As I was scanning through photos of beautiful interiors this morning, it occurred to me that many of the shots that have found their way to Wednesday's Home Decor Thoughts segment, have been dining rooms.

I've never thought that I had a thing for dining rooms; but maybe I actually do.  After all, there is a lot of romance about dining.  Think about scenes from movies, where so often a romance begins at a table (Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of Africa immediately pops in my mind.)

And look at  the popularity of all the cooking shows.  It's not just the food that's so compelling; it's the conclusion where everyone's sitting around a table, laughing, talking and eating.  Who hasn't watched Ina Garten whip up some glorious meal; and then watched as she brought it to the lucky friends around her table and thought, "I want to be Ina's new best friend!"

Yes, dining rooms are compelling.  And they don't have to be fancy, formal, grand spaces.  A cozy nook can be just as appealing and winsome.

But today's dining room does fall in the grand category.  But this room is grand in the best sense: it's not huge and imposing; but warm and inviting.  Plus, it sports some incredible art.  (The painting is by Thomas Hart Benton.)

Samuel Botero designed this gorgeous New York space, and if you're interested in seeing more rooms in this lovely town house, check out the January issue of Architectural Digest.



Photo by Phillip H. Ennis