Winter Warming

Terry Plain poured herself into decorating her living room—then lost momentum with the adjoining dining room.

Photography by Anne Matheis

The problem: A sparse dining room that never really "came together" as a finished space

The goal: To create a room with elegance and style that felt warm, colorful and spacious.

The designer: Cheryl Elder, Cheryl Elder Interiors

Terry Plain initially approached us about redoing an upstairs bedroom furnished with a bed and dresser set she acquired in '85 as a high school senior. "While I still believe that '80s big hair rules,'" she wrote, "I am ready to venture out of that decade when it comes to my living space." Since we had just done a bedroom, we decided to give her dining room a redux, with help from designer Cheryl Elder.

Plain says she's great at collecting accessories but never quite knows how to "work them into the bigger picture." This is her first home, so she threw herself "into decorating the front room, but by the time I got to the dining room, I was worn out and didn't quite know what to do with it." Elder sat down with Plain to do some goal setting. What did she want the room to do? (Create a warm space for entertaining friends and family.) What was her budget? ($2,500.) Where should the majority of the funds go? (Toward chairs, display shelves and a sideboard.)

"There was not a lot of furniture, and the room needed a touch of color and a little warmth," Elder says. Butternut walls, fancy turquoise ascots on the windows and metallic lamps with flecks of gold provided just that. Art and accessories acquired on trips to Africa were displayed on new shelving, along with glass candleholders and pottery glazed in blues and oranges. The pair found the perfect dining room chairs, upholstered in a simple but exotic fabric, at Inside Outlet. When only two were available, Elder paired them with wooden chairs dressed up with yellow seat covers. (Avoiding a "matchy" look ultimately made the room more vibrant.)

After Elder put the finishing touches on the room (including elegant place settings and flowers for the table), Plain promised to keep her eyes shut and was led to the edge of the dining room. "Oh, wow," she said, truly bowled over. "Wow!" She exchanged a hug with Elder. Glowing and smiling, she said, "I feel like it's really a room now. It's eclectic and funky, which I love, but it's a grownup room—I really feel like I've grown up." And that's even without losing the sea foam green furniture in the upstairs bedroom.

Five tips from Cheryl Elder

1. Furniture doesn't have to be pushed up against a wall. Try angling two chairs around a table or making a conversation pit with your sofa and chairs.

2. Don't be afraid to mix furniture: You don't have to use the same finish for everything. Mixing wood with painted pieces makes the room more interesting.

3. When selecting fabric, have at least three selections: a solid, a plaid or stripe and a floral or mini-print.

4. Texture adds depth to a room: Woven or chenille throws, leather or fabric throw pillows, metal lamps, leather picture frames.

5. Hang a large mirror over a buffet or sideboard to lighten and brighten a room (this works well on a dark wall without windows). Place the mirror over a furniture piece and add two side lamps across from adjacent windows: the room will look much larger and brighter.

Step by step

• Measure room, including window sizes, and take an inventory of all furniture and accessories.

• Paint room “dark beige,” a butternut color that warms the room and makes it appear larger.

• Install new ceiling fan.

• Add sideboard, lamps and oversized mirror to the west wall to further brighten the room and create the illusion of space.

• Add colorful wool rug.

• Replace existing dining room chairs with two upholstered parson chairs; add two wooden chairs dressed up with yellow fabric seat covers.

• Place ladder shelving near door to create display space for existing accessories. Add earthy pottery and a hurricane lamp made from multicolored glass tiles.

• Mat and frame Josephine Baker art print; re-hang existing African art over new shelving.

• Install white wooden mini-doors between kitchen and dining room to create two distinct spaces and evoke a more formal atmosphere in dining room.

• Hang fringed ascots to dress up miniblinds, as well as a high, small window on west wall.

Bottom line: What would it cost?

Oversized metallic painted lamps, HomeGoods, 2@ $59.99—$119.98

Wooden Tuscan sideboard, Inside Outlet—$300

Wool area rug, HomeGoods—$200

Parson chairs, Inside Outlet, 2 @ $109.99—$219.98

Wooden chairs, Inside Outlet, 2 @ $89—$178

Fabric for dining room chair seat covers, Artistic Fabrics—$39.96

Placemats, Linens 'N' Things—$20

Dishware, homeowner's

Fluted wineglasses, HomeGoods, 2@ $14.99—$29.98

Wineglasses, HomeGoods, 2 @ $7.99—$15.98

Clear vase, HomeGoods—$19.99

Amber floral candleholders, HomeGoods, 2@ 7.99—$15.98

Small glass candleholders, 3 @ $3.99, HomeGoods—$11.97

Ceiling fan, Lowe's—$98

Paint, Benjamin Moore, Reineke Decorating Center—$60

Large mirror, HomeGoods—$79.99

Display shelf, JC Penney Online—$100

African art over shelf, homeowner's

Wooden African masks, homeowner's

Triangular ceramic bottle, HomeGoods—$14.99

Ceramic bowl, Tuesday Morning—$19.99

Small ceramic creamer, HomeGoods—$2.49

Small ceramic sugar bowl, HomeGoods—$2.49

Glass hurricane lamp, HomeGoods—$9.99

Small glass candleholders, 2 @ $4.99, HomeGoods—$9.98

Matting and framing of print, Hobby Lobby—$93

Ascots, Linens 'N' Things, 5 @ $14.99—$74.95

Tension rods, Lowe's, 2 @ $3—$6

Ceramic pot in small window, Tuesday Morning—$14.99

Grand Total: $1,758.68