I’ve heard that formal dining rooms are passe, a waste of space. I have a friend who used hers as a catch-all for her kids toys, and remember the folks in the giant victorian next to my old house utilizing their massive antique table as a shared desk space. For a while, real estate wise, there was a trend of all-open floor plans… Living rooms glided into dining “areas,” and kitchen walls were open to both. I’m not saying this is wrong; everyone has their own tastes and uses of space. Personally, I just love a place to light a candle, center a dish of roast chicken, to relax with a bottle of wine and enjoy a few moments of quiet… or of crazy laughter, depending on the company. I love a dining room, which is why we have one.
Being in a townhome, we do have a smaller formal dining room. At only 13′ by 11′, which includes a walkway to the kitchen, my grandmother’s Duncan Pfife style dining table and chairs fit the space perfectly. The seats of the chairs were reupholstered (an easy project with a drill, staplegun, and some material) in a black velvet. Soon, that may be replaced with linen.. We’ll see.
Two of the chairs frame my glass-front china cabinet- a steal from Macy’s!- and above, original sketches of our old home as well as our current are framed and double matted. Leopard-print pillows are a fun touch. On the opposite wall, leading into the kitchen, are two simple paintings done by yours truly, in custom frames.
The walls are painted in Pantone Jet Black, while the trim and ceiling remain bright white. The floors are a chocolate-y hickory hardwood.
Topping the room is a gold and black sphere light from Crystorama. You may have noticed his smaller counterpart in our kitchen‘s breakfast area. On the new hardwood is a super soft and shimmery rug in gold tones. The light bounces off of it in such a pretty way, and it feels so nice underfoot.
In the corner, under a clock my grandfather brought back from a trip to Germany, sits a huge peace lily that I haven’t yet managed to kill. She’s fitted in a sleek metal pot.
Here she is, friends. We’ve had intimate, 4-person dinners, and hosted over 20 for Thanksgiving. Last Christmas, the table held mountains of appetizers and desserts when we hosted several friends for the holiday. Our dining room is so used, and now, its a beautiful and comfortable place to host.
Sources:
Flooring : Gilford Flooring, Glascow Hickory in Mountain Dust
Paint : Pantone Jet Black
Light : Crystorama
Table and Chairs : Vintage
Clock : Vintage
Rug : Mitchell Gold Bob Williams
Dishes : Vera Wang for Wedgewood
Glassware : Williams-Sonoma
Art : Custom
Sketches : Wadia Newman Designs
Plant Pot : Mahonia Studios
Frames : Hobby Lobby
Gold Urchins : Target
Alligator : Vintage
Aloe and Pot : Mahonia Studios
Petrified Wood Tray : Scout on Market
Silver : Williams-Sonoma
Carving Set : Williams- Sonoma
Punch Bowl and Glasses : Vintage
Pillows : Arianna Belle
** This post is not sponsored in any way **
