This Old Dining Room Got a Striking, Jewel-Toned Upgrade

Photo by Michael J. Lee

Thanks to original posts and beams and wide-plank floors, this 17th-century farmhouse in Mattapoisett exudes historical charm. But the new owners, who’d purchased the saltbox-style abode as a second residence, felt it lacked a certain joie de vivre—particularly in the dining room. So they called in Nikki Dalrymple, owner of Acquire. “They wanted a [space] that you would walk into and say, ‘Wow!’” she says.

To give the 240-square-foot room a much-needed refresh, Dalrymple first tackled color. Playing to the clients’ predilection for cool jewel tones, she proposed using shades of green to offset neutral walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s “Ammonite.” A late-1800s tapestry featuring a bird’s-eye view of a formal garden provides a relaxed backdrop, while emerald-hued velvet upholstery from Perennials takes center stage. “It’s luxe, but bulletproof,” Dalrymple says. For a secondary accent color, the designer acquiesced to pink. “The wife loves pink,” she says. “I need my arm twisted to use it.”

When it came to furnishing the centuries-old space, the owners wanted a midcentury-modern sensibility. As Dalrymple mused over how to wed the seemingly antithetical styles, she realized the home’s Colonial flavor lent itself to midcentury silhouettes. “They are both pared-down [styles], not ornamental or overly decorative,” she explains. A Thomasville extension table boasts brass-capped legs, and the chairs are a contemporary Japanese designer’s spin on midcentury-modern style. A walnut sideboard by local maker Thos. Moser, meanwhile, offers ample storage and a nod to the home’s early American roots.

For the finishing touches, Dalrymple chose accessories that reflect the owners’ personalities. A blue-resin cherry sculpture expresses their quirky sense of humor, while an industrial-style cabinet of curiosities channels a natural-history vibe that references the wife’s love for animals and gardening. “The room has a lot of drama, but it’s not fussy or disconnected from the architecture,” Dalrymple says. “There’s no French rococo happening here.”

Photo by Michael J. Lee

Flooring
Boston Premier Flooring

Interior Design
Acquire