Art Deco Dining Room with Oval Marble Table

A backlit art deco triptych hangs on terracotta plaster, three gold-framed panels showing a figure, a martini and a stylised portrait. The light strip behind each frame lifts them off the wall after dark and makes the wall the focus of the room. Below runs black panelled wainscoting that takes the knocks of chairs. Keeping the art to one wall means the other terracotta surfaces stay plain, so the panels stay the thing you look at.

They are curved-back chairs in tan leather on slim wooden legs, a warm mid-brown that plays off the terracotta walls and the dark table. The low curved back is comfortable for long meals and easy to slide in and out. Leather here is practical, since it wipes clean of food and does not hold smells the way fabric can in a room open to a kitchen. The colour also hides everyday marks better than a pale seat would.

Light comes in layers rather than one big fitting. Recessed spots sit in the rust cove ceiling for general light, brass art deco sconces flank the art panels, and the backlighting behind the frames adds a glow at eye level. During the day the grille windows do most of the work. Putting the sconces and downlights on separate switches lets the table go from bright lunch to low dinner without moving a lamp.

An arched pass-through links the table straight to the kitchen counter, so food and plates move across without walking round a wall. Through it you see the green cabinets, the marble worktop and the angled chimney. The arch is deliberately kept open rather than fitted with a door, which keeps the cook part of the gathering. The one downside is that cooking smells carry, so the chimney and a closable option matter more in an open layout like this.

The table and the metal window grilles are the big line items, both made to order, followed by the framed art panels with their backlighting. The leather chairs and the plaster are more ordinary spend. To trim the budget, a marble-look sintered top costs far less than natural stone and needs no sealing, and stock chairs in a similar tan cut another chunk. The grilles are worth keeping, since they set the whole art deco tone.

Yes, with a shorter oval or a round table on the same pedestal idea. In a compact room you keep one feature wall of art and one good light, then let plain walls do the rest so it does not feel busy. The pass-through only works if the kitchen sits on the other side of that wall, so in a closed-kitchen flat you would swap it for a mirror or a slim sideboard. The parts scale down without losing the character.

Treat it like a good chopping board rather than a worktop. Seal it on fitting and reseal once or twice a year, wipe spills of wine, lemon and vinegar straight away, and use mats under hot dishes. Done that way it ages well and keeps its shine. If that sounds like too much for a family table, a sintered-stone or quartz top in the same dark tone shrugs off stains and heat with none of the fuss.