Creating smaller areas within a large kitchen creates everyday flexibility. The gallery serves as the understated approach to the primary suite and also provides a smaller dining experience for the homeowners for morning coffee overlooking their backyard. The cozy nook radiates the mood of a Euro café. Glass spans the length of the gallery, flooding it with year-round sunlight. Wood flooring in the kitchen transitions to a deeply-hued natural slate, warming the white perimeter. French doors connect easily to the outside spaces and are capped with arched windows to express the transom theming.

Stunning green walls (Benjamin Moore "Night Train" #1567) surround large double hung windows and a seeded glass china cabinet. Black Chippendale chairs cozy up to the natural wood table, and a sisal rug keeps it all from being too serious.

This dining room is a play in textures. Textured wallcovering, a live edge dining table, a reflective globe chandelier harmonize together.
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional separate dining room in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, brown floor, recessed and wallpaper.

Dining space with pass through to living room and kitchen has built -in buffet cabinets. Lighted cove ceiling creates cozy atmosphere. Norman Sizemore-Photographer

Inspiration for a large midcentury open plan dining in Los Angeles with yellow walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, timber and planked wall panelling.

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW As with most projects, it all started with the kitchen layout. The home owners came to us wanting to upgrade their kitchen and overall aesthetic in their suburban home, with a combination of fresh paint, updated finishes, and improved flow for more ease when doing everyday activities. A monochromatic, earth-toned palette left the kitchen feeling uninspired. It lacked the brightness they wanted from their space. An eat-in table underutilized the available square footage. The butler’s pantry was out of the way and hard to access, and the dining room felt detached from the kitchen. Lead Designer, Stephanie Cole, saw an improved layout for the spaces that were no longer working for this family. By eliminating an existing wall between the kitchen and dining room, and relocating the bar area to the dining room, we opened up the kitchen, providing all the space we needed to create a dreamy and functional layout. A new perimeter configuration promoted circulation while also making space for a large and functional island loaded with seating – a must for any family. Because an island that isn’t big enough for everyone (and a few more) is a recipe for disaster. The light white cabinetry is fresh and contrasts with the deeper tones in the wood flooring, creating a modern aesthetic that is elevated, yet approachable for everyday living. With better flow as the overarching goal, we made some structural changes too. To remove a bottleneck in the entryway, we angled one of the dining room walls to create more natural separation between rooms and facilitate ease of movement throughout the large space. At The Kitchen Studio, we believe a well-designed kitchen uses every square inch to the fullest. By starting from scratch, it was possible to rethink the entire kitchen layout and design the space according to how it is used, because the kitchen shouldn’t make it harder to feed the family. A new location for the existing range, flanked by a new column refrigerator and freezer on each side, worked to anchor the space. The very large and very spacious island (a dream island if we do say so ourselves) now houses the primary sink and provides ample space for food prep and family gathering. The new kitchen table and coordinating banquette seating provide a cozy nook for quick breakfasts before school or work, and evening homework sessions. Elegant gold details catch the natural light, elevating the aesthetic. The dining room was transformed into one of this client’s favorite spaces and we couldn’t agree more. We saw an opportunity to give the dining room a more distinguished identity by closing off the entrance from the foyer. The relocated wet bar enhances the sophisticated vibe of this gathering space, complete with beautiful antique mirror tiles and open shelving encased by moody built-in cabinets. Updated furnishings add warmth. A rich walnut table is paired with custom chairs in a muted coral fabric. The large, transitional chandelier grounds the room, pairing beautifully with the gold finishes prevalent in the faucet and cabinet hardware. Linen-inspired wallpaper and cream-toned window treatments add to the glamorous feel of this entertainment space. There is no way around it. The laundry room was cramped. The large washer and dryer blocked access to the sink and left little room for the space to serve its other essential function – as a mudroom. Because we reworked the kitchen layout to create more space overall, we could rethink the mudroom too – an essential for any busy family. The first step was moving the washer and dryer to an existing area on the second floor, where most of the family’s laundry lives (no one wants to carry laundry up and down the stairs if they don’t have to anyway). This is a more functional solution and opened up the space for all the mudroom necessities – including the existing kitchen refrigerator, loads of built-in cubbies, and a bench. It’s hard to not fall in love with every detail of a new space, especially when it serves your day-to-day life. But that doesn’t mean the clients didn’t have their favorite features they use on the daily. This remodel was focused largely on function with a new kitchen layout. And it’s the functional features that have the biggest impact. The large island provides much needed workspace in the kitchen and is a spot where everyone gathers together – it grounds the space and the family. And the custom counter stools are the icing on the cake. The nearby mudroom has everything their previous space was lacking – ample storage, space for everyone’s essentials, and the beloved cement floor tiles that are both durable and artistic.

