A Dining Room Goes From Bare To Beachy (VIDEO)

Homeowner: Annee Elliot.

The Dilemma: With limited room in her apartment, Annee was using her dining area for everything, whether it's for working or as a dumping ground for random storage. It was a mess and not at all a comfortable dining area. There was no sense of cohesiveness in the dining area, the walls were bare, and the table that was placed close to the wall made the area feel even more cramped and claustrophobic. And more than anything else, Annee's dining area was far from personal or inviting for entertaining friends and guests.

The Fix: Makeover designer Ondine Karady tackles Annee's problems of using the dining area as an all-purpose space by transforming it into a more welcoming gathering spot.

First, Ondine adds more space to the area by pulling the table away from the wall and replacing the old chairs with cleaner, streamlined seating along with a bench. This immediately provides a focal point for the dining area in addition to making the space seem more airy and less cramped.

Then, Ondine personalized the space by hanging some of Annee's favorite surf photos up on the wall behind the dining table. As Ondine notes, while hanging up art seems like a natural way to personalize a space, it's often a little intimidating -- not to mention it's also something that people easily put off doing and never do. To complement the beachy surf photographs, Ondine dressed up the table with a terrarium, which is not only low-maintenance and pretty to look at, but it also really brings the focus to the dining table. And now Annee has a dining area that's mess-free and a place where she can actually entertain and enjoy meals comfortably.

Click on items in the image below and scroll through the product rail to find some of the pieces used in the makeover.