Tag: Dining Room

A Dining Room, Before and After Styling

I came across this dining room by Kathryn Ivey recently and loved the black chippendale chairs and IKEA Stockholm rug against the white backdrop and dark trim. Then I came across the same room, as shot for Better Homes & Gardens. Subtle changes make a big difference!

The tabletop is more styled and lush plants and flowers fill some of the visual emptiness compared to the previous photo. The 5×7 rug was swapped out for an 8×10, which is a much better fit for the room. (We have the same one in our dining room — such a good rug, in wool, at a great price!) Other changes to note: the chair cushions bring in a little color, and the natural tones in the wood table are echoed in the wicker planter and straw market tote in the kitchen.

And yet another iteration was shot, this time with her and her husband. This is the way the home appeared in print (BHG, February 2015).

The rest of the home is wonderful too. I was never a big fan of blue until a few years ago, but give me a turquoisey teal now and I’m all over it! The color makes appearances throughout, as does my other favorite, pink.

Fun, right? It’s a rowhouse built in the 1890s, but it feels very now with a lot of color in a mostly neutral shell. You can see more of the BHG feature here.

February 2, 2017
9 Modern Wingback Dining Chairs
I keep finding new examples of my favorite upholstered dining chairs. You know, these?

It’s like a traditional wingback chair fell in love with Arne Jacobsen and had beautiful babies. See also: Deeda. (Oh, you pretty thing.)

I’ve rounded up a few more examples of the style below. Oh man, if my kids weren’t so messy, I’d be all over these for my dining room. There’s always the hostess chair route, I suppose. Just a pair, with one at each end of the table? (You know the second you get upholstered dining chairs a kid will drop a plate of spaghetti on them. I think it’s a rule.)

But still. They’re so pretty! And the shape is nice and cozy. Which one’s your favorite?
1. Galloway Wingback Dining Chair, Crate & Barrel
  Choose from several colors or go with a solid fabric instead.
2. Deeda Chair, Jayson Home
  Customize it or pick up this one that’ on sale.
3. 1940s Wingback Side Chair, Restoration Hardware
  Just perfect, from the shape to the nailhead detailing.
4. Sloan Fabric Armchair, Restoration Hardware
  That base!
5. Irvine Button Tufted Back Accent Chair, Overstock
  Button tufting? Where? Surprise — it’s on the back.
6. Portsmouth Upholstered Dining Chair, Arhaus
  Another turn around surprise — the back has exposed wooden support detailing.
7. Bowden Wingback Chair, One Kings Lane
  Great fabric and a lighter frame.
8. Hugh Dining Chair, Arhaus
  Brass nailheads and a lovely aged crackled leather finish.
9. Carmen Tufted Side Chair by Hooker Furniture, Wayfair
  No additional color choices, but the tufting is a nice detail.
Photos: Rangeview Reno by Studio McGee • Deeda Chair, Jayson Home
August 15, 2016
The Sara Chandelier
This was one of four turquoise chandeliers in yesterday’s post, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s stunning — the kind of light that makes the room.

I think the craze for this light can be traced back to Sarah Jessica Parker’s home featured in Elle Decor back in 2010. It was designed by Eric Hughes and featured an Egyptian hand-blown glass chandelier from Liza Sherman Antiques. The light is still sold through them for $7800.

There is another version available from Canopy Designs: the Sara Chandelier. They sell to the trade only, but I was able to find it on several sites retailing for about $2500.
The frame color can be customized and the glass shades come in various colors (Aruba Blue, Twilight Blue, Antique, White, Garnet, Coral, Lavender, BK Green, Pink). Clearly people are into the blue options though; they are by far the most popular.

It’s new and old at the same time, and it isn’t style specific so it’s versatile enough to work in a variety of homes. Modern? Victorian? Country? Industrial? A builder-grade suburban home lacking in architectural details? Add this chandelier. It will work.

Raise your hand if you’re dreaming of adding this light to your home now. * hand shoots up *

Image Sources: Wendy Resin Interiors • Elle Decor • LDa Architecture & Interiors • Rachel Reider Interiors • One Kings Lane • Lynn Morgan Design • House Beautiful • Bear Hill Interiors • Amber Interiors • House Beautiful
March 10, 2016
4 Turquoise Chandeliers for a Dining Room
My entryway and dining room are both in need of new lighting fixtures, and I’m thinking one of the spaces is either going to get something in pink or turquoise. I’ve already shared some of my favorite pink lights, and today I thought I’d have a little fun with the blue ones.

