Designing Zones in an Open Great Room

Designer Candice Olson turns an untouched great room into a hip, modern space for entertaining and relaxing.

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Hide CaptionShow CaptionPeter and Anna needed their spacious living/dining room to be the focal point in their house so they could relax, entertain and have fabulous dinner parties.

- Before: Untouched Great Room
- After: Hip and Modern

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By Candice Olson

Peter and Anna have had a busy four years: They met on a blind date, got married, bought their first house and had a baby girl. Their home, while lovely, was just too small for their growing family, so they decided to undergo a full-scale renovation to double the amount of living space. For the past year, they have lived with dust, drywall and a whole lot of debris. Just when they thought the end was near, they ran out of steam, and ideas, while attempting to finish the last room — their "great room."

They wanted this combination living/dining room to be the focal point of their house — a hip, modern space in which they could relax, entertain and have some fabulous dinner parties. Peter plays water polo and is still tight with his pals from the team, so there are a lot of hungry men to feed!

The room was uninviting and bland with walls that were still covered in primer because the couple could not decide on a color. So, I decided to put an end to Peter and Anna's renovation woes and turn this "great" room into a "fantastic" room, with heaps of style and substance.