10 Fantasy Dining Rooms for a Good Cause

Two stuffed animals, a Technicolor washi-tape table, dozens of hexagonal mirrors and quite a bit of reclaimed wood adorn the walls, ceilings and floors of the 24 fantasy dining rooms on display as part of the Serving Up Style fundraiser for Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus. The event, which ran October 3 to 6, 2013, challenged 24 Portland, Oregon, design teams to come up with the wildest, most creative dining room possible.

Take a look at 10 of these fantasy dining rooms — from a color explosion to a casbah camp to a cowshed — to get a glimpse of each designer's creativity.

ColorBomb
Design team: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design

Garrison Hullinger covered his dining table in decorative Japanese washi tape in bright, brilliant hues. A Technicolor wall treatment and rug and eclectic wall art run with the wild and colorful palette.

Suggested menu: A colorful Neverland-style meal in which food doesn't exist unless you imagine it.


The Byre
Design team: Manor Fine Wares

This room's simple style was inspired by Manor Fine Wares' mascot: Tartare, a cow mount from a no-kill taxidermist (who uses only animals that have died of natural causes). The room is called The Byre, after the English term for "cowshed"; it was inspired by the modern movement in which old buildings are reused for new purposes.

Suggested menu: A local farm-to-table meal that reflects the room's humble cowshed roots.


Home Brew
Design team: Ida York Interior Design

Portland has a distinct style and ambience, and this room embraces some of the best of it. Reclaimed wood, elements from local breweries and trendy restaurant-inspired features convey the city's funky blend of old and new.

Suggested menu: Pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and bourbon balls over ice cream.


A Lair Fit for the Queen
Design team: The Art Institute of Portland and Ikea Portland

A crafty team of college students from The Art Institute of Portland put their Ikea expertise to good use in this room. The design revolves entirely around wall installations of Honefoss hexagonal mirrors, which reflect the gold light and accents around the space.

Suggested menu: The finest, freshest honey from the hive.


Glamp the Casbah: NW Meets Marrakech
Design team: Möbius Home and Studio G

Elements from Morocco and the Pacific Northwest blend in this casual, comfortable dining space. Salvaged, reclaimed, whitewashed and charred local wood (treated shou-sugi-ban style) covers the walls and ceiling, contrasting with the bright Moroccan-inspired colors.

Suggested menu: A Moroccan-fusion family-style meal with tons of spices, chicken shawarma and lamb tagine.


Tranquil Hideaway
Design team: Urban I.D. Interior Design Studio

An island setting with a stunning view sets the tone for this unique outdoor dining room. The designers created a space where they envisioned visitors unplugging and recharging from today's busy world.

Suggested menu: A tropical-inspired meal of ceviche, crab, tropical fruit and a hibiscus cocktail.


Twilight in Tanzania
Design team: Abode Design and Rejuvenation

The antique stuffed lioness and Victorian chandelier in this space dictated the theme. The mix of elegance with jungle style instantly brought luxe safaris to mind — the original glamping! A cotton tent, a wood platform and zebra accents tie the entire room together.

Suggested menu: Traditional South African pap en vleis (maize porridge and meat) with a Cape Town cabernet.


Up-Cycle
Design team: Portland Community College Design/Build Team

Portland Community College's Design/Build team tapped into the city's lively sustainable design movement for their room's inspiration. Many of the items were salvaged or reclaimed in some way, shape or form. The tree and reclaimed wood convey the importance of indoor-outdoor living.

Suggested menu: As with Hullinger's room, a dinner party here would be much like a meal in Neverland, with whatever food you imagine.


Feed Your Mind
Design team: YES Spaces

YES Spaces designed this dining room as a tribute to favorite childhood books. The chalkboard on the walls, for example, is a tribute to a book in the Cheaper by the Dozen series, in which the father painted on the walls of the family's home and left chalk treasure maps for his children.

Suggested menu: A family party meal including a formal dinner, followed by rousing board games.


Kervanseray: Traveling the Silk Road
Design team: digs Inside & Out

A prized mosaic chandelier found at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar sets the tone for this colorful Turkish-style design. Tulu rugs, plush pillows, pagoda lamps, suzani textiles and Turkish ceramics all come together beautifully underneath a flashy black and white striped tent, much like a pit stop on the infamous Silk Road.

Suggested menu: A Turkish feast with a mezes platter of hummus, olives and pita bread; lentil soup; lamb kebab; saffron rice; and honey-walnut baklava.

See the fantasy dining tables from last year's event

URL: 10 Fantasy Dining Rooms for a Good Cause http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21784.html