A “Good Bones” Dining Room

A client in Lexington inherited a beautiful set of Scandinavian teak furniture for her dining room: a wall unit, table, and 4 chairs. But the beauty of this mid-century teak furniture was diminished by textiles, paint, and light fixtures that were competing rather than supporting the classic vintage designs. In addition, the chairs needed some structural repairs — and ideally the room would seat 6 or more. Two additional colonial-style cabinets were sitting in corners, but took the space over the edge to overcrowded.

Dining Room: BEFORE

Dining Room: AFTER

At the first consultation for this dining room, I told my client: “Feel free to find other uses for everything in this room except the teak furniture — the teak stays!” Using the clean lines of the Scandinavian designs as an easy spring-board, we toned down the competing colors by painting the room a soft neutral off-white, and trading the wool floral rug for an inexpensive soft gray jute (the floral rug is high-quality but just wrong for the space — we used it in the client’s study, which we were rethinking at the same time).

We contracted a local Danish furniture dealer and restorer to tighten up chair frames, exchange the bright blue wool for easy-clean black vinyl, and purchase two more refurbished chairs in a complementary style to bring table seating to 6. To add a touch of glam to the clean lines of the furnishings, the family splurged a bit on a new sculptural gold light fixture.

Off-the-shelf drapes and new window hardware framed the sliding door and added color and texture — and a custom table runner made from easy-wipe coated Marimekko cotton provides a tailored tabletop without fear of spills. Thoughtful shelf-styling with items from the client’s collection of family heirlooms with some added (thrifted!) trinkets finished the look.