My favorite room
Dinner for six or a party for 100, the dining room is where George Lancaster'spals gather
Editor's Note: In a CultureMap continuing series, Houstonians from all walks of life tell us about their favorite room at home.
Dashing man-about-town George Lancaster has jazzed up his Montrose townhouse to the point that each of the four floors is a richly appointed world unto itself. But when asked to name his favorite space, the senior vice president with Hines points to his cozy dining room.
While it's not really separate from the living room, the dining area is where it all happens in Lancaster's home entertaining. "It's where everyone congregates at a party, and it's where we start most of our evenings when we're going out to dinner," he said, referring to his eclectic collection of friends.
The dining area is defined by a dramatic, super-sized crystal chandelier that is suspended above the circular glass dining table, which is surrounded by clear acrylic dining chairs. It is a clean, sharp look in the room, a visual contrast to the hardwood floors that were "ebonized" and then stained with black.
The focal point of the dining area that looks not only to the living room but also to the kitchen, which is only slightly hidden by white sheers, is the wall of black and white photography. Lancaster installed art shelves and pinpoint lighting to highlight the ever-changing collection of serious black and white art photography. "The art shelves allow me to move things around. I love to change this wall," he said.
Whether it's a seated dinner for six, when he pulls out the colorful Versace chargers, or a party for 150 (yes, he has squeezed that many into the townhouse), the dining area is where the action is.
Inspiration for the design, Lancaster said, is Philippe Starck's design for the Delano Hotel in Miami. "It's clean. It's modern and somewhat eclectic," he said. "I have friends who are interior designers and they have opinions about what I should do. But my opinion counts the most."