Dining Room: Decor

Dining rooms are the hardest for me. Not just in this house, but my last house too, I found it difficult to incorporate enough color and fabric to be comfortable. But I think I finally got it! At last I enjoy sitting in the room where we eat. 

floating shelves, chairs - Ikea | table - how to here 

The dining room color scheme is simplified by leaving chartreuse out of the mix. It's adjoined to the living room so I initially planned to carry the color scheme through. I just never found the right items in chartreuse and ended up liking how it came together. Eventually, I'd like to switch out the third color in the living room seasonally (switching the chartreuse accents for some caramelly brown ones.) Maybe I'll be ready this fall. 

Options for pattern and color in a dining room feel limited, since there's hardly any fabric. Places you can incorporate fabric: upholstered/slip-covered chairs or chair cushions, tablecloth, curtains, runner. I knew we couldn't have a tablecloth without constantly washing it. I went with a runner to give some soft texture to the table top. It's strategically placed so none of us eat on top of it, which reduces the frequency of spills and necessary laundering. 

photograph - gift from a talented friend | everything else - thrifted | dotty bowl how-to

This seahorse daddy is obviously pregnant. I love his belly. This wasn't a Goodwill find either, though I said thrifted because it was second hand. The store I work at is a consignment shop for high-quality home decor and that's where the seahorse and I crossed paths. For those of you who are local and would like to see what other treasures we have, you can stop by. It's called Detail by Design Consignment. For just a little more animal whimsy, we have these turkey feet place-card holders. My kids love to make place cards, so even though we only have four they're fun. 

The accent wall does so much for giving this room pattern and color. I saw a lovely mirror on Pinterest and thought I'd never find one like it. Then a friend said, "They have something like this at Hobby Lobby in silver. You'd just have to add the scrolling at the top." So over to Hobby Lobby I went and since they were half price, I snapped it up. I painted it and the fancy piece for the top gold. The beveled part casts rainbows around when the morning sun shines in and at Christmas time, I loved how it reflected the Christmas tree lights. I've been collecting frames for around it and just threw these up to give you some idea. I like the right side better than the left, so it's bound to change, but it's nice to have a grouping.  

This stag came from Hobby Lobby too. I found him and bought him spontaneously. Then I realized it was bad timing because I was spending our extra on Christmas presents. So I went back to the store and tried to return him and some spray paint. I succeeded in returning the spray paint, but he ended up back in my bag somehow. After all, he was the last one! What if someone bought him and then they discontinued that line? At home, I gathered my resolve and sent him with my husband to return, figuring the doe eyes wouldn't get to Brian. I put it behind me until I found him in my weirdly large Christmas present. I was so happy, I cried. Still not sure why, but I do know the whole fiasco made him a sweet memory instead of just a statement piece. (If you go looking for him, you have to know he's all gold at the store. I covered his antlers with baggies and spray painted the rest flat white.)  

candle bowl - TJMaxx | candlesticks - Target (painted) | runner - how to here

And lastly, these are the curtains, though it's hard for me to take a picture of that side of the dining room. There's a bump out in the center of the wall with this large window. The little window above the radiator has a twin on the other side of this bump-out. If I ever get a fancy camera, I might show you...

So that's where we eat and enjoy 2nd grade humor and tell people to finish their vegetables. I find the dinner hour a grounding time for us, even if we go different directions the rest of the evening. Switching to a round table increased our feeling of togetherness because we're all so close. I like it.




P.S. If you'd like some new jewelry, go check out the LOVE sale at Starfish Project! They've come a long way since last time I talked about them and their beautiful purpose is still inspiring.