Before & After: A Totally ’80s Dining Room Gets an Eclectic, Glamorous Update

Written by

Arlyn Hernandez
Arlyn Hernandez
Arlyn is a rarified born-and-bred Florida girl who can never turn her back on a sad chair in need of rehab or a jewel-tone velvet sofa.
published Oct 28, 2016
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Homeowner Coletha Kennedy’s dated New Orleans dining room, before designer Whitney Jones got her hands on it. (Image credit: Whitney Jones)

Project by: Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor
Homeowner: Coletha Kennedy
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Coletha Kennedy’s dining room in her New Orleans home was in desperate need of reinvention. Dated wallpaper and dingy wall-to-wall carpeting just wouldn’t do for the mother of two, who owns a fashion boutique in town. Designer Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor stepped in to help her bring her maximalist, glamorous dream to life.

From Whitney:

This dining room went through a full transformation. We replaced the carpet with charcoal slate tile, removed wallpaper and painted the upper half of walls black. My client has similar style to mine: eclectic, maximalist, yet refined and glamorous. She’s a huge art collector and wanted the room to show off some of her pieces. My client desired bold color and lots of contrast, but wanted the room to be inviting, comfortable and functional. We purchased two key pieces from Restoration Hardware: the cabinet and dining table, while the many accessories were picked up from Home Goods. The art in the room are originals from Lashun Beal and Lydell Martin.

Thank you for sharing Coletha’s newly fabulous dining room with us, Whitney Jones!

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