PROJECT: Maximize the space and entertaining capabilities of a narrow 17-by-10-foot dining room without having to buy all new furniture. “A lot of people try to buy a lot of stuff they don’t need,” says homeowner Jennifer Litwin. “We try to be cost-concious and use pieces we already have.”
PROJECT GENIUS: Litwin, a Chicago-based home furnishings expert and author of “Best Furniture Buying Tips Ever” (House of Collectibles, 192 pages, $14.95) and “Furniture Hot Spots: The Best Furniture Stores and Web sites Coast to Coast” (Lyons Press, 320 pages, $14.95).
THE CHALLENGE: Litwin’s greatest challenge was incorporating an eight-seat 1850s heirloom dining table inherited from her grandmother without overpowering the already tight dining space in her Gold Coast home. “Everything I did was to lighten the space around this heavy, chunky table,” she says.
THE SOLUTION: Litwin’s motto was to work with what she had (she even kept the same salmon-colored paint from the previous owner). She kept decorations spare, using a lot of clear pieces, including a wall-hung buffet and wineglass racks custom-made from Lucite, so as to not overcrowd the space. Artwork includes a few sculptures made from shipping tape rolls (also clear) that she bought at a SOFA show a few years back, and a Danish tapestry on the far wall for texture. “I love it because it’s not so ostentatious,” she says. “I like to be fun and mix and match, for pieces to have a story and be playful.”
PROJECT COST: About $4,200 for chandelier, buffet, wineglass rack and faux finishing on fireplace.
–Tran Ha, tha@tribune.com
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