Dining Room Decor Part 3: Collections on the Wall

Thank you to the Washington Post for including this post in your Blog Watch, April 16, 2009!

When I posted my dining room wall decor posts in the fall of last year, I had a three part series in mind. Part 1 (mirrors) and part 2 (art) were posted in short order. Somehow, though, I never got around to part 3! I think this is because I temporarily solved my own dining room dilemma when I purchased a pretty reproduction Louis Phillipe mirror from Eloquence.

The third category of dining room wall decor that I have seen time and time again is a collection - whether it be a framed series, plates, or a collection of related objects. Hanging a series of framed art or a collection is a great way to fill a wall that is usually large and windowless, as is often found in a dining room. There are some really stunning examples of this look, and I think a series on the wall of a dining room would work beautifully in a dining room that is central to a home and has a big wall that can be seen in its entirety.

I love the wall sculptures in this dining room, by artist Carrie McGee. It is an incredibly dramatic and beautiful focal point to the room.

A room by David Netto - wish I had this for my blue and green post! I love the way that the collection of blue vases look against the green wall, and how the blue is pulled in through the chair cushions, settee, and hurricane lamps. I even like the little burst of orange in the cord cover, although I have never been a fan of cord covers.

Barbara Westbrook designed this dramatic dining room in an Atlanta home. Note the framed sketches on the wall over the sideboard. Via House Beautiful.

The framed sketches are lined up in the wall moldings of this room. It gives the room a clean art gallery kind of a feel. Image via Better Homes and Gardens.

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I saw this image on Visual Vamp, and like her, I was struck with the fact that the framed botanicals go so low to the floor. It makes the room, though. Note how the frames are lined up perfectly with the moldings in the wall (I also just noticed how the black frames are repeated in the black frame of the window in the room to the right of the picture).

Gerrie Bremermann used framed panels in this dining room, via Cote de Texas.

This dining room is from an Atlanta real estate listing, so it is not as polished as the other pictures on this post, but I think the arrangement of framed items has a charm to it.

I remember seeing this picture in an Atlanta real estate listing many years ago, and thinking that the arrangement was quite beautiful.

Architectural prints are used in this dining room by Anne Hepfer. I would love to see more of this room! It looks like Anne's website is not working right now.

Another use of a framed series in a dining room, also by Anne Hepfer. These framed items are placed very closely together. I prefer a bit more spacing, but it is hard to see the subject matter of these items. Perhaps it makes sense to have them viewed more cohesively.

I like this little banquette tucked into the niche in this dining room. The small framed series is the perfect touch. Interior design by Rod Mickley.

I have always liked this collection of busts; it certainly makes a dramatic statement! Via Cote de Texas.

Phoebe and Jim Howard used a collection of botanical prints in this dining room (and a small mirror too).

At the far end of the picture is a beautiful dining room by one of my new favorites, Betty Burgess. This is her own house in Atlanta; she framed a series of architectural prints (seen in the dining room) with a lilac matt. The results are really dramatic and memorable. Again, interesting to note that the framed series are centered on the millwork on the wall. Image via Southern Accents.

Another dining room that Betty Burgess designed, in the current issue of Veranda. This is one of the most beautiful and dramatic dining rooms I have ever seen. Note how the background of the framed intaglios are very similar in color (lilac) to the matting that Burgess used in the framed prints in her own home. I particularly like this look in this dining room because it combines both a mirror and framed prints - the best of both worlds.

Gerrie Bremermann uses the mirror with framed items in a dining rooms.

Phoebe Howard has four charming framed sketches on either side of an oval mirror in her city apartment.

I saved this picture because of the interesting mirror (the room is not really my style), but I also like the way the designer has balanced the mirror with three framed botanicals on either side. I almost wish, though, that they were not positioned in the same height as the mirror. Four on either side in a square shape might have looked better.

Another example of a mirror used with framed prints, this time by Anne Coyle.

Dining room wall decor must be a topic of interest to some, because every week people find my blog through a google search on 'dining room wall decor'. It has been interesting to look at the many ways that designers solve the architectural and design challenge of a very big blank wall in a dining room. When I first started this series of posts, I thought that contemporary art was my favorite look on the wall of a dining room. Now, I am leaning towards the mirror with framed items on the side, or even just a dramatic framed series. I think it ultimately depends on the placement of the dining room in a home, and the architectural features of the room.

Which look do you like the best - art, mirrors, framed series, or a combination? Or something different altogether? What do you have in your own dining room?

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