8 Interior Designers, 8 Dream Schemes
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Murude Katipoglu, founder of Design Stories, says…
“We love using natural materials to add texture and depth. By fusing different styles and periods, you can create timeless spaces with a hand-finished quality. We wanted this scheme to feel calm and comfortable, with elements of warmth to make it perfect for long lunches and dinners with family and friends. We kept the overall colour palette neutral, with limewash walls, and layered it with antique furniture, heavy linens, aged leather and a beautifully textured mohair and wool rug. The green marble side table and 19th-century antique mirror bring a bit of luxury and balance to this scheme.”
Joanna Plant, founder of Joanna Plant Interiors, says…
“Balancing classical and contemporary is important when you’re putting a scheme together. We wanted this dining room to evoke a feeling of having lunch in a garden or conservatory – informal yet elegant. We’ve used a pendant light from Pinch made of banana fibre, which diffuses light over the scrubbed oak table, under which is a large rush matting. Together with the bamboo blind, the various materials have a relaxed, rustic feel. The pretty floral wallpaper and curtain fabric, mixed with a few vintage style accessories, gives a lovely cosseting feeling to the room, while still feeling fresh and bright.”
Laura Stephens says...
"This dining room was designed to be uplifting and pretty. The colours bring the outside in and feel Spring like and fresh. Washed wood finish on the furniture keeps things feeling light whilst brass and gilt finishes on the lighting and frames add warmth."
Christian Bense says…
“For this scheme, I took inspiration from a current project: a Georgian townhouse, where the proportions and architectural detailing of each room automatically push everything into more formal territory. The aim is to make the ground floor, particularly the kitchen and dining room, feel like spaces you can use at any time of the day, where you’re just as comfortable having a bowl of cereal in the morning as you are entertaining guests at night. To do this, we’ve been leaning into ‘spring’ elements to offset some of the stuffiness of the formal dining room, introducing organic and natural elements to balance everything out.”
Tala Fustok says…
“We recommend starting with a dining table that works for you, one that offers maximum flexibility and impact. We recently completed a beautiful project in Palace Gate, London and the client loved entertaining. We bought a large dining table with plenty of space for feasting and ample room for dinner guests. Light is also an important factor – it’ll allow the room to transform with the time of day, so take advantage of natural light and play with the contrast between different light and dark textures. Choose earthy colours to ground the space and soften the feel, while soothing tones are also brimming with warmth. Then, add character with statement pieces such as artwork, mirrors, and decorative accessories.”
Alex Keith, co-founder of Otta Design, says…
“Dining rooms certainly don’t need to be dark and traditional. This vibrant and colourful Pierre Frey Bain de Soleil stripe was the inspiration behind our scheme. Walls in Edward Bulmer Persian yellow provide the perfect backdrop to show off this stunning Julian Chichester dining table with orange mohair covered chairs. Layering lighting is so important, too – something we considered by placing a Soane rattan pendant overhead, coupled with wall lights from Pooky adorned with the prettiest hand-painted Sarah Blomfield shades. Our favourite Margit Wittig candlesticks add a pop of colour, as do the fun glassware and plates.”
Katie Glaister, co-founder of K&H Design, says…
“Never be scared to introduce some bold artwork into a room like this – pair it with a neutral background such as this Edward Bulmer Silver White paint to soften the space. Using four Josef Frank fabrics on the 695 Josef Frank armchair, we created an uplifting summery feel to the industrial style kitchen opposite the dining area. The colour story continues in the beautiful Lydia Mammes artwork. Then for dramatic contrast, we added a trio of Rose Uniacke plaster cone lights, creating a space that works by day and an intimate setting by night.”
Emma Deterding, founder of Kelling Designs, says...
"We went for a relaxed, botanical backdrop with bursts of dark teal to ground the scheme. The natural materials used throughout create a peaceful environment for both eating and entertaining. Sideboards are essential in dining rooms from a practical and visual point of view, so it's worth making sure the detail in the design can be enjoyed as much as the storage. Finally, chandeliers provide a great source of light, as well as a visual focal point – they create more of an atmosphere than standard downlights."
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