Nadia and Paul’s dining room had great bones — tons of space and natural light, a beautiful wooden floor, a fireplace, crown molding and even recessed lighting. But this room was suspended in an unfinished state, lacking a cohesive design and wasting its true potential.

The homeowners and their two young boys have lived in this house for five years. In that time, the dining room has never really come together — although it gets lots of use as a place to eat, play games, fold laundry and do homework. Nadia was pining for a new dining-room table and a chandelier, and Paul wanted to make the most of the space while incorporating a family-heirloom piano. They needed a plan that would give this plain-Jane dining room just the right touch of va-va-voom.