How would you mix and match to put together a dining room from the pieces below?
1. Vetrai Teal and Clear Chandelier, Lmaps Plus
2. Regina Andrew Bubbles Chandelier by Regina Andrew, Candelabra
3. Sara Chandelier, Maison Luxe
4. Wood Beaded Blue Chandelier, Target
5. Apex Round Dining Room Table, Crate & Barrel
6. Rogue Round Dining Table, Rejuvenation
7. Mid-Century Upholstered Dining Chairs, West Elm
8. Alfi High-Back Chair, Design Within Reach
9. Muuto Nerd Dining Chair, YLiving
10. Threshold Modern Dining Chair, Target
11. Moonstone Rim Salad Plate, Tartine and Heath Ceramics
12. Shell Bisque Dinner Plate in Blue, Canvas Home
13. Ring Dish in Aegean Blue with Gold Rim, Suite One Studio
14. Organic Shaped Blue Crackle Dinnerware, West Elm
15. Marin Blue Dinner Plate, Crate & Barrel
These are my picks. I have to say, I’m a bit obsessed with that chandelier.

p.s. Those West elm chairs (#7) came in pink not too long ago! Lovely, lovely.
March 9, 2016
Share the Love Contest

Thank you Pier 1 for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Pier 1, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Want a shot at a really awesome giveaway? Pier 1 Import’s Share the Love Photo Contest is going on now through the end of the month, and you can win a $5000 gift card! Snap a photo, sharing how you’ve incorporated Pier 1 into your home on Instagram and tag it #Pier1LoveContest to enter. There are more rules and details on the official contest page, including an alternate entry method if you’re not on Instagram (or your profile isn’t public).

My favorite Pier 1 find of all time is my peacock mirror, but I like popping into the store each season to see what’s new and I’m most often drawn to the tabletop section. Linens, display and serving pieces — I love mixing new finds in with what I already have to come up with something different.

I picked up a floral cake stand a couple of weeks ago, so I planned on using it for August’s birthday cake. (Just a small cake, because it was for the five of us on his actual birthday. He just turned five, and we’ll have a bigger party with a bigger cake for him soon when all of his friends come over!)

Botanical prints are trending right now, and that cake stand is so good. I also spotted these lemon leaves placemats and picked up a few for the sideboard. I liked the look of these round cabbage leaves placemats layered under a charger made of wood or rattan, but the square format was better for making a backdrop. I cut one in half and another into quarters, arranging them and overlapping them with three full-sized placemats for a seamless effect.

The green napkins were from Christmas, but they work here too. With tulips, it’s all feeling very Spring (which we are eagerly anticipating), but then everything can always be mixed and matched again for a completely different look.

August was pretty excited to see the dining room set up especially for him. Rearranging things and making displays is my kind of fun anyway, so it’s nice that it can bring a little happiness to the rest of my family and make a day feel more celebratory.

Do you like switching things up in your home too? Share a photo of your favorite Pier 1 finds in your home and tag it #Pier1LoveContest on Instagram to enter that $5000 gift card contest. There will be five winners, and I would be pretty happy if one (or more!) of them were my readers. Good luck!

February 9, 2016
Our Holiday Table
This post is brought to you by Pier 1 Imports.

We host brunch each year on Christmas Eve, and then we have family over for Christmas dinner the next night. Menu planning is not my strong suit — we manage all right, but the part I get excited about is figuring out the decor and setting the table. (Time to break out the gold flatware!)

I like the table to be a little different each year, mixing in a few new finds with the dinnerware and linens we already own. It’s set here with our everyday glasses and plates, along with our gold chargers, mercury glass vases (really votive holders, lined with a glass inside), the aforementioned gold flatware, and a patterned tablecloth. The flowers are simple grocery store blooms, and I made a couple of bouquets out of Christmas tree picks for more sparkle. The cute salad plates from Pier 1 are new, and I picked up those green napkins too. I like that they add Christmas color, but can be used year-round with other settings.

I’ve made the mistake of going too tall with centerpieces in the past, so I aimed to keep them lower this year. No craning our necks to talk to one another across the table! I’ve learned!

Those plates are so cute, right? I can’t wait to break them out when everyone’s over. If you’re looking for a few new additions for your table, you can get the look with the items below.
December 8, 2015