Dining
Install clerestory windows. We can’t always puncture a wall with a window at eye level, but clerestory windows can be equally effective in brightening up interiors. Clerestory windows sit high in your wall, as shown in this house in Melbourne, Australia, and because they are positioned above your sightline, they rarely compromise your privacy. They are also especially effective in letting light into dim, excavated rooms.Browse homes with clerestory windows
Adopt glass backsplashes. Can’t afford to lose valuable cabinet space by replacing your wall-mounted kitchen cabinets with a window? Try using a window for your backsplash instead, as Rudolfsson Alliker Associates Architects did in this residence in Sydney. Natural light will illuminate your countertops and provide important task lighting for cooking. Window backsplashes are possible when your kitchen butts up against an exterior wall. If yours runs along an interior wall, try using a mirrored backsplash instead.
Use transom and sidelight windows. This Sydney home uses a sophisticated series of interior French doors to borrow light from adjacent rooms. Designed by Luigi Rosselli Architects and Decus Interiors, the transom windows (which crown the tops of the French doors) and the sidelight windows (which flank the opening) more than double the aperture and maximize the amount of light that travels from room to room.Sidelights, transoms and fanlights (which also sit above doorways and are arched or elliptical) can usually be retrofitted with relative ease.
2. Family-Friendly In Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, this kitchen’s corner banquette has nautical style that doesn’t go overboard. Light oak wood, blue-and-white patterned pillows and a glass pendant light feel seaworthy but balanced thanks to classic midcentury modern Eames shell chairs and tulip bases for the table. Takeaway: If you want a subtle coastal look, leave the shells, crabs and anchors in the sea and use color and texture instead. Learn more about this kitchen renovation
4. In the RoundRound dining tables are more casual and conversation-encouraging than rectangular ones. The placement of this dining space makes it versatile. It can serve as catch-as-catch-can breakfast nook and, with some changes to the lighting scheme, a formal dinner spot. Takeaway: Upholstered chairs keep diners comfortable and able to sit and chat for hours. Browse round dining tables
7. Texas Hill Country StyleLocated in the Hill Country outside Austin, Texas, this open dining space nods to local ranch vernacular. The ceiling and lighting recall a barn, while the kitchen is set up to look like a building within a building. Look at the backside of the kitchen — it’s a well-placed, built-in wet bar. The long rectangular table stands up to the scale of the log rectangular house.Takeaway: Whether you’re placing a built-in home bar or rolling a bar cart, a spot somewhere between the kitchen and dining table is often a good one.
8. Scandinavian SimplicityMost of us were drooling over this incredible seaside view, and that’s thanks to the thoughtful light hand that decorated the room. Crisp white, driftwood-like wood tones and a rug that looks like it could have been woven from the dune grasses outside complement the view and keep a clean coastal palette, while iconic Danish Wishbone chairs and Finnish pendant lights show architectural appreciation. Takeaway: When you have a fantastic view, be careful to enhance it rather than compete with it.Find Scandinavian-style furnishings
10. Made With Meaningful MaterialsThis home is nestled in a Santa Barbara canyon overlooking the Santa Ynez Mountains. The homeowners wanted to use materials that meant something and tied the design to the region. One of the homeowners designed the dining table. Its top is made of reclaimed wood salvaged from the beach when the nearby Gaviota Pier was destroyed in a winter swell, and its steel base was inspired by the steel railroad trestles along the Gaviota Coast. Local craftspeople built the table: Neil Crancer of RHC Construction made the top, and Jeff Mielcarek of Artistic Wrought Iron made the base. The unique pelican lights honor local wildlife and were created by local artisan Danny Smith of Wood Reflections. Takeaway: Take the time to find local talent when looking to add special touches to your home. It will forge connections between your furniture and artwork and the place where you live.Learn more about this home
Embrace glossy floors. We rarely consider treating our floors to lighten a room, though high-gloss floors are brilliant at bouncing light around. It may be as straightforward as sanding back your floorboards and polishing them with a glossy finish, or you may prefer to employ a more drastic treatment and use high-sheen white floor paint or epoxy, as used in this industrial Montreal penthouse.
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