Dining Room• Holidays

The Dining Room, Set for Easter

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As I mentioned, I spent the weekend painting the ceiling in the dining room. I had intended to do so years ago, but I’d never gotten around to it until now. I chose a dark color to bring the ceiling down a bit, and the effect contrasts nicely with the living room’s higher ceiling and lighter paint color. It’s a trick that Frank Lloyd Wright used a lot; I just borrowed it.

Everything in Chicago is greening up and Easter is almost here, so I set the table with a nod to spring. Corals and pinks, plus the requisite eggs, chicks, and bunnies.

The sequined animals were from west elm, several Christmases ago (they were part of a line to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital). The dishes and bowls were also from west elm, the napkins and silverware from Crate & Barrel (from nearly eight years ago when Brandon and I got married), the glasses from CB2, and the runner by Chilewich. It reminded me of eggs. And speaking of eggs, the egg cups are vintage melamine.

I usually stick to white for dinnerware, and I still do like it as a foundation, but those coral bowls are so cheery.

Cute place settings, colorful dinnerware, and a little fresh paint. The dining room is feeling good, and all set for spring. Have you done anything to freshen up your dining room lately too?

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  • Elena
    April 3, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Nicole it looks so nice and fresh. I like the ceiling trick.

  • Alison @ Deuce Cities Henhouse
    April 3, 2012 at 9:20 am

    I love it! The gray really finishes off the room nicely.

    Your table looks so cute and fresh. Those pinky coral bowls are the best, the look great on the table.

  • Rebecca S.
    April 3, 2012 at 9:29 am

    I LOVE the egg cups.

  • Izabela
    April 3, 2012 at 9:35 am

    The table setting is lovely and I LOVE how the trim and the new ceiling paint just made the whole room so much brighter, fresher and more modern.

  • Nuit
    April 3, 2012 at 9:35 am

    LOVE the bunnies!!!! and the ceiling looks like a million bucks, you did really good :D

  • b.a.
    April 3, 2012 at 10:00 am

    i have to admit, when you first decided to paint all the trim–i was a little nervous. (my husband’s a carpenter and his love of natural wood has started to have an affect on me ;) BUT, it just looks gorgeous. you’ve done a beautiful job with it and it has really lightened up your home. love the table setting & entire room.

    • Making it Lovely
      April 3, 2012 at 2:42 pm

      I’m really happy with the white trim. It was a little scary at times, jumping in and deciding to go for it, but the whole house feels lighter now.

  • jessibee
    April 3, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Love it! Wow, yeah…awesome.

  • jessibee
    April 3, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Sorry…what are your paint colors in the dining room. I just love the grays!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 3, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      The ceiling is Fusion, by Benjamin Moore.

  • Megan
    April 3, 2012 at 10:38 am

    The new paint looks phenominal! What a difference it makes to the whole aesthetic of the room!

  • Jen @ RamblingRenovators
    April 3, 2012 at 11:16 am

    That looks so inviting. I like how the coral bowls work with the wallpaper.

  • houseofearnest
    April 3, 2012 at 11:17 am

    so pretty! I love those west elm salad plates!

  • Brenda
    April 3, 2012 at 11:22 am

    I LOVE how all your hard work has paid off, it looks gorgeous!

  • Christina W.
    April 3, 2012 at 11:26 am

    Your dining room has been my least favorite room in the house ever since I started following your blog, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Not that I thought it was ugly or anything (far from it) but it just felt like the black sheep of all your lovely rooms. Now it’s moving to the top of my favorites! You did an AWESOME job, and it feels to me like it finally fits in with your overall scheme!

    • Making it Lovely
      April 3, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      I’m glad you’re liking it now then, I suppose!

  • georgia
    April 3, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Brilliant, fantastic and amazing!!!

  • georgia
    April 3, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Oh, do you think you could do a ‘progress’ post, i.e. dining room with wallpaper, dining room with wallpaper and white trim and the final one? I also really liked your comment about different colour ceilings in adjacent rooms. It’s little things like that, that often take a room from really nice to excellent. Thanks, g

  • Lucy
    April 3, 2012 at 11:40 am

    Love it with a capital LOVE!

