Project Overview: We first worked on this room in the mid-1980s, when we helped with such decorative elements as paint, wallpaper and draperies — along with the purchase of a gorgeous antique chandelier. The goal was to decorate the room in a formal style to complement some beautiful antiques handed down by the homeowners' family.

The draperies of English chintz that we designed and hung at that time lend a formal air while reflecting her romantic and feminine tastes. We also found window sheers that stylishly address the couple’s privacy concerns by screening the view from the street.

Over 20 years later, the couple brought us in again to give the dining room a lift. We recently added wainscot paneling below the chair rail and found just the right wallpaper to live peaceably with the original drapery. As a result, we have inverted the color schemes, now blue above the chair rail and ivory below.

We also selected four shades of paint for the ceiling to accentuate its plaster ornaments and divisions. The wainscoting was painted in three different shades of off-white to create a sense of greater depth.