Dining Room
AnneLiWest|Berlin SaveEmail Turn an everyday routine into a ritual. We all have certain things we do daily: make tea or coffee, prepare meals, wash the dishes, make the bed. Choose one of these simple routines and use it as a cue to slow down and be mindful. Making coffee or tea can become a relaxing touchstone in the day when you focus on measuring carefully, pouring slowly and inhaling the aroma before each sip. Even if the rest of your day is incredibly busy, doing this one thing slowly will have a ripple effect, creating a bit more peace and stillness in your day.
Excelsior Banquet 5-Arm Aluminum Candelabra Candle Holder - Silver $80.96 $215
Compo Cove Renovation Located in a small peninsula off the beaches of Westport, Connecticut, this 1250 sq. foot structure is the weekend getaway for Peter Wormser and his family. Originally built in 1910, the summer beach cottage needed a lot of work when purchased. Wall to wall carpet was replaced with hardwood floors, sheetrock was replaced by wainscotting and whitewashed woo, and wooden ceiling joists were exposed in the master bedroom for a cathedral-like effect.
Tone down darker woods. A white backdrop contrasts well with dark wooden furniture, but include too much natural wood and you can lose the clean effect of the walls. This vintage table works brilliantly, as it’s complemented by stools that keep the rustic mood but are cast in fresh white. The overall look is coherent but not too heavy on the dark wood.
Faith Towers Media SaveEmail Simple artwork adorns the walls, adding to the unfussy feel of the space. Navya works as a floral designer for weddings and events, and seasonal arrangements can be found in almost every room of the house, such as this bouquet of lilacs cut from the garden, sitting on the top of a hutch.
Most of the furniture and artwork are flea market and consignment shop finds, mixed in with some pieces from HomeGoods. “It took us a long time to buy all of our pieces, because I try to only buy items that I really love and fit our home,” says Navya. “It is hard furnishing a whole house on a budget. I may or may not have resurrected a few pieces in our house from the trash.”
Location: Scituate, Massachusetts Size: 1,410 square feet (131 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 1½ baths Year built: 1820 The home’s style is classic and understated, but incredibly well thought out. “Lots of neutral, natural colors can be found throughout the house,” says Navya. “We really wanted to embrace the antique simplicity of the home.”
Tim Barber LTD Architecture & Interior Design SaveEmail The architecture team custom designed the built-in dining room hutch.
WHITSTABLE ISLAND COTTAGE
Sassy Seahorse Eco Table Runner, Cream/Seagrass $49.30 $58
Create two simple floral bouquets with pink, peach and white roses; white ranunculus; and small pink arum lilies. Arrange your chosen blooms in a tight bunch, tie them together at the stems with twine and place the bouquets in short vases filled with water for a feminine and fresh look.
Simple Pastel Tablescape Take a break from the typical green and red color combo, and transition into a calm and soothing palette of pastel pink, soft gray and white. This setting features pretty pastel-hued blooms, shimmery candles and sweet details, bringing a fresh feel to a Christmas or New Year's Eve gathering.
A tray on the dining table made from old barn wood holds a mix of decorative and practical objects: pottery, cut flowers from the garden and cloth napkins.
Industrial-style vintage pendants hang over a farmhouse-style dining table. Repurposed glass-paned doors add texture and height to a corner.
The kitchen received a light cosmetic touch-up. The wood cabinets are now white, and a new farmhouse sink, faucets and a sandy granite countertop spiffed the space right up. Part of the renovation included ripping down a wall between the kitchen and the family room.
This fireplace is in the dining room. It originally had a dark and ugly combination of different colored bricks; McGuill brought out the white paint and added a very simple and inexpensive mantel. The mirror was a Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show find. McGuill had the panes replaced with mirror. The scale of the piece is just right for the tall chimney.
If you want to set an extra-special table or surprise a birthday guest, adding a monogrammed mug and a small arrangement of flowers is lovely and doesn't take much extra effort.
In this emphatically Swedish-style living and dining room, there is a sense of elegance, but somehow it’s accomplished in a very relaxed fashion. I love the abundant use of linens here — not only on the table but on the chairs and settees, at the windows and even in the antique hemp area rug.
Whether antique, vintage or simply emulating the look, lacy linens at a window (or, like here, in a doorway) add great charm.
Dreamy WhitesSave to IdeabookEmail Photo These diaphanous curtains hung from twigs, and the rustic French linen runner on the dining table, make me want to linger over breakfast or lunch in this airy dining room.
8. Make setting the table easy as pie. Instead of keeping your silverware in the drawer as usual, try storing it in a caddy right on the dining table for the summer months — plus it’ll be easy to grab when you decide to have dinner al fresco.
Love love love this!
I love this!!!!!
It's a Wannabe Decorator's LifeSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Shabby chic. Complement a shabby chic interior with easy and no-fuss woven wood shades. When drawn all the way up, they have the appearance of a simple valance.
Holly MarderSave to IdeabookEmail Photo The pale pink painted antique hutch in the dining room holds a collection of treasured antique and vintage crockery, a combination of pink and white with occasional delicate florals that doesn't take itself too seriously.
"I love the Scandinavian way of living, their use of white to brighten up the home during the dark, cold winter," Eijkenduijn says. The couple applied that formula to what was previously a dark space to create this sunny dining room. "The Scandinavians have this philosophy that if you paint your floors, walls and ceilings white, as soon as the sun comes out, your home is so vivid and bright ... like a burst of sunshine," she says. The resulting airy aesthetic is evident in this space, where antique furniture is paired with a neutral color palette and lace curtains that soften the natural light.
6. Re-cover a table with oilcloth. Take a cue from the home of Yvonne Eijkenduijn and bring cheer to a plain tabletop with patterned oilcloth. Cut the oilcloth to fit your table, allowing plenty of overhang, then use a staple gun to attach the fabric. See how to cover a tabletop in oilcloth
7. Farmhouse cupboards. Primitive wooden cupboards and pie safes add a warm, handmade touch to any room in the house. Use one to store linens in the dining room, organize mail and clothes in the mudroom, or bring extra storage to your kitchen.
The dining room, seen here dressed for a party, is a light and sunny space. The star of the show is certainly that gorgeous turquoise cabinet.
I love the table cloth and the old jelly cabinet.
CapeRace Cultural AdventuresSave to IdeabookEmail Photo The approach: cottagey furnishings. Despite its bright turquoise walls, this breakfast area reads unmistakably as cottage, thanks to the spindle-back chairs, gingham tablecloth, painted wood floors and old-fashioned sideboard. The trappings are stylistically strong enough to stand up to the unconventional color.
Love the white hutch!
Awww....table set for one?
I love the pink roses in the blue vase and the blue table runner.
Romantic Cottage 1,692 Saves | 3 Questions From the pretty lace-trimmed shelves to the fluted dinnerware, this beautiful room is decorated in varying shades of white with twinkling glass and crystal to create a soft, romantic ambience. The beauty here is that there is no set style – anything white will work. Check out ways to maximise a small dining area.
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