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In our home, our dining room is a hard-working space. It’s not a space that’s used only for holidays and company. It is used all day, everyday. From breakfast to artwork to homework to dinner (and many other things in between).
But while the dining room is hardworking, it also has to look good.
Because it’s always visible – at the very center of our home. That means we look at it and pass through it dozens of times every single day.
I’ve been imagining a few simple tweaks to make the space work better for our family. After three years of heavy use, I think it can be more beautiful and more functional.
Here are the steps I’m taking to get there.
Start with what works and what doesn’t.
Rarely does a room need a full overhaul, at least in our experience. (And my budget doesn’t normally allow a full Fixer Upper flip, either.)
Here are the things that work in this space:
- There is so much natural light in this space.
- The scale of the table works well.
Here are the things that need improvement:
- We desperately need more storage in this space – for all the supplies and items that end up here.
- Our dining chairs have seen better days and need replacing – we need something sturdy and comfortable for heavy use.
- It feels a little bland – we need some sort of texture and interest in the space – plants, organic materials, etc.
- The corner cabinet probably needs to replaced with something more practical for storage.
Pull together some inspiration.
There are tons of great places to find inspiration for your home sweet home. I love to peruse Instagram and Pinterest, finding inspiration that speaks to me. (Make sure to also save those inspirational images, so you don’t lose them forever. I like to save Instagram images to “collections” and save Pinterest images to specific boards for each project.)
I also find inspiration other places. When searching for pieces (see the next step in my process below), I found several beautiful images of dining rooms on the Home Depot website. And they have just the feel I’m hoping to accomplish.
The first has a Transitional Farmhouse vibe – and could easily fit into our home and style. But when I look closer, I see that it has a nice mix of wood and white and neutrals. Plus a pop of black (in the light fixture). And there is a heavy dose of texture, too, in the chairs, linens and rug.
I also came across this Modern Farmhouse Dining Room, which features the same chairs in black. I love that this room has a mix of metal, wood and white. I love that it feels totally pulled together without being overdone.
There are lots of commonalities in these two rooms – and it helped me to narrow down the pieces I need to pull it together.
Find the best pieces for the job.
Once I’ve thought about what works and doesn’t in the space and found some inspiration, it’s a lot simpler to find pieces that fit the bill.
It can be overwhelming to find the right pieces, which is why I turned to Home Depot. They have a wide selection of interior furniture, accents, tablewhere and linens – in addition to the building materials and supplies I already trust for home projects. Basically, it’s become my favorite home improvement and home décor destination.
As a bonus, Home Depot offers every day low prices, FREE delivery (over $45), a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, and the convenience to shop online from home.
My favorite functions of their website include:
- Creating “My List” to save and shop my favorite projects
- “Shop the room” and “shop the look” curated collections (which is where I found those great inspiration images above)
So after a little online shopping, here’s what I came up with for our new and improved dining room space.
Sources:
- Grasscloth peel and stick wallpaper – for a little texture on the window wall
- Light oak and zinc dining table – a beautiful table with an easy to clean top for art projects and meals
- Safavieh black wooden dining chairs – chairs that are both comfortable and beautiful
- Storage bench with baskets – this will be tucked under the windows for additional seating as well as lots of storage for supplies that we use daily
- Natural jute table runner – a runner is an easy way to add a little texture and interest to the table – and it can stay there all the time without being in the way
- Natural wood tray – a great way to neatly corral items on the table, like decorative items, glasses and dinnerware
I think just adding a few new pieces will be a wonderful way to make our dining room more functional and beautiful. It’s amazing that just a few tweaks can change a space.
What do you think of our plan?
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Ava says
I like your ideas, they are really helpful. I always have issues with the scale of the table since I have a small place. That’s why I’m looking for some ideas and tips.
Donna says
Love the bench. Lots of style and function and when you’re done with it there it can go almost anywhere!!