MURRAY BUNGALOW : DINING ROOM PLAN

Today, we move into the room-by-room design plans for the Murray Bungalow, starting with the first room that you see upon passing through the front door: the dining room.

While the size and configuration of the dining room will not change in the new floorplan (see location below), this space will receive plenty of updates.

BACKGROUND

The dining room captured our attention from the very first walk-through of the property. First & foremost, the light! A trio of double-hung windows lines the room to the west, with another large picture window facing south, so the room feels airy and bright no matter the time of day. Even more natural light will permeate the space once we open up the front of the house (our plan is to convert the screened-in porch to an open air room). In addition, the room is blessed with beautiful millwork -- thick, hardwood trim surrounding the windows, substantial baseboards, and a framed-out cased opening that connects to the adjoining living room. Plus, a gorgeous hutch embedded into the back wall -- a thoughtful, hand-crafted feature that exemplifies the home's Prairie school design influence. There's no need for excess furnishing in here -- the perfect vessel to hold all of your entertaining essentials is built right in :).

INSPIRATION

The dining room in this house is the one space that has the ability to go formal. It's easy to imagine seasonal entertaining, cocktail parties, and holiday gatherings, all centered right here. As we update the room's aesthetic, the looks that inspire us most strike that perfect balance between comfort & sophistication -- at once warm & inviting, understated & elegant. We are especially drawn to the combination of goregous natural wood flooring and crisp white walls & trim, puncutated with a striking, matte black ceiling light fixture -- a mix showcased beautifully in all three of the dining inspiration images below.

SOURCES :
|1| Avenue Design Studio, |2| unknown, |3| Wendell Home.

DESIGN PLAN

Inspired to find the perfect combination of comfort + elegance, our goal is to highlight the room's cozy bungalow appeal while adding a touch of sophistication, all in keeping with the "warm modern" design direction for the home.

WINDOWS & TRIM | We plan to work with the original windows of the home -- they bring so much character & authenticity to the space, difficult if not impossible to replicate. That said, all of the trim framing the windows will receive crisp white paint. Likewise, we'll paint the cased opening trim and baseboards to match.

WALL TREATMENT | We'll remove all of the peeling mauve wallpaper and replace with new drywall. In lieu of the existing chair-rail, we'll surround the room with a half-wall of vertical v-groove paneling, painted white to match the rest of the trim, to add coziness and bungalow-appropriate visual interest.

BUILT-IN HUTCH | We love the built-in hutch and 100% plan to keep it, though not in its current state. Originally, we had hoped to re-store the hutch to a natural wood tone, but later found that a portion of the material had been painted over (chocolate brown). Instead, we'll re-finish the piece with one single neutral paint color (i.e. a soft white or grey), salvaging as much of the hardware and chicken-wire door paneling as possible.

LIGHTING | Last, we'll update the ceiling fixture. Given the abundant natural light in this room, there's no need for additional fixtures -- just one beautiful piece to ground the room, make a statement, and add a little bit of a modern edge..

Should be quite a turn-around, right? We're looking forward to diving in! We'll be sure to loop back around a little later this spring to reveal the completed space. Lots more to come :).

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