We all know we can spice a room up with wallpaper or add some dining room paint ideas to give it personality, but sometimes it's the more practical features that can truly bring it to life.
This was the case for one homeowner, who transformed his lack-lustre dining space into a bright, ordered room that's filled with dining room ideas perfect for entertaining guests.
Art Deco dining room makeover
Keen to give his bland dining room a facelift, Cedric Rondeaux from North London started by looking at the wasted space either side of the fireplace, and decided to add some bespoke storage. First, however, he needed to prep the room for painting.
'The room was empty and tired and lacked any shelves,' he says. 'So I started by soundproofing and replastering it, before going on to paint the walls.'
Before
With the walls plastered, Cedric decided the two alcoves were obvious choices for storage. 'I wanted a drinks cabinet with wine racks in one,' he says, 'while the second alcove would be perfect for storing vinyls and DJ equipment, like my turntables, amplifier and speakers.'
Ready to see the difference?
After
The new-look room boasts Art Deco glam, retaining the beautiful period fireplace with a fan-shaped mirror above.
'It took about three months to makeover the room,' says Cedric, 'and we took our time when it came to painting the walls. I wanted the colour scheme to be a bit different, as I'm bored with grey, so it's painted a fresh plaster colour called "Soda Pink" by Dulux, and I love how it looks now.'
The biggest transformation, however, is the bespoke furniture in both the alcoves.
'I couldn't find shelves that would give me the storage space I needed, while not clashing with the 1930's-style fireplace,' says Cedric. 'While researching online I came across Bespoke Carpentry London's website and absolutely loved their work. Plus, by going bespoke it meant we'd be able to choose our own colour for the shelves.'
'Having lots of extra storage without compromising the look of the room was important to us and we were very impressed with the craftsmanship of the carpenters and painter,' he continues.
'The drink cabinet needed to have glass windows, enough storage for bottles and glasses and a wine rack,' says Cedric. 'Then the other shelves needed to be strong enough to support a fair amount of records, and to be high enough for me to play them without breaking my back, while having extra storage underneath.'
On the other side of the room, the pink wall colour has been continued, while the dark wood table ties in with the fireplace surround.
'It was the first time I'd undertaken such a project and I was a little apprehensive at first, wondering whether what was beautiful in my mind would still look as good once materialised,' explains Cedric. 'Thankfully, the result exceeds my expectations. Not only does the room look much brighter and feels cosier than before, but it is now perfect for us to have dinner parties and entertain our guests.'
