dining room

dining room

Geometric pattern on these patio doors. General Inspiration Tips and Advice

Patterns

One of the big styles in 2018 is pattern. Big, bold and colorful patterns. The problem a lot of people run into is how to use the pattern, and how much is too much. These patterns are so bold that it’s easy to overdo a good thing. To make it a little easier, we have broken down a typical house – room by room – and made a list of suggestions on how to introduce these fun new patterns!

  • Bedroom: Change up your bedding! The bedding is the number one statement you can make in any bedroom since the bed is almost always the focal point. It is also an easy enough thing to change up every season, once a year, or whenever the mood strikes.
  • Kitchen: Use your kitchen towels! It may seem like a small change, but generally the kitchen is one of the more “cluttered” room in your home – so you don’t want to add to the congestion – but a bright red and orange towel set will surely stand out amongst your gray or neutral palette.
  • Living Room: Add some side panels. Side panels are a good way in any room to introduce some color. The living room is a great space to change these because the windows tend to be less crowded than in some other rooms – and again it is usually a space with a more neutral palette that can handle a pop of color.
  • Bathroom: Go bold and change your shower curtain. Shower curtains are easy to change out and tend to be relatively inexpensive – so a great room to introduce that chevron pattern you have been eyeing in the store.
  • Dining Room: Grab a table runner or some placemats. The dining room tends to lack in pattern in general, so dressing up the table everyone is going to be gathered around is always a great way to change the room up – and it’s also a inexpensive update.

Most of these suggestions can be used in multiple places in the home, just keep in mind less is always more! It is always a good idea to have one big statement in every room in the house, and not to overdo one room with too many strong statements. Happy decorating!!

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DIY Inspiration Tips and Advice

Are Dining Rooms the New Library?

Formal dining rooms have always been a staple in the “American dream home”. I know when I first bought my house, I had been dreaming of how to design my formal dining room for such a long time. Fast forward 3 years, and I think MAYBE we have used it twice? Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful to look at but completely unused. So why not make it a space that IS used?
Enter the Library/Study. Since mid-2017, there has been a large influx of people completely doing away with the formal dining room and using the space in a new and inventive way; a library. You’re probably asking yourself “Well if I don’t use a formal dining room, I certainly won’t use a library!” Or will you?? Library is a very lose term now-a-days. It is also referred to as a study, home office or even a den. In most cases, people now create their “library/dining room” to be ONE space.
The staple and obvious point of a dining room is indeed the table, which is usually centered in the room. When changing your dining room into more of a library/study, you can still keep the table as is but use it more as a sit and read area, or maybe even a place where homework is generally done. This will allow for a more relaxed and quiet space with less distractions. Adding a bench to one side of the table is a great way to have seating but also not have it be “too comfy” as well so no one dozes off during homework time.
Dressing up the ceiling with a little ornamentation around a fun chandelier is also a great way to change things up in the space. In most cases, people will do at least one entire wall with floor to ceiling shelves that are covered in books, photo albums, picture frames and fun, elegant knick-knacks. In some cases we have even seen people use a wall of shelves for DVDs (or old video tapes!) if you’re more of a movie buff.
The most exciting thing about this new form/style of a dining room is that it can easily be used as an actual dining room again if needed down the road if you keep a long table in the middle. Ultimately, however you decided to remake this space, just be sure to make it your own and a space that will be used.
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General Inspiration Tips and Advice

Dining Room Decorating

Out of all of the rooms in the house, the dining room often poses the biggest dilemma in decorating. Being that it is usually a very functional room, with not a lot of furniture – other than the obvious table and chairs, it makes it harder to decorate. One of the major problems is the fear of overdoing an otherwise simple space, and another major concern is over decorating a room that you are using on a regular basis – for example table decorations may look great but if you have to move them every night when you serve dinner it is not very practical. To help, we’ve come up with a few simple things you can use in a dining room to make it your own.

  • Create an accent wall. Take this concept further than just the paint color. Bring in some bold decorative pieces that define your style. Whether it’s a piece of artwork that you love, an oversized clock, a big mirror, or wooden lettering, go with something bold. You can also make an accent by adding some floating shelfs – display some plates or glasses, small plants, or even something as simple as candles.
  • Add a decorative sideboard. A sideboard is a small piece of furniture that is put against the wall and generally used to store plates and glasses. It is reminiscent of the hutches that a lot people use to have in their dining rooms, but a much simpler, smaller piece. The great part of adding a sideboard is that you can use the top of it to decorate the same as you would your table – but without having to clear it off in time for dinner! Adding seasonal décor, plants, and colorful accents will instantly dress up the space.
  • Use an area rug. Using an area rug in the dining room in an easy way to bring a softer element into the room. You can go as bold or subtle as you like, but keep in mind that it is one of the few fabrics you have in the room, so you can allow yourself to go with more pattern than you might in another room.
  • Window treatments. Again, this is a great room to go bold with fabrics. You can bring in patterns that are easy to change out with panels, or you can find something you love to commit to in more permanent window treatments like roman or pleated shades.

Happy decorating!

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