too froufrou. Plantation shutters were replaced with Roman shades. Underfoot, a sea grass rug is a terrific choice. While it is a bit rougher, it perfectly echoes the look of the silk at the windows.

just say "oui"

Sandra added drama around the French doors by flanking them with two antique demilune tables. She had two mirrors ordered to size and framed in molding at a local framing shop. This is a budget-friendly option.

"Because we invested in the French demilunes, we chose to make mirrors using molding. This was a really good solution. You just pick a molding, and a framing shop will put a mirror in it for you," Sandra says.

use what you have

An existing built-in cabinet was dressed up with glass doors and painted the same glossy cream as the trim. Crystal and china are displayed on new shelves inside.

During the decorating process, Sandra discovered the Williamses' stash of wedding gifts. Homeowners Jim and Gwen have been married for years and have three daughters, but some of the gifts, including a collection of candlesticks, were gathering dust. To create a classic centerpiece, Sandra lined up the candlesticks along the table with crystal vases for fresh flowers.

In a space this warm and inviting, it won't be hard to make every occasion special. -AMY BICKERS MERCER

Make your own occasional table with our Demilune Table Project Plan. Detailed plans are available for $4. To order send a selfaddressed, stamped (with two first-class, letter-rate stamps), business-size envelope to Demilune Table, Southern Living Projects, P.O. Box 11407, Lockbox 1014, Birmingham, AL 35246-1014. Enclose a check for $4 payable to Southern Living Projects. Allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2006
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