Room of the Day: Dining Room Mixes Modern and Traditional — and Whimsy

These homeowners wanted the exact opposite of what most renovaters seem to want these days. Rather than tearing down walls to create an open floor plan, they wanted to put them up and create cozy rooms. “Our client wanted an oval for the dining room, because she wanted a separate space to entertain that didn’t feel like it was in the living room,” says interior designer Norah Meadows. She and her design partner, Nancy Mayerfield, created a dramatic room that flows with the adjacent new foyer and small jewel box of a music room.

Photos by Alex Gross

Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 2 elementary-school-aged children
Location: Chicago
Size: About 130 square feet (12 square meters)

Tthe space that is now the foyer, music room and dining room used to be one big, open space that was a living room–dining room. While lots of new walls went up during the gut renovation, there are still glimpses from room to room. “We knew there would be vantage points from the front door into the music room, down the corridor and into the dining room,” Mayerfield says. “Each room complements the others, and they feed off each other.”

Wallpaper: Diamondettes, Kreme


“These clients are pretty casual,” Meadows says. “They wanted a place where they could entertain groups, but they didn’t want it to feel like a room where children weren’t allowed.”

The client’s wish for an oval room presented some interesting design challenges. “We knew the table couldn’t have any sharp edges, and we needed to maximize seating,” Mayerfield says. The duo was about to have one fabricated when they stumbled upon this vintage racetrack table at a favorite source, Jayson Home. The top shows some wear and tear that gives it character and contrasts with the elegant floral wallpaper, traditional millwork and glass chandelier.

Classic Eames shell chairs bring in some midcentury modern style. “The overall look is simple and modern, and reflects the eclectic style of these homeowners,” Meadows says.


Another challenge was fitting the wallpaper pattern onto the curved walls. The designers sent very exact drawings and measurements to the manufacturer, who meticulously custom-printed the paper so that it would cover the curved walls in a seamless way.

“We knew we needed something traditional and light for the light fixture, but also wanted to add some whimsy — it was all a delicate balance,” Mayerfield says.

Wallpaper: Alcyone, Trove; chandelier: Audrey, Canopy Designs


They painted the doors in the hallway in Witching Hour by Benjamin Moore. The color complements the paint in the music room–library and the wallpaper in the dining room.


This is the view from the new library and music room. The designers used Off Black paint by Farrow & Ball. It complements the colors in the floral wallpaper, as seen from this vantage point.


In the library–music room, a cozy window seat bows out, mimicking the curved walls of the oval dining room. Knowing they were dealing with a small space, the designers pushed their clients a bit out of their comfort zone, persuading them to use dark paint and to add the vibrant overdyed antique rug. “It’s our job to learn what our clients like and then help take them to the next level,” Meadows says. “We made it a cozy little jewel box. The room is a comfortable little nook.”

The family was excited about getting an upright piano when the construction was completed, and now the kids are taking lessons. They also love to sit on the bench and read and play games on the floor in here. Meadows says, “We were both just a little bit skeptical about how small this room was before we started, but now it’s one of our favorite rooms we’ve ever designed!”

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