  • casacaudill
    April 3, 2012 at 11:49 am

    The room looks great! I’m reminded again of how fantastic your white built-in is.

  • Tiffany
    April 3, 2012 at 11:55 am

    I just love this room!!!

  • Erin
    April 3, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    I love the grey ceiling. It really brings so much to the room.

  • Jerith
    April 3, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Nicole, your dining room ceiling is perfect! That grey is spot on with the crisp white molding and the wallpaper. Is it just shadows or does your dining table have a lighter toned inset in the center?

    • Making it Lovely
      April 3, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      No, must just be the lighting. There is a border detail around the edge of the table and the wood grain changes direction, but it’s all the same tone.

  • Marianne
    April 3, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Gorgeous!! I love the ceiling and the white trim and the wallpaper and the light fixture! It’s all perfect!!!

  • Mona
    April 3, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    The white trim, grey wall and ceiling pull the whole look together. I loved your dining room before, but now that I see the wallpaper and the grey – wow. It is very chic and fabulous!

    You have a real talent for using traditional style in a modern way, so it’s warm and inviting, not cold and stark. I really admire that.

  • Molly the Waffler
    April 3, 2012 at 2:16 pm

    Gray + coral = happy

  • Danielle
    April 3, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    It’s amazing what paint can do!! The room looks so different and I love how the gray brings out the pink in the room!

  • Amie
    April 3, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    I used to have my tableset, all the time. It made sense. I don’t know why I don’t do it anymore.

    But this tablesetting, and the room, are gorgeous. Well done.

    • Making it Lovely
      April 3, 2012 at 2:52 pm

      Oh, we don’t have our table set all the time. Our table isn’t even cleared off all the time!

  • Jessica@VintageMauve.com
    April 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    I absolutely adore your how you have the wallpaper, molding, and paint. I would be the happiest person on the planet if my ceiling was higher in my house so I could do the same type of wall treatment. Ah, forever jealous.

    Cheers,
    Jessica

  • Nichole@40daysof
    April 3, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    I really love the darker ceiling. My most recent update just happens hot be to my dining room – a new chandelier.
    http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/my-precious/

  • K
    April 3, 2012 at 9:59 pm

    I love the sequined animals on the table top! How clever! I have the rabbit one (I’m obsessed with bunnies) that, even though it’s technically a Christmas decoration, I keep it out all year.

  • Carla
    April 3, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    I love me a painted ceiling! The gray turned out perfect! Cute table top too.

  • Bunny
    April 4, 2012 at 7:50 am

    Your dining room/table look amazeble (that’s a cross between amazing and adorable). You may have addressed this in some previous post, but is there a reason why you chose to hang the chandelier at that height?

    • Making it Lovely
      April 4, 2012 at 10:32 pm

      The rods that it hangs from only came in 18 inch lengths, and they screwed together so I couldn’t customize them but chopping any shorter. I wish it were about 6-12 inches lower, but the full foot and a half more was too much.

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  • Nicole
    April 4, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Gorgeous – painting ceilings makes me nervous (or maybe it just seems like too much work?! :) but this makes me wonder why I ever felt that way!

  • Erin @ The Great Indoors
    April 4, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I LOVE the gray ceiling. I’m trying to pinpoint the best gray for our guest bathroom vanity and I’m a little nervous about pulling the trigger. Wish me luck!

  • kate
    April 4, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    I love the gray ceiling! Not a criticism, but have you ever considered dropping the light fixture a tad lower?

    • Making it Lovely
      April 4, 2012 at 10:34 pm

      I do wish it were lower (although it looks higher in these photos than it does in real life). I answered this in a previous comment too, but basically we had to choose between too high or too low because the threaded rods that it hangs from only came in certain lengths. So we erred on the side of too high, rather than having the light so low that you could see into it from a standing angle.

  • Isabel Alvarez
    April 5, 2012 at 6:14 am

    Great job! I love the eggs and the pink bowls are amazing, and the bunnies are such a sweet detail :)
    Adorable style. Congratulations!

  • Cheltz
    April 5, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    Beautiful!

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    May 20, 2012 at 9:59 am

    Loving the coral bowls as well as the sequined bunny!

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