Designer Q&A: 2 Gays and a Design

Design: 2 Gays and a Design

We asked the designers of this sophisticated dining room to reveal how they made the neutral, yet striking, elements of the space come together. Lucky for us, Jason Dunn and Michael Peters, the co-founders of the Georgia-based firm 2 Gays and a Design, didn't stop there. Read along as they share designer tips and tricks for decorating your home with a limited budget and a big imagination.

1. What was the inspiration for the project?

We love bright and airy dining rooms. We rarely get the opportunity to work with dining rooms that get a lot of natural light, so we drew inspiration from bringing the outdoors in. The beautiful light that cascades through the room's windows helped us to create this rustic and whimsical themed room.

Design: 2 Gays and a Design

2. How did you choose the color palette?

With the emphasis on the natural light, we knew our palette was limitless, but didn't want to go too dark. We stayed relatively neutral to give the family a transitional style.

3. What were you trying to accomplish with the design of this space?

The goal for the dining room was for it to be stylish, yet functional. The family has very modern taste, but 

they live in a traditional craftsman home. The trick here was to infuse both styles to create a look that suits the styles of both the familyand the home.

4. What element did you start with?

The family already had the table, four side chairs, and the matching two arm chairs. We later replaced the arm chairs with two wing back chairs, which they also already owned. We knew we had to work with these items to save and stay on the family's tight budget.

5. How did you begin the design process?

We assessed what the family already had in the home and figured out a way to easily repurpose the bigger furniture (table, chairs, and sideboard) and simply add lighting, wallcoverings, paint, rug, and accesories to give the room personality.

6. What is your favorite part of the project and why?

It's tough to narrow it down, but we love the lighting we were able to achieve in the space. The natural light fills the room and adds even more character and detail, and it didn't cost a dime. We simply eliminated window treatments since the architecture of the windows was too pleasing to cover up (above) . The chandelier is simply the icing on the cake. It's beautiful in the day, at night when illuminated, and from outside the home.

7. What made you choose this statement light fixture?

We wanted something outside of the box and this fixture (right) ticked all of our boxes for our rustic/whimsical themed room.

8. What are your tips for someone trying to recreate the look of this project?

Design: 2 Gays and a Design

Don't overanalyze it. Above all, don't try to recreate it. Use the design as inspiration for your own project. You'll only stress yourself out trying to "copy" it. Find your statement piece and go from there!

9. What is your favorite designer trick?

Repurposing items. There is nothing more pleasing than when a client is ready to trash something and all we have to do is recover or dress it up in some way and they fall in love with it all over again.

10. Finish the sentence: Every room needs a______ .

Personality.

11. What is your best piece of advice for someone who is redecorating their home?

Don't ever feel like you have to start all over when redecorating. Use what you have as best as you can to save money. Think of ways to revive these items. Remember, decorating is supposed to be fun and rejuvenating, not stressful.

See more from 2 Gays and a Design in our Photo Gallery.