In most South African homes, the dining room is not only the place where guests are entertained; it’s also where families catch up on their day and share a meal, where homework gets done and where the bills get paid – all the more reason for this multi-tasking space to be beautiful too!

The narrow dining area is part of an open-plan kitchen and living room. There’s not enough space for a server so it was left only with a table and chairs. The result was a very plain room in desperate need of some personality.

The Transformation

A bright turquoise focal wall (Plascon’s Mystic Fog) adds a pop of colour and works as a palette for the accessories. A voile curtain from Biggie Best was hung to obscure the view to the braai room through the adjacent sliding doors; the voile not only softens the face brick but also breaks up the hard lines in the room.

The large mirror behind the table only served to elongate an already long room and so it was replaced with a simple ledge made from timber moulding on which family portraits are now proudly displayed. The ledge was finished with two coats of Annie Sloan ChalkPaint in Granite.

The table was turned sideways to create more walking space around it and a print from Mr Price Home was hung against the turquoise wall to break the solid colour. A white chandelier with a few delicate crystals above the table, also from Mr Price Home, finishes off the look.

 Costs

• (The dining chairs and carpet were purchased some time ago.)
• Timber, hardware and mouldings R200
• Paint on ledge (250ml) R55
• Paint on wall (5L) R299
• Print R180
• Chandelier R900
• Curtain R635
• Other décor accessories R1 342
• Electrician R550

TOTAL R4 161

Text and images: Home magazine