New Chairs and Greenery in the Dining Room...

Did I tell you that my family gave me the rest of the Restoration Hardware dining room chairs I'd been wanting for Christmas? I love them! (My family, and the chairs.)

You might remember when I scored the first two of them at a thrift shop and was obnoxiously giddy. 

A Farmhouse-Style Herb Garden in the Dining Room...

It may still be awhile until we plant herbs in the garden outside, but it's never too early to enjoy them indoors. 

They add some life, greenery, and freshness to the house... and smell so good!

Plus, it's good gardening warm-up. 

A Farmhouse Christmas Dining Room...

I hope you are doing well and enjoying this beautiful season. 

It is such a special time of year, but it can also be so packed-full! There are days, and those nights (when your head hits the pillow but your eyes open wide), when you wonder how you will get it all done. 

But you will friend. 

Now say it to me. ;)

And if we don't get it all done... we'll learn to have more grace with others, 

and perhaps even with ourselves.

A Farmhouse Thanksgiving Dining Room {Thankful to bHome Tour}

Welcome friends! I'm so glad you're here and hope your week is going well. 

I'm happy to be joining my inspiring friends for the Thankful To bHome Blog Tour today, where I'll be sharing our Thanksgiving dining room. I hope you'll enjoy the entire tour, as well as enter the lovely and generous giveaway, at the end of this post. 

A Farmhouse Style Fourth of July

Hi Friends!

I hope you are doing well.

This year, we brought our vintage flag indoors, for some red, white 

and blue patriotism in our white farmhouse dining room. 

Farmhouse Easter Dining Room and Cabbage Flower Centerpiece

Happy Easter week!

Does it feel like spring where you're at? I hope so. And for those of you who just got a new blanket of snow, hang in there! Spring is on its way...

Vintage Books and Herbs Mantel...

I guess it's like when you decide to try to lose a few pounds, and suddenly all you can think of is apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce. 

In winter, when most of the outdoors is dormant, I start craving nature indoors.

Meet our dining room mantel...

Christmas in the Dining Room (And a Christmas Gift DIY)

Welcome!

Today I'm sharing some pictures of our dining room, simply decorated for Christmas. I wanted to keep a light and airy feel in this room, keeping decorations to a minimum. 

I am looking forward to adding some whimsy and wonder to our Christmas Eve table, when we'll be hosting family for dinner. Until then, just a few touches to add a little merry to this room...

A New (Vintage) White Chandelier for the Dining Room...

Happy new week everyone!

Since we moved in, almost two years ago, I've been dreaming of a new 

chandelier for our dining room. It's finally here!

A Mason Jar Chandelier Makeover

I've been daydreaming about a different chandelier in our dining room. Since the balance in our "chandelier budget" is currently zero, I thought I would experiment.

I decided to paint the chandelier a distressed white. I then used a round antique wood distressed frame to add more of a presence to the chandelier. It rests perfectly on the chandelier. (I lucked out!)

I've always thought mason jar chandeliers were charming, so I thought I'd try some jars as shades to see if they fit. 

I used the standard (not wide mouth) Ball mason jars.

And guess what? They were a perfect fit! Nice and secure as I pressed down. 

No gluing required.

Here is the view, looking up. (It was a gray day when I took these pictures so the reflection of the lights appear on the ceiling.)

Lights on...

And off...

It was fun to be able to give the chandelier a new look by using items I had on-hand (the antique round frame and paint), along with an investment of $5 in jars.

This little project reminded me to experiment with everyday items - I didn't really think the jars would fit securely like that! You don't know until you try...

Hope you have a great weekend!

Xo

Sharing with:
Share Your Style
Thoughts from Alice
The Scoop
Cozy Little House
Savvy Southern Style

Farmhouse Dining Room ~ Buffet Makeover (Before & After)

Painting formica. It's possible! 

Our dining room is one of my favorite rooms in our house. We've shared a lot of good memories gathered around the farmhouse table. The room has many windows, so it gets a lot of natural light. 

