I cleaned today. The problem with cleaning is that you realize how "un-put-together" your house actually is sometimes. I haven't shown much of this room, so prepare yourself. THIS is my dining room.
You don't have a baby stroller in your dining room? Well, my 6-year old daughter asked Santa for a real stroller. Now we don't have anywhere to put it. It's for a doll. It's parked in my dining room.
What, you don't have a dog crate in your dining room either? What's wrong with you people?
Now you're just being snobs! You don't have a baseball bat housed on top of your favorite piece of furniture? Come on!
Here's the problem (well, there's a lot of them, but...). We don't really use the room, so we haven't bought chairs. The room is the first one our formal guests see. I hate the color. Everyone else loves the color. It's obvious to me that THEY don't have to decorate around this color. It's a pain in the rear cheeks. Edited to add: I should clarify. I am madly in love with the color. I just don't like to decorate with it. :) The one good thing? I love everything else in that room. THEN, it happened. I stumbled on a website and fell in love. Go to Polyvore.com ,and you will not leave your computer for days. I picked out what I want for the changes I want made in the room. I didn't choose a paint color on the site, but I love the picture. I.love.it.
I want that pendant light. Instead of all chairs--two tufted benches!! Ahhh...the glory! That mirror--be still, little heart.
So...if you're looking to waste hours of your life, run on over. Until then, swoon over my selection. If not, know that I am!
33 comments:
I love your furniture in the room. Well, the table and china cabinet. :) I like the idea of two benches. Very cute! And as for a color - what about a nice, creamy tan or pale yellow? If you look at some of the stuff from polyvore, you have light tans in a few things (lamp shade, art work). Just a thought! Good luck. And I like how you're "keeping it real" by showing the stroller, dog pin, and bat. I seem to have dog toys all over the place....
I can actually say that I do have a stroller AND a dog crate in my dining room. Right now my dining room is being used for everything but dining.(can't wait for warmer weather so I can have a garage sale and get rid of all the junk) I see that you already have some yellows in the room, but what about more golden yellows or mustard to play off the dark wood and the light walls? Keep us updated with what you come up with so that you can inspire my dining room makeover.
Great choices! I actually like the current color but the tan in your polyvore collection is nice too. Oh...and we have a dog crate in our dining room, and it's bigger thank yours. You're not alone (smile)!
-Hayley
Ha-Ha! I don't have any of those things in my dining room because I don't have a dining room. I turned ours into the playroom and sold all of my dining room furniture (except my beloved buffet) when we moved last year because you only use it once or twice a year. Technically, I guess I do have a small little mommy stroller, two foam swords (kind of like a baseball bat), and a fairy house in my "dining" room. :)
I also have a square table, 60 in, in our formal and I LOVE the idea of the tufted benches!!!!!!! I HATE the chairs that I have so....now I just have to talk my husband into the idea! Thanks!
It's still a spectacular room. It could use a couple more chairs, but if that were my unused dining room, the table would be piled high with projects and papers.
Polyvore looks fun, but I haven't seen how to get past the outfits to the stuff for your home.
Glad to see that I'm not the only one with a stroller in their dining room! Maybe next time I'll tell my guests that it's a new trend. :)
Love the stuff you picked out. That site is so much fun. I have the hardest time picking out paint colors too...can't wait to see what you decide.
She wanted a stroller so you bought it for her?! I wanted a date with Bon Jovi but you didn't see my dad flying to Jersey to track him down. Geesh. (He did get me a Fonzi shirt once though.)
Move that dog crate to the garage. (No, really, go do it)
Then go lookie loo at my bathroom re-do - you'd like the color. Your color in the room right now is a bit..mint, for my taste. No ones food looks good against hospital walls Chris.
What about a nice pale blue taken from one of your uber expensive styrofoam square thingies?
How come your table is empty and cleared off? That, to me, is the miracle of this picture.
Fun website BTW, thanks for the tip, you are the best! (Except for your wall color = not the best.)
I think your living room looks great! Who wants a house that is perfect and looks like no one lives there? I will have to check out that polyvore site. I have never seen it before.
XOXOXOXO
Jen
I love your black furniture. I cannot even click on that website because I know that I will get sucked into hours of planning out a room. By the way I LOVE your silky window treatments. Did you buy them or make them, because they are fabulous?
