A “Super Plain” Dining Room’s Makeover Has the Boldest Retro Wallpaper
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: House
PROJECT TYPE: Dining Room
STYLE: Colorful, Eclectic, Maximalist
SKILL LEVEL: DIY, Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
Adding bold patterns to a formerly plain white space definitely creates a striking transformation, which is exactly what Nate Klass (@natedotklass) was going for when he turned his dining room into an eclectic entertaining space.
When he first began renovating his house, Nate worked with Kerith Eckart, a local interior designer, to craft out his dream design. From there, with Kerith’s suggestions in mind, Nate worked on his own to redesign various rooms in his house. This included the dining room.
Two construction projects kicked off the room redo.
Nate says that the room was “super plain” to begin with. Simple hanging fixtures were the only semblance of decoration, and large pantry closets took up a considerable amount of space. “It hurt my heart to remove [the closets], but it really opened up the space a ton,” he says.
Earlier in the renovation process, Nate had replaced the flooring. He says this helped to create a simple backdrop for the rest of the furniture and decor, and after that a few simple but incredibly stylish choices made a big difference.
Bold wallpaper is the star of the show.
Nate says the wallpaper (an Anthropologie find) and dark blue trim paint are the most striking additions to the dining room.
“A bold wallpaper might seem intimidating, but it really helps to define the space,” he says. “Keeping the same trim color in the entry, living room, and dining room helps to tie them all together.” The navy-meets-teal trim color is Benjamin Moore’s Midnight Blue.
The statement light fixture has a DIY twist.
Although Nate and Kerith originally picked “a sort of steampunk fixture that had globe lights” for the dining room lighting, it never felt quite right.
Nate decided to create a DIY version of some more abstract ones he’d seen with long cords wrapped around something slim and rectangular. He bought two pieces of birch from Etsy — “a natural element that mixes it up a bit,” he says — and combined them with lots of colorful cords from the Color Cord Company.
“The leather wrapping the logs and the brass wire were included to tie it into the room more,” he explains of the project. “Several bulbs hang low over the large dining table, exuding an intimate feel.”
Furniture and artwork complete the dining room.
The table and bench are from Logan Industrial, the hutch is a Herman Miller piece, and the subtly mismatched chairs suit the vibe perfectly. Nate loves to entertain his friends and host dinner parties. He says that the dining table is usually ready for six people, but he has two leaves for the table to expand up to 10. It’s a tight squeeze at 10 people, but he’s made it work before!
Tying everything together is the large-scale painting on the wall, which was painted by Nate’s great-aunt, the late artist Shirley Gorelick. “I love her work so much and am so happy I have a space to honor her in my home,” Nate says.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
