Christmas Dining Room

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I am low on motivation and time to decorate for Christmas this year!  So things are simple, but overall I am pleased with how they turned out.  Throughout the house, I like to combine bling and glitter with natural elements, like pine cones and burlap.

Fall Vignettes

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This week I have been working on decorating the dining room for Autumn.

I am no expert on creating vignettes, but here is the way I do it.

Step 1.  Clear the surface and start with a clean slate.

Step 2.  Gather any and all items you think you "might" want to use in your vignette.

Step 3.  Begin layering items

When I layer in my items, I try to start with taller items in the center then work my way out and down.  I move things around, add in items, take items out, and just basically play until my eye feels happy.

 I was inspired by the mixing of textures and finishes of Pottery Barn fall displays I have seen.  I combined rustic elements, like the picture frame, with different colors of gold, silver, and mercury glass.

 The gourd and pumpkins were from HomeGoods

I picked up the urn and picture frame at Hobby Lobby.  The paper leaves and moss came from Dollar Tree.
The free printable came from here.

I also added some cozy placemats to the table.  The candleholders were on clearance at Anthropologie.  I like to have a little centerpiece on the table, but don't like it to be something that always has to be moved or gets in the way of conversation.  I am happy with this little platter of lavender and candles.

I am really wanting to add some items on the wall to fill in around the mirror.

  I picked up these plates at TJ Maxx for  $7 and am thinking them over.

I also picked up this little gal at HomeGoods, isn't she caauute?!!

 I don't think I will put her out until a little later in October though.

Dining Room Progress

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I'm hesitant to say dining room reveal because there are still several finishing touches I would like to make.  So, for now, I will say dining room progress.

  Here is my to-do list:

New chandelier

Hang mirror

Plates around mirror

Centerpiece for table

When we left off last week, I had shared the dresser, accessories, and wall art.

The table is from World Market and the white slipcovered chairs are from Ikea.  They are large chairs!  If I had chosen smaller chairs I could easily fit 6 around the table.  At first, I was regretting my chair purchase...but after a having people over a few times in the last month I feel good about it.  The chairs are comfy enough that people naturally gather in the dining room to chat, almost similar to a living room.

The pillows are from the outdoor section of Pottery Barn, they were on clearance for $13.  Now is a great time to check out patio markdowns for affordable pillows!

I was so happy that World Market now carries this glass drying rack for $14.99!  I am not sure where it is going to live for good, but for now I threw it on the table as a centerpiece.  I have been wanting a piece like this for some time and have seen it on websites for as much as $60.  I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much.

From this angle you can see how the aqua paint color on the dresser ties in with the powder room.  You also get a peek at my striped entry wall and how the lighter gray in the entry compliments the darker gray in the dining room.

Here was the dining room at the beginning of August.  It was a busy month!  We replaced the flooring, repainted the dresser and got new knobs, added more pictures and repainted the mats, painted the mirror, and got a new dining table.

  

 BEFORE:

AFTER:

Here is the view to our dining room from the foyer hallway:

Dining Room Source List:

Paint Color - Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray

Curtains - Target

Table - World Market

Chairs - Ikea

Large Mirror - Garage sale find

Accessories - Home Goods, World Market, Pottery Barn

Be sure to check out more before and afters here!

Dining Room Week - Free Wall Art

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I've already changed my DIY book page wall art.  I liked it, but the fact that some of the images were dark blue and I could not figure out how to print them black was bugging me.  The main reason I changed them was because I found a great site that has free downloadable image sets.

I fell in love with this set and I didn't even notice at first that two of the cities were Indianapolis! (our town) Bonus!  I am pretty sure I did an air fist pump when I opened the downloaded images.

All I had to do was open them, print them, and slap them in the frames.  I love that free wall art means I can change it again whenever I feel like it.

I hate photo disclaimers, but I just have to put one for these pictures.  They are located in two dark corners beside a window and are impossible for me to photograph!  I love them so much and wanted to share the fabulous free art website I decided to post them anyway.

On this other wall, I hung several things I found at Home Goods.  The total I spent on this area was around $40, so while it was not free, I can change it without too much guilt later on down the road.

For now, I like that it keeps with the neutral theme I am going for and also combines the different textures.

Dining Room Week ~ Dresser Details

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Today I want to focus on the details of the dresser turned buffet that is in the dining room.  When we first moved into the house, I begged my hubby to paint our old bedroom dresser coral.  I quickly learned that a little coral goes a long way.  After about a month he (a little uncheerfully) repainted it light aqua for me.  If you are looking close, the bottoms of the feet still need a little touch up.

Aaahhh....much better.

I wanted the dining room to have a mostly neutral feeling.

  My goals for the dresser area were to mix textures and finishes.  The mirror and candlesticks are ornate the linen runner and lavender bundle are more rustic...you get the idea!  I also wanted to have a spot where I could change things easily and put out seasonal decor.

Arranging areas and tabletops like this can be overwhelming so I created a "Vignettes" board on Pinterest to give me ideas on what arrangements look best.  You can see follow my board by clicking here.

I would still like to hang the mirror instead of just leaning it on the dresser and add plates or something around the mirror, similar to these rooms I found on Pinterest.

The inside of the dresser is still coral and a fun little surprise when you open the drawers.  I use the drawers to store candles, extra linens, and small decor items I am not using at the moment

The knobs are from Hobby Lobby and cost about $40, but that's not bad considering I needed 16 knobs for this dresser!  Knobs and pulls are always 50% off at Hobby Lobby and I love scoping out that aisle every time I am there to see what they have added.

The large mirror was a $15 garage sale find.

  I painted it white and sanded a few spots to reveal the gold underneath.

The linen table runner and lamp were Home Goods finds.

The candlesticks were on big time clearance at Pottery Barn.  The little bundle of lavender or herbs...not sure...was on clearance in the Smith & Hawken garden section of Target.  I also picked up the little candle in the same section for $4.50.  I love the simplicity of the candle and the way it reflects on the candle sticks when burning.

The ceramic pheasants were a Goodwill find that I was unsure about, but my BFF insisted I buy them and I am glad she did.  :)

Dining Room Week

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I had an entire post typed and published this morning about my dining room progress so far... 

While I loved "revealing" the whole family room at once, I felt like I couldn't fit everything I wanted to say about the room into one post and I ended up skimming over things.  I might revisit them, I might not.  To avoid having that feeling about the dining room...I deleted my post and it's officially dining room week at Tattered Tulips.  

Here is a sneak peek, please stay tuned...

DIY Book Page Wall Art

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Remember here when I promised to show you what I did with the index pages of the vintage atlas?  Better late, then never...I am going to finally show you how I used them.

I took my inspiration from these amazing prints I saw on Pinterest

I purchased 6 11x14 frames from Christmas Tree Shoppes for $6.99 each.  At first, I spray painted the mats an aqua color, but after living with them for a few weeks, I decided I wanted a more monochromatic feel to the dining room.  I re-sprayed painted them tan.  Spray painting mats is a home decorating tip I totally love...for a few dollars you can add personal color touches to any standard white picture mat in your home!

I found this amazing blog that has free downloadable vintage images, selected 6 that I liked, and then printed them onto the index book pages.  It's still a work in progress because some of the images printed in a blue color that I am not crazy about.  I also think I would like the images to have a more cohesive feel.  As it is, some of them are nautical...some are not.

The moral of the story is that, for less than $50 in frames and spray paint I was able to fill two walls with my homemade art.   You don't have to spend a lot of money on wall art!

Plus, the possibilities are endless.  I can change the images whenever the mood strikes, I can change the color of the mats, I can take out the mats like the pinspiration photo...it's a very versatile project.