;)
i like the bench too! perhaps with two large chairs at the ends for impact. love your furniture btw, the china cabinet is beautiful!
I just love the color on the walls...and those squares are great!!
I know, Chris! I've discovered Polyvore too & am going to learn how to use it for my consultations. I made a couple already. It is a lot of fun, esp. when it works right. Did you use the "embed in blog" to get it here? I was wondering how that worked. Love your selections.
I ran right into my dining room so that I could share what was, well, amiss, so you would not feel bad. Other than some of John's school work on the table, we are actually doing pretty good. We have both been working a bit in the dining room and the living room because the office has been chill chill chilly these past few days. Now, our bedroom is different story. This is where you will the baseball bat, the bass guitar, the plastic drawer nightstand (don't tell anyone please) and the first aid kit under the dresser. Yikes! ~kelly
unDeniably Domestic
Chris, I do love the color, but if it's a pain for you to decorate around, then you should change it. I know the room's technically a dining room, but what about repurposing it? Or, at the very least, letting it function as more than just a dining room. Our former home's dining room was used as our study/music room/sitting room.
I had to laugh about your "reveal" comment cause it sounded like you were waiting for your dog to "reveal" the missing piece. That would not be pretty nor blog worthy;) You silly girl! I got so tired of our doll stollers that they now reside in the garage. It is cute to see all the little neighbor girls taking their babies for walks in the summer. I'd like to check out that website but am afraid to get sucked into something else. Love your inspiration pics!
I LOVE your blog! I am and will be a new follower...you have such great ideas!! Love the valentine gift idea :) BTW...our dog crate is in our guest bathroom!! There is just not a great place for it anywhere I guess!!
SORRY, I LOVE THE COLOR TOO! AND BOY, DO I LOVE YOUR D.ROOM FURNITURE. HUGS FROM MAINE
http://sophie4me.blogspot.com/
I too love the dining room color but you are right, I'm not decorating in there. :) Your furniture is beautiful and I love all the things you picked out. I'll have to check that web page.
I like the color. I would add black toile to it. Check out the give away on my blog.....might help you with your space :)
I love your dining room! Love the contrast of the dark furniture with the lighter walls. And love your collage. :)
hi- love the bench idea. as for your color dilema i have a few suggestions. what about adding a brighter color that may be found in the rest of your house like a bowl of green apples or oranges or a bold plate. or if you want to stick with all neutrals maybe adding a strong pattern that you can incorporate into the rest of your house.another neutral that might open things up is a burgandy or plum. you could add tiny pinstripes to your wall or curtains with those colors.also i was recently open house browsing and saw your color displayed also with sage green.just some thoughts i know what its like to feel stuck.grr!
Oddly enough, I *do* have a stroller (a doll stroller) in my "formal" dining room. And, I have a GIANT cardboard box in my formal living room. It was the ONE thing Princess asked Santa for...so of course she received it...and now it is in my formal living room...lovely!
~ Sarah
I loved the way you removed the drawer and used the baskets. Plus, who would have thought about painting those cheap Christmas baskets. Thanks for inspiring us!I am new to your blog.
Love & blessings in NC!
I totally won't qualify for a snob at my house. I don't have a 'formal' dining room! Oh but the kitchen table is still the 'catch all' even after downsizing it! I actually LIVE in my house, it ain't no show palace. ;-) So I LOVE seeing it real!
I LOVE the furniture that you have and hmmm, I like the color too.
Oh I love that wall color--so beautiful with the white baseboards/window casings and the black funirture! And no, we don't have a stroller or dog crate in our dining room, but at one point in time we had an entire Little People village on the floor, lined up against all 3 walls!
Chris,
I went to polivore and just saw clothing, what do I have to do to see stuff like all of the pretty things you found?
Deb
LOL my dog crate is not in the dining room but under the hall table off the living room! I feel your pain.
I don't have a stroller in MY dining room...I have 2!!! hahaha.
My dog crate is in my kitchen so my dog is not as fancy as your I guess!! hehehe!
Well, at least your house is more organized than our house! Me and my mom started cleaning out last April and we're still not done! I wish we can have some time off and finish it once and for all. :(
I'm glad to see someone else thinks it difficult to decorate that green color. It's what we inherited in our master bedroom, and while contemporary, it's been a pain in the but to coordinate. I think I'm coming up with a blueish grey in the perfect world for those walls! hehe
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