Kathy Donnelly
We've had the pleasure of working with Kathy Donnelly and getting to know her better over the last couple of years while she and her husband renovated their family home. We are huge fans of Kathy's amazing personal style and we are thrilled to welcome her as our next "Ask Atmosphere" Guest!
We asked: What is the one thing in your home that makes you the happiest?
Here's what Kathy had to say:
My Dining Room!
Without a doubt, our dining room is the happiest room in the house. It's the scene of every major celebration from birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, dinner parties, Sunday dinners, Book Clubs to jewelry parties or even the odd what-the-heck wine Wednesdays!
What started out as a kitchen renovation in 2010 (with Atmosphere Interior Design) turned into a major main floor transformation that spilled over into our Dining Room.
It started innocently enough with a set of beautiful turquoise side plates I picked up after the twins were born. Suddenly I found myself daydreaming of an updated dining room with a hint of this color on the walls.
The pretty plates that started it all.
Curtis and Trevor pulled a selection of over a dozen amazing wallpapers to coordinate with the rest of the main floor, all including a hint of beloved turquoise. The one that finally won me over, was the Osborne & Little - Sariskar Jagmandir paper, which I actually spied adorning a wall in the Oscar-winning movie "The King's Speech".
Osborne & Little - Sariskar Jagmandir Wallpaper
But as you all know, nothing is ever as simple as that when renovating! The next (of many) debates for the husband and I was over the old mahogany built-ins in our Dining Room. Our house was build in 1928 and had already survived several renovations and remodels with previous owners, but the dining room remained largely intact. Since we had already decided to paint our main floor walls and beams white, it was a no-brainer to paint the dining room wainscoting and cabinets white too. What a transformation!!
Donnelly Dining Room - Before & After
The Korson Dining chairs from Furniture World were added to our existing pine farmhouse table that was stained a dark walnut by my husband to update it. Years before, we added an enormous piece of tempered glass (5' x 8') to accommodate our large gatherings. I love its ability to disappear when not in use.
Finally, the custom drapery , the lampshades and some accessories from Blossoms Living were added, all with touches of my favourite colour.
Donnelly Dining Room - Before & After (End View)
I'm already picturing our extended family gathered around this table, clinking glasses and diving into our Christmas feast. I love how our dining room turned out and I can't wait to make some memories here this holiday season!
Turquoise & Red Holiday Decor - The Full Bouquet
We think Kathy's dining room will look incredible decked out for Christmas! Red and Turquoise make a fabulous holiday combination!
Thank you Kathy!
Heather Whyte - Project Coordinator | Showroom Manager