ダイニングには大きな伸長式テーブルを配置し、大人数によるパーティにも対応できるようにしました。 雪見障子からは中庭を眺めることができます。
Inspiration for a mid-sized separate dining room in Other with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, brown floor, timber and planked wall panelling.

Photo of a traditional dining room in Nashville with multi-coloured walls, dark hardwood floors, timber and wallpaper.

After the second fallout of the Delta Variant amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in mid 2021, our team working from home, and our client in quarantine, SDA Architects conceived Japandi Home. The initial brief for the renovation of this pool house was for its interior to have an "immediate sense of serenity" that roused the feeling of being peaceful. Influenced by loneliness and angst during quarantine, SDA Architects explored themes of escapism and empathy which led to a “Japandi” style concept design – the nexus between “Scandinavian functionality” and “Japanese rustic minimalism” to invoke feelings of “art, nature and simplicity.” This merging of styles forms the perfect amalgamation of both function and form, centred on clean lines, bright spaces and light colours. Grounded by its emotional weight, poetic lyricism, and relaxed atmosphere; Japandi Home aesthetics focus on simplicity, natural elements, and comfort; minimalism that is both aesthetically pleasing yet highly functional. Japandi Home places special emphasis on sustainability through use of raw furnishings and a rejection of the one-time-use culture we have embraced for numerous decades. A plethora of natural materials, muted colours, clean lines and minimal, yet-well-curated furnishings have been employed to showcase beautiful craftsmanship – quality handmade pieces over quantitative throwaway items. A neutral colour palette compliments the soft and hard furnishings within, allowing the timeless pieces to breath and speak for themselves. These calming, tranquil and peaceful colours have been chosen so when accent colours are incorporated, they are done so in a meaningful yet subtle way. Japandi home isn’t sparse – it’s intentional. The integrated storage throughout – from the kitchen, to dining buffet, linen cupboard, window seat, entertainment unit, bed ensemble and walk-in wardrobe are key to reducing clutter and maintaining the zen-like sense of calm created by these clean lines and open spaces. The Scandinavian concept of “hygge” refers to the idea that ones home is your cosy sanctuary. Similarly, this ideology has been fused with the Japanese notion of “wabi-sabi”; the idea that there is beauty in imperfection. Hence, the marriage of these design styles is both founded on minimalism and comfort; easy-going yet sophisticated. Conversely, whilst Japanese styles can be considered “sleek” and Scandinavian, “rustic”, the richness of the Japanese neutral colour palette aids in preventing the stark, crisp palette of Scandinavian styles from feeling cold and clinical. Japandi Home’s introspective essence can ultimately be considered quite timely for the pandemic and was the quintessential lockdown project our team needed.

Expansive modern open plan dining in Berlin with green walls, carpet, a wood stove, a plaster fireplace surround, beige floor, recessed and panelled walls.

Inspiration for a small contemporary dining room in New Orleans with grey walls, travertine floors, beige floor and recessed.

Photo of a mid-sized modern open plan dining in Yokohama with white walls, plywood floors, no fireplace, beige floor, timber and planked wall panelling.

Walker Road Great Falls, Virginia modern home open plan kitchen & dining room with breakfast bar. Photo by William MacCollum.
Photo of an expansive contemporary kitchen/dining combo in DC Metro with white walls, porcelain floors, grey floor and recessed.

Design ideas for a large transitional separate dining room in Detroit with grey walls, light hardwood floors, brown floor, recessed and wallpaper.

Traditional dining room in Raleigh with medium hardwood floors, brown floor, recessed and wallpaper.

This is an example of a beach style kitchen/dining combo in Boston with light hardwood floors, brown floor, timber, white walls and no fireplace.

Transitional open plan dining in Moscow with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and recessed.

Photo of a beach style dining room in Philadelphia with white walls, brick floors, red floor, timber, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional separate dining room in Dallas with white walls, brown floor, medium hardwood floors, exposed beam, timber, vaulted, planked wall panelling and decorative wall panelling.