Fine Dining
Author:Abigail StoneTracy Gilmore finishes up a dining room makeover just in time for the holidays
“The best compliment is when your clients tell you that they get a smile on their faces each time they pass the room. That's why I do this. When the rest of the world seems crazy, it’s lovely if your home can be your sanctuary and bring you joy,” says Gilmore. Sounds like the recipe for a perfectly Happy Thanksgiving.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
With the help of Tim Barber, another one of her mentors, and contractor Tom Young of The Cornerstone Company, Gilmore renovated the ceiling -- including tongue and groove work and a soffit that hides recessed lighting and replaces the old brackets -- and created wainscotting for the newly bare walls. New hardware and new paint bring new life to an enormous antique buffet.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
For Gilmore, the crowning jewel is the oversized round mirror she discovered at Hollywood at Home. “The clients were concerned that it was going to be too large but I knew it was perfect. Thankfully the showroom let us borrow it so the clients could see for themselves and, once they saw it hung, they immediately agreed.”
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
Once the bookcases were removed, the client decided to redo the entire floor rather than just patch it to match. The result is worth the extra expense. “These new elements really open up the room, and let the gorgeous arched door really sing,” says Gilmore. A Penny Morrison fabric in teal, the client’s favorite color, covers the chairs.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
“My client was nervous about changing out the light fixture because it had been a gift from her mother-in-law,” Gilmore remembers. “However, when she mentioned the remodel, the first thing her mother-in-law said was ‘I hope you’re getting a new chandelier!'" The Regency by Visual Comfort, designed by Joe Nye, one of Gilmore’s mentors, elevates the space. The wallpaper is from Rose Tarlow.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
Gilmore saw the room’s possibilities feeling that, with a little more work, the dated space could be modern and inviting. She suggested eliminating the rug altogether, removing the bookcases and replacing the chandelier.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
It’s that time of year, when kitchens and dining rooms are put through their paces. Anticipating the holidays, interior designer Tracy Gilmore’s clients hired her for a very basic dining room revamp: they wanted new upholstery for their dining room chairs and a new rug.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography