Open floor plans have killed the dining room. Other than holidays, who really formally entertains—multiple place settings and all—throughout the year? Kentucky designer Chenault James was determined to change that dialogue. Her ace in the hole: commissioning her husband, Ed James of Four Boards Woodworking, to craft a shape-shifting table with three distinct uses. “I wanted a table that could function for dining and ping pong, but also convert to separate coffee tables,” says James. “It was a big ask!”
(The dining room and magazine cover feature a commissioned work on paper by Heather Lancaster.)