S&T set out this week to create a little jewel out of a boring box. And what a jewel it was, because by the end of the show, the dining room was completely blinged out! Not one surface was left untouched - walls, ceilings, floors all got that special Sarah treatment. Using a set of shield-back chairs (from the Elegant Garage Sale, one of my fave local haunts) as her jumping-off point, Sarah came up with a design that was decidedly more funky but traditional than some of her previous work on Sarah 101. Although the chairs cost Sarah $33 each, after she had them restained, covered with a floral silk on the back and graphic print on the front, the chairs ended up costing $350 each. Quite an investment! Paired with the $3200 antique dining table and the antique sideboard, they looked fabulous and stately.

Much like my own dining room, Sarah installed a bold patterned wallpaper above a chair rail and molding. A fully wallpapered room would have been too overwhelming, don't you agree? I'm not sure I'm too keen though on the multi-coloured paint treatment she gave the panels. I tend to like panelling the same as the trim, in a warm white. I LOVED the wallpaper though... the blue-grey colour picked up on the blue-grey in the floral silk, and the gold scroll details mixed perfectly with the gold toned mirror, understated chandelier and yellow accents. Such a pretty and elegant look.

All in all, this was one well coordinated room. Every detail was thought out and repeated creating a very full and lush design. I imagine that using the room is a delight because you're always finding something new to look at!

Tips from today's show:

- when using wallpaper with a large design, discuss the placement and repetition of pattern with your installer to make sure it looks even on all sides

- rectangle dining tables are the most versatile

- repeat your motifs to create a cohesive look. In this room, Sarah repeated a Greek key design on the painted floor treatment, mirror, and chair fabric. She also repeated the step profile of the crown molding on the wall panelling and chair rail.

- pull a colour from one of your fabrics and use a watered down version for your ceiling paint

- when you have a lot of patterns and fancy elements, balance them with some simpler details

What did you think of the room? There's parts of it I loved, and other parts I thought a little "grannyish", but overall I think its a beautiful dining room for family celebrations.

*****

AND... you're in for a treat. Have you ever wondered what the homeowners really thought after the show? Did they really like the design - or rush to change it once the cameras left?? What were Sarah and Tommy really like?? Come back tomorrow because Geeta and Jerry are sharing the secrets on what it was like to be on Sarah 101!