Great room lives up to name

Peter and Anna have had a busy four years: They met (on a blind date), got married, bought their first house and had a baby girl. Their home, while lovely, was just too small for their growing family, so they decided to undergo a full-scale renovation and double the amount of living space. For the past year, they have lived with dust, drywall and a whole lot of debris; and just when they thought the end was near, they ran out of steam (and ideas) while attempting to finish the last room -- their "great room."

They wanted this combination living/dining room to be the focal point of their house -- a hip, modern space in which they could relax, entertain and have some fabulous dinner parties. (Peter plays water polo and is still tight with his pals from the team, so there are a lot of hungry men to feed!)

The room was uninviting and bland with walls that were still covered in primer because the couple could not decide on a color. So, I decided to put an end to Peter and Anna's renovation woes and turn this "great" room into a "fantastic" room, with heaps of style and substance.

The room is open-concept in nature, so the challenge was to seamlessly "connect" the living and dining areas to one another -- and to the adjoining kitchen. I started by painting the whole room in a subtle, neutral shade. I then got busy creating zones that would differentiate the living and dining areas, but have them work together in their shared space.

In the living area I created a stunning feature wall. On one half of this wall I put up rich, cherry-toned wood cabinetry that discreetly incorporates a media center and matches the cabinetry in the kitchen; on the other half, I installed a streamlined gas fireplace with a modern facade of back-painted glass and a surround of river-stone tiles.

I then anchored the space with a gorgeous faux sheepskin area rug and brought in some comfortable furniture: two cotton-striped club chairs; a caramel-colored, L-shaped sectional; and a variety of modern and traditional accent pieces with wood and mirror finishes.

I then moved on to the dining area. I generally only use one feature wall per room, but this large space required more drama, so I added a second. Along this wall I created a super-sized upholstered banquette and seating bench in a dreamy shade of pool blue/green. Next to the banquette I placed a dark wood dining room table with new tan and green upholstered chairs that speak to the furniture in the living room.

The space had one long wall of windows. To create a seamless flow between the two zones, I put up a whole wall of light gauzy sheers in a soft striped pattern; these are flanked by luxurious, handcrafted cream-colored drapes.

The ceiling in the room was already full of recessed lights, so I simply added small puck lights near the banquette and a chandelier over the dining room table for some added pizzazz.

After a few final accents and accessories, reno-weary Peter and Anna had a great room that was finally worthy of its name. By adding some modern finishes, dramatic focal points and enough furniture for a whole water polo team, the couple now has a space that really makes a splash! How divine!

Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas or information visit www.divinedesign.tv. Her column is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service.