FINE DINING

Many homeowners are putting the design of a home's dining room on the table.

A home's dining area is simple by nature, but the space has evolved, as the kitchen-dining layout has become more open by design. While some homes still have a traditional dining room with four walls, in many new houses, the dining "room" is an extension of the kitchen itself.

"The dining table plays a big role in bringing everyone together," says Marta Eriquez, senior director of interior design for Ethan Allen, in Danbury, Conn. "It's the place where we gather to catch up, break bread, honor traditions and create new memories with those who are dearest to us."

Unlike a family room, which often has multiple purposes, a home's dining room is about eating and entertaining. The ingredients for an inviting dining room are simple: a large table with plenty of chairs and a buffet or bar cart on which to serve food and drinks.

But, because of its simplicity, a dining room can be difficult to decorate or renovate. "Generally speaking, today's lifestyle is trending toward casual. However, many of our clients in the South still appreciate separate formal dining rooms," Eriquez says. "But one thing remains constant: Wherever the home, people want dining spaces that are functional, beautiful, and comfortable."

Treat the dining room as an extension of the kitchen area and make it a feast for the eye as well. Start with the flooring of the dining room and work your way up the walls. Wood, tile or stone floors found in the kitchen can be continued into the dining room, while a large rug makes the space more inviting and can also help define the area, especially if it is one without walls.

Look to the kitchen for continuity and cues in paint colors. If the kitchen and the dining area share a continuous ceiling, it's wise to keep paint colors the same, too. However, a separate dining room has more room for creativity, where homeowners can serve up drama with dark, rich paint colors and opulent light fixtures.

Rich red or midnight blue walls can create an elegant look, while black or gray coloring can set the stage for a thoroughly modern meal. Mirrors can reflect light in the space, while stunning artwork on the walls becomes the topic of conversation at mealtime. But, make sure all design elements work together to create an appetizing aesthetic that fits with the rest of the home.

Along with the food, the dining table is the focal point of the room and can be an investment that lasts for generations. Solid wood, metal or glass-topped tables are options, but should reflect a family's supping style. "It's okay to mix formal with funky. People are using furniture in new ways these days," Eriquez says. "When company arrives, it's not unusual for us to drag a wing chair up to the dining table, or borrow a bench from the foyer. It's smart to make the most of what you already own."

Eriquez encourages playing with your food space by mixing family heirlooms with new pieces to create a culinary hot spot. And, while homeowners may be moving away from formal dining room sets -- which can include matching table, chairs and buffet -- make sure your choices have unifying themes, including color, style and scale.

A quality dining table can cost at least $1,000, and go up from there, so make sure you try out the table before "tucking in." A rectangular table with four legs placed at each corner is a sturdy design, and, while a round pedestal table can create immediate intimacy, this style may also be more prone to wobble.

The size of the dining set is determined by the amount of space in which it is placed. As a general rule of thumb, the linear length or diameter of a table determines the number of people who can comfortably sit around the table. For example, a rectangular table that is six feet long can comfortably seat six, or a round table that is four feet in diameter easily seats four.

When it comes to purchasing chairs, on average, allow at least two feet at the table for plenty of elbow room and about three feet from the edge of the table to the wall, so people can push back comfortably. For dining options, purchase a table that can expand with the addition of table leaves. The best place to keep additional leaves is in the table itself, but if you desire a more intimate setting with a smaller table, make sure to store leaves flat, not standing on end, so the wood won't warp.

A buffet is a great way to store and showcase special dishes, but can also be pressed into service during a dinner party as a place to put appetizers and drinks. Illuminate the overall dining room design with a light fixture over the table that can foster warmth and a "wow" factor. Make sure a light fixture is centered over the table and doesn't hang lower than 36 inches above the tabletop. The larger the light fixture, the higher it should hang, but it should never be larger than the width of the dining table.

When not entertaining, enliven the dining space with candles and a seasonal centerpiece on the table, no matter your aesthetic sensibilities, Eriquez says. "Today, there are so many furniture options that it's easy to create a look that's uniquely your own," she says. "It's important to create a dining atmosphere that's inviting and comfortable so guests will want to linger longer."

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(NOTE: These photos are for ONE-TIME use ONLY. At Home photos, with the proper credits, are to be run ONLY with At Home stories. Conversion to black and white is OK.)

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com or the Universal Uclick Editorial Department at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

A NOOK FOR BOOKS

Today's homes are like an open book when it comes to finding the space to create a library.

The notion of a home library as a separate wood-paneled room with leather-tufted chairs and a fireplace can be an outdated one, especially given the way people live today, says Phillip Fletcher, owner of Durham Bookcases, with two workshops in North Carolina.

