Rooms We Love: Dining Room
When a repeat client purchased a house in the Palisades neighborhood of DC, she called on Nestor Santa-Cruz to design the interiors while it was still under construction. She was looking for a more open layout than the original floor plan offered, but wished the furniture to reflect the home’s classical aesthetic. “My goal was to create a modern layout with a traditional vocabulary,” Santa-Cruz says. The new design opened up the home’s public rooms. To one side of the entry, small living and dining rooms became one large living room, while to the other side a wall separating the library and entry vestibule was removed. This open space became an airy dining room big enough to host large groups in comfort. “The room has a modern flow and is now part of the arrival to the house—you see it when you walk in,” Santa-Cruz explains.In the dining room, built-in shelves are back-painted in Farrow & Ball’s Wainscot to make the owner’s collection of creamware pop. The rosewood dining table by Keith Fritz can seat eight people; four chairs by John Saladino are skirted in linen from Rogers & Goffigon and are on castors for easy maneuverability. Four black-framed chairs by Baker are adorned with a Chinese-inspired fabric by Calvin Textiles. A white-lacquered chest by Mid-Century designer James Montt serves as a buffet. A Swedish-style rug from Timothy Paul Carpets + Textiles delineates the dining area.