African-Inspired Dining Room

Monica works in commercial real estate, where neutral beige is the standard. When it came to decorating her own space, she apparently brought that neutrality home. She wants to take a color risk, but she's having trouble breaking free of the beige zone. She travelled to South Africa several years ago and fell in love with the rich, vibrant colors of the region. Monica would love to use those hues as inspiration for her dining room but doesn't have the courage to do it on her own.

All the walls in her house, including this dining room, have beige walls and white trim, which she sees as safe, conservative and inoffensive. Centrally located, the dining room can be seen from every room in the small house and is a thoroughfare. She has country-style furniture, including a buffet with blue and yellow ceramic tiles, but it's not the look she wants in the future. She's ready to update this boring, beige room.