Mediterranean Dining Room — See Yours Transformed

The dining table is a long communal form: rough-hewn stone, reclaimed olive wood, or hand-plastered concrete on iron trestle legs. It seats eight comfortably, more when needed. Chairs are mismatched by design: rush-seat ladder-backs, wrought iron bistro chairs, a carved wood armchair at each end. A linen tablecloth in undyed natural or faded blue dresses the table; clay plates and hammered metal cutlery are the setting.

Overhead, a wrought iron chandelier fitted with candles or candle-style LEDs provides drama and warmth. A long sideboard in rough pine or aged stone holds ceramic pitchers, terra-sigillata serving bowls, and a pair of tall iron candelabras. Walls are whitewashed plaster with a hand-painted tile panel or a framed topographical map of a Mediterranean coastline. The floor is stone or aged terracotta, and the room should always smell of something on the stove.