"As home design becomes more open with less interior walls, many people are incorporating home libraries into family rooms, entertainment centers or home offices," Fletcher says. "For those who love books, they want to actually live with them and not have them collecting dust in a room that's rarely used."

A space dedicated to a vast home library used to be considered a status symbol in the 1980s, Fletcher says. But the advent of electronic books and a general shift to a less-formal way of living has all but closed the book on the segregated style of home libraries.

"There are homes that have 10- to 12-foot-long interior walls, and instead of hanging artwork on them, people have bookshelves constructed to fit the space," Fletcher says. "Books can add artistic interest in the way they are displayed on shelves."

If you're planning a home library, you need follow certain criteria so the project is done "by the book." Ideally, it is best to have bookshelves placed on an above-grade, inner wall of a home, away from heating and cooling vents or a fireplace. Especially if books are collectible, it is best to have bound articles in a home environment in which temperatures remain stable -- around 70 degrees -- with a relative humidity around 40 percent. Too much moisture in the air can cause books to mildew and mold.

Also, bookshelves should be constructed away from direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting, since both can discolor book jackets and turn pages brittle. Fletcher says after determining where you'd like your home library housed, the next step is to measure how tall, wide and deep you'd like the bookshelves to be built.

"When building bookshelves, we're not building a rocket -- we are building a matrix of boxes," he says. "But, it's important to know before the shelves are constructed as to what you want to accomplish in the area."

If the bookshelves are going to be flanking a television, as part of an entertainment center, you need to make accommodations for the size of electronics in the bookcase design. Also, one size doesn't always fit all when it comes to building a better bookcase. Measure the length of larger books you want to place on shelves, so you have a shelf that fits their sizes.

Fletcher says the type of wood used for a bookshelf can affect the price dramatically. Typically, he says, built-in, customized bookshelves can start around $350 and go up well past $1,000, depending on the periodical project.

"Pine is the least expensive wood choice, with oak and maple woods running 15 to 16 percent more than a pine bookshelf," he says. "Walnut, cherry and mahogany woods can run 50 percent more than the baseline pine bookshelf, but that's not including moldings, flutings and extra design elements."

Once bookcases are in place, Heugh-Edmondson Conservation Services in Kansas City, Mo., advises placing acid-free liners on shelves before periodical placement begins. Wood contains acidic compounds that can harm books, and instead of displaying rare book editions on shelves, consider storing them in acid-free archival boxes.

While the way books are organized on shelves is personal, try to vertically group similarly sized books together. This way, larger books will not crush or warp smaller ones. Oversized books can be stacked horizontally, which can also create visual interest in a library, and preserve pages in large tomes.

Take care of texts by not overstuffing shelves with books and use bookends to keep loose books upright. To retrieve books, do not place a finger on the top of the spine and pull it down. Instead, push the two adjoining books inward and select the book by grasping it at the middle of its spine.

As the placement of the library in the home has changed, so has the design aesthetic surrounding book nooks, says Robin DeWolf, spokeswoman for Huntwood Custom Cabinets, a 25-year-old family-owned business of woodworkers, based near Spokane, Wash.

"What may have been a traditional -- even formal -- home library is shedding its fussiness," DeWolf says. "Bookcases are still elegant with moldings, but can be painted white or a contemporary color to match the design aesthetic."

No library is complete without a place to sit and read. DeWolf says the perfect scene for a library is set with transitional furniture -- a style that resides between often uncomfortable traditional and ubersleek modern chairs. Of course, proper lighting, which illuminates the reading task at hand, is best positioned over the shoulder and at an angle to reduce glare and eye strain.

"Books become all the more precious because of all the electronics and rushing around of our society; but they haven't gone away -- it's just that we are living with them in common places in our homes. " DeWolf says. "A good book is a good companion, like an old friend, and it feels like an indulgence to be able to sit and read as pages turn in your hands."

By the Book

-- Durham Bookcases, www.bookcaseshop.com

-- Huntwood Custom Cabinets, www.huntwood.com

- Purchase home library archival items through: Gaylord Brothers (www.gaylord.com) or University Products (www.universityproducts.com).

CAPTIONS AND CREDIT

(NOTE: These photos are for ONE-TIME use ONLY. At Home photos, with the proper credits, are to be run ONLY with At Home stories. Conversion to black and white is OK.)

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com or the Universal Uclick Editorial Department at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

NURSERIES: GROWING GAINS

The baby nursery has really grown up in the home. Featuring transitional furniture that grows with baby, today's nursery can be smartly sophisticated for the smaller set, while still appealing to a parental aesthetic.

