Photograph by Marc Mauldin
“Low seating feels more relaxed than traditional seating,” says Palmer Schallon, who built the furniture in this dining room. He and his wife, Melissa—both set decorators in the film industry—recently moved to this West End home from Los Angeles.
Window DIY
Showing off his artisan skills, Schallon also created the bamboo-like oak accents on the windows, framed by woven shades.
Natural elements
To reflect the home’s Craftsman bungalow architecture, the couple painted the dining room walls “Calke Green” by Farrow & Ball, with an off-white trim. The accent wallpaper—which creates a “storybook-like environment,” explains Schallon—is from a company called Mind the Gap.
Table trends
The low-rise table was scaled to fit the room, says Schallon, who chose a walnut frame with a cork base. For the tabletop, he cut different shades of cork into diamond shapes to give it a pattern, with a custom wood-and-cork lazy Susan on top.
Getting the lowdown
“I built the chairs with an extrawide seat to allow for sitting cross-legged or with your legs curled up beneath you,” says the homeowner and woodworker.
Design Tip: Custom is often the way to go, says Schallon, who is starting an interior design business with Melissa. He consulted Etsy to find fellow artisans for the rug and light fixtures.
This article appears in our February 2023 issue.