This past week, I painted the buffet countertop, which was a dark green laminate. The effect was dramatic! Instead of your eye stopping on the green countertop, the painted white buffet now blends into the room well. It looks more like the painted piece of furniture you'd expect to see in a farmhouse.

Here's the before...

And the after... 

Here are the steps to take in painting formica countertop:

1. Clean the surface well.

2. Sand the surface to help paint adhere (I used a medium grit sanding block).

3. Clean the surface again.

4. Paint several coats if you are covering up a dark laminate with white. I used Home Depot's Behr Ultra (paint with primer). The color I chose was Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117)

5. Seal the paint with a few coats of Peel Stop Clear Binding Sealer by Zinsser (found on Amazon).

Notes: I first tried to use polyurethane as a sealant but it yellowed the white paint. Peel Stop did not yellow the paint and provides a fairly matte finish for a sealant... which I liked, since I was trying to achieve the look of an older piece of furniture. Since I just completed this project, I can't speak to the durability of the sealant yet. 

One more before...

And after...

Ahhh, the power of budget-friendly paint! :)

If you'd like to see what our dining room looked like when we were first shown the house, you can see it here.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

xo

Sharing with:

Cozy Little House

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Savvy Southern Style

Share Your Style

French Country Cottage

Bringing Green into the Dining Room {A Thrift Store Find}

I wanted to share with you this vintage green linen

 tablecloth I found recently at a thrift shop...

I almost walked right by, but the beautiful trim caught my eye. It had been awhile since I had gone thrift shopping. I was reminded why it is so much fun! Many pieces are vintage and one-of-a-kind. Sure, you have to hunt and dig a bit. You also have to be able to picture the item outside of the store. But, if you can, you just may end up with a unique item for your home at a steal of a price!

I brought the chicken waterer with succulents in from our
 porch for an added touch of greenery and farmhouse style.

Have you scored any good finds recently? Or, are you on the hunt for something these days? Inspire me (and distract me from the return of the rain)!

xo

Sharing with:
Savvy Southern Style
Jann Olson
The Essence of Home
From My Front Porch To Yours
French Country Cottage
Thoughts from Alice
Coastal Charm
Cozy Little House
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Lou Lou Girls
A Stroll Thru Life

Dreaming of a White Christmas… Dining Room!

Happy December!

I hope your week is off to a great start. If you are visiting from Design Mom, welcome! I am so happy you are here. Please make yourself at home!

And to all of you other lovely readers, welcome back! 

I'm popping in to share some pictures of our "White Christmas" dining room… 

You may remember these box grater luminaries I brought in this fall? By simply swapping out the pumpkins with pinecones and greenery, it was an easy fix. 

They provide such lovely filtered candlelight.

These rustic trees were made by wrapping styrofoam cones with strips of muslin, lace, burlap and canvas...

Below is one of the vintage cookie tin centerpiece cakes I made for the Holiday Thrift Store Challenge...

Are you decking the halls this season? 

What special traditions do you enjoy this time of year? I would love to hear!

May your December days be filled with peace and joy even (especially!) when there is much to be done...

xo

Sharing with:
Cozy Little House
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
French Country Cottage
Thoughts from Alice

Our Dining Room - Before & After

When we first viewed our house, the dining room looked like this...

And now...

To give the chandelier more of a romantic country feel, I removed the glass shades and hung strips of neutral fabric (with varying textures) from an antique circular wood frame. The wood frame was just the right size to rest on the arms of the chandelier.

My favorite thing about the dining room is the amount of natural light it gets. With five windows and a glass door, the room feels airy, even on gray days. We had refinished the distressed white farm table before moving in. I found the table at a second-hand store for an amazing price, but splurged on the chairs.

I love the feel of a fireplace in the dining room. Since there was not a fireplace in this room, we brought in a vintage white mantel. I made a curtain from a drop cloth for the inside of the fireplace, which "softens" the mantel and adds some texture to the room.

This bench is opposite the mantel.

Well, we've been in our home almost 8 months now! 

It's fun to take a look back and see how we're making this home our own. 

Try to remember to take "before" pictures before updating or making changes in your home. I don't always remember to do it…but it's amazing how quick we forget what it looked like before!

Happy Saturday!

xo