First of all, I want to say THANKS to everyone for your great comments and advice regarding my crazy dining room. Imagine me pasting a big, sticky gold star on your foreheads. I got tons of great ideas, and I’m already mentally rearranging the room 20x over. Now, if I only had a billion dollar budget to match… Since I don’t, I’ll be carefully watching Craigslist and Ebay, and crossing my fingers that the upcoming Round Top antiques fair will exceed my wildest treasure hunting expectations. In the meantime, I thought I’d throw out a few ideas I cooked up based on your comments. You can always refer back to my dining room pics here to check my mental handiwork. So, I’ve already pulled all the crap off the window wall, and I’m considering hanging these West Elm curtains wide on either side of the window to add some depth to that space.
I’m thinking I would still keep the gold roman shade… crazy?
In my fantasy (but still vaguely achievable) dining room, this vintage chandelier would take center stage:
It will probably end up being too expensive, but I’m hoping I can snag it, anyway.
And then there’s the table issue. For now, I’m planning to keep the white chairs and use a different pair of Danishy chairs to flank the window (have I mentioned I’m a huge chair whore?). They are similar to the ones I currently have in the dining room, but better suited for the space if the table is removed. As for the table itself, I have a zillion pics bookmarked as inspiration. Mind if I share?
So, I’m kind of crushing on trestle tables right now; I feel like something with minimal legs would work well with the white chairs, and I also like how the table ends are uncluttered by chairs. And something rustic-ish (but not too yee haw) would disguise spaghetti stains. Via Met Home.
A more refined version via Domino. Boy those chairs look familiar…
I like a good plinth table, too. This one is kind of reminiscent of Art Deco pieces, but all moderned up. Via Living Etc.
A similar table paired with a very schizophrenic chair collection. Via Living Etc.
This floating, nearly legless table is the bees knees. I love the length, the lack of chairs at the ends, and the airiness. But what the hell is up with that picture collection and the creepy sprinkler system? Via Met Home.
Or maybe I should go oval, but with a simpler pedestal fitting? I like round tables, but they won’t fit my space. Love the blonde wood with the dark paint. Via Living Etc.
Same table, different finish. I really need to be able to fit six chairs at my table, though since I like to have my buds come over and entertain me. Karly’s getting good at shutting the baby up. Via Living Etc.
I really just want this table. And those chairs. And look — bish has ANOTHER dining table in the back room! Surely she can spare a set. Via Domino.
And then there’s this beauty. Do you think crumbs would get wedged in the cracks? Not sure that I care. She is magnificent, and I’m sharpening my ax already. I’ve got plenty of trees. Via Living Etc.
So that’s all I’ve got for now, but tune in after Karly and I hit Round Top in a couple of weeks to see if we made out like bandits. Who knows? I may redecorate my entire house. Or I may be under house arrest after leaving baby Ike with the Hunny for a whole day.
Related posts:
Karly is a BABY WHISPERER?!?!?
(Yeah, that’s all I took away from your lovely long thoughtfully written post.)
Diana is the real baby whisperer, I’ve just learned that the baby likes to look at anything that shines (he takes after his mother) point that kid at a lamp and he’s happy.
Erin, I’m excited to see window treatments on the list! And that light is AWESOME. I maybe could find a home for your current light if you decide to part with it. I’m thinking spray painted and hung where the fan is now in my office
What do you think of the curtains I chose? Or should I paint the whole room black and do white Ikea linens? I’m afraid to paint the kitchen side black because of my soapstone counters, so not sure I could do it anyway…
Meanwhile, AB’s dark bedroom makes me want to repaint the whole space, already. I just ordered color cards…
WTF is wrong with me???????!
Keep the wall with the sink like it is and for the love of god get some shelves before you repaint. Having a complete vision will help.
The curtains are pretty rad, but i’m more of a fan of one-color curtains
also, you could do the ikea curtains on the gray wall, it doesn’t need to be black. don’t repaint the black you have, yes, the downpipe is dreamy but what you have is pretty damn dreamy, too.
Well, first off, you’re my favorite kinda gal: A chair whore. We’re sisters in whoredom. I love each and every inspiration photo shown here, but my favorite look is a plank modern table with your white chairs. In fact, I’m interested in the same type of table. A parsons — but made with interesting rustic wood. Or, your trestle table from one of the top photos.
I vote on the solid curtain. I’m thinking that 2-tone curtain will overpower the window itself and all the other things going on in the room. What about unbleached flax-colored linen? Or white linen?
I LOVE black walls. But since you have the soapstone to consider, why not a really dark green? Or navy? Or charcoal gray. I think wood tones look especially sophisticated again charcoal gray. Love the hip brass lamp! Brass also looks great with charcoal.
This is fun fun fun. Thanks for allowing us DC devotees to be experts!
OH! By the way… We have a really old farmhouse table made from 2 very wide planks of wood. There are cracks running throughout. It was never a problem until we had babies. As toddlers, the girls’ food would become mushed in those cracks. Play-doh and Elmers glue and glitter too. We have to regularly take a sharp knife and scrape the cracks and then vacuum up the dried yuck. I still love that table. But, my house-cleaning standards have dropped with each labor pang I’ve experienced.
Karly, someday we will get our asses back to Ikea and buy the shelves. Why does Ikea have to be so far away??? Sounds like I should pick up another pack of curtains, too. I really like the two tone West Elm ones, but hate the grommet tops, so… Hey, btw, did you know there’s a new West Elm going in at 5th and Lamar?
Susie, thanks so much for playing along! And I appreciate the advice regarding the table. I kind of thought it might be bad for babies.
I suppose I will keep the black for now and see how it goes. Too bad it’s not as easy to change paint colors in real life as it is in Photoshop!
That light fixture is so very awesome. I really hope you get it!
I think I would have to wait to see if I had that to work with and then decorate around it. But I love all of the ideas you’ve got cooking. That last plank table is my dream table.
Signed,
Just another chair whore
Chair whores unite!
Thanks for visiting, Alison
I think those curtains would be perfect for the room – maybe you could make similar ones without the grommet tops? And instead of white, a grey similar to what you have on the wall?
That window wall needs a little black for balance.
I think the brass chandelier would be great too (I have something similar with matching sconces to be installed in my DR!) – especially right next to the gold sunburst. I was also thinking of just doing chairs on the sides and not the head of my new(ly refinished) trestle table (this: http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=258891 in black,) just need to convince my husband that it’s not weird! I’m looking forward to seeing your room re-done so I can show him.
The grommet tops don’t bother me, but I would just stick with the white ikea ones, they look just as nice as any others I’ve seen. I went in west elm when i was in VA and their curtains didn’t look any better than the Ikea ones. Oh, I don’t normally like tab tops, and i think the w elm ones have those. I am pretty stoked to hear that they’re opening one here!
OH GOD!!! i love all of this! i am struggling to pick my favorite, and i can’t! but i am mad for the wood elements. yup, mad for those wood tables and chairs!
I really like the skinny-legged table and chairs (second from bottom). I’m stealing the photo!
I LOVE the trestle table. It is a classic and will never go out of style. It looks especially great with those chairs. I will have to come back when I have a minute and see the original post (I’m assuming it’s not the one from last spring? Last year? Or maybe it is since you’ve been a little busy…).
I love the chandelier, and I’m partial to the two-tone curtains. A longer, skinnier table with a trestle or a plinth bottom would look pretty smoking, and allow you to do a squarer chair shape or a bench.
Either way, I am excited to see how it turns out! I think your dining room is almost the size of half of my new apartment!