You don't have to sacrifice style for small ones, says Danielle Kurtz, creative director for The Land of Nod, a catalog, Internet and retail store company, based in Morton Grove, Ill., which specializes in children's furniture, bedding and accessories. "The design of a baby's nursery should be an extension of your home's overall design," Kurtz says. "Gone are the days when parents might feel they have to check their style at the nursery door and usher in licensed character merchandise for children's rooms."

When it comes to the design of the nursery room itself, the handwriting's on the wall for cutesy "duck-in-bonnet" wallpaper with matching border or pastel pink- or blue-painted walls. Instead, neutrals are the new nursery color.

"Shades of white in a room make for a clean space, and serve as a backdrop for accessories with pops of color," Kurtz says. "Graphic wallpaper makes a statement and creates a focal point when hung on a single wall."

To keep walls as fresh as the day they were painted or papered, consider covering the lower part of the wall with durable and decorative wainscoting. But no matter how you break down the design of the nursery walls, make sure to start any project well in advance of baby's arrival, so the room is fume-free.

Building a baby's bedroom starts underfoot. Whether you roll out wall-to-wall carpeting or have an area rug over tile or hardwoods, a soft surface will visually warm the space and absorb sound, especially if you're checking on a sleeping baby.

A design starting at the ground level with a colorful or graphically dynamic rug can unify a color scheme for the diminutive dwelling. But for safety's sake, make sure any area rug is secured to the floor to prevent falls, especially when carrying a baby.

When it comes to furniture, a nursery requires only a few pieces for parents and baby to bunk-out: a crib; comfortable seating; a place to change diapers; and storage for wee items, including toys, books, clothing and blankets.

"The nursery revolves around the crib," Kurtz says, "It is often the largest purchase in a nursery, but also the most important, since a baby will spend a lot of time in it."

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission's requirements for selling a safer generation of cribs changed on June 28, 2011, to help ensure baby's sleep is not only sound, but also safe. A crib manufactured before that date may not meet federal safety standards, with unsafe features including drop-side cribs and ones in which the distance between slats measures greater 2 3/8 inches.

Mini-modern furniture with clean lines is the style many parents are choosing for their nursery. The Land of Nod's cribs meet safety guidelines, with prices that start at $649. Conversion kits are available for some models, so the crib can grow as baby's need for sleep is best met in a toddler or, eventually, a full-sized bed.

The International Association for Child Safety recommends that the placement of the crib not be directly beneath a window with corded blinds, or adjacent to other pieces of furniture, such as a dresser, which may encourage toddlers to climb. Also, parents should buy a firm mattress that fits snugly inside the crib.

Parents are investing in nursery pieces in the same style found in furniture throughout the rest of the home. A chair, lamp or streamlined storage unit can easily transition into the family room as baby becomes more active, without looking out of place. Also, nursery dressers can be modified to easily become a changing station, using The Land of Nod's "changer" top and pad ($149), for a piece that pulls double duty.

Kurtz advises parents to anchor pieces of furniture -- such as dressers -- to the wall, to prevent tipping when a curious child begins to climb. "Tip-restraint kits are included with our dressers to anchor them to the wall," she says. "You can also buy these anchors at your local hardware store; but the important thing is to install them into the wall studs."

After the furniture is in place, accessorize a neutral-colored nursery with colorful accessories that are gender-neutral. Blankets, pillows and artwork in atomic oranges, sea-glass blues, sunny yellows and sherbet-inspired greens enliven a space. Artwork can be both sophisticated and playful to reflect a personal style, but keep the space above and inside the crib clear of hard-framed pictures and soft throws.

Removable and repositionable decals, starting around $25, are a great way to be creative without fully committing to a design. Decals are as simple as 1-2-3, and range from A-B-C to animal motifs.

"You can be bold and adventurous in a nursery, using color and patterns, such as chevrons, stripes and polka dots. People who might be more conservative in the rest of their home can play in a nursery," Kurtz says. "There's enough to worry about when you're expecting and raising children, putting the nursery together isn't meant to be intimidating, it should be fun."

Nursery Know-how

For more childproofing and safety tips, visit the International Association for Child Safety at www.iafcs.org.

You can visit The Land of Nod at www.LandofNod.com, or call 1-800-933-9904.

CAPTIONS AND CREDIT

(NOTE: These photos are for ONE-TIME use ONLY. At Home photos, with the proper credits, are to be run ONLY with At Home stories. Conversion to black and white is OK.)

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com or the Universal Uclick Editorial Department at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)