admitting you need help is the first step...
Do you ever re-envision your rooms? Maybe your dining room should be your office instead. Maybe your living room and dining rooms might like to trade places for a season, just to see what it’s like. I decided it was time to give my dining room the chance to take center stage in my home for a season, and moved it right into my living room.
My New Dining Room
You may remember my colorful post: Throwing Your Caution (and Your Floorplan) to the Wind. Today I’m going to show you the rest of what was accomplished in a home whose artsy homeowners were ready to shake things up a bit. This family had no desire to make their home look like everyone else’s – they wanted something more colorful, a bit more quirky.
Living A Colorful Life
Upon entering the home, a living room/dining room combination runs to the right of a long open hallway. Here was the dilemma: the front “living” room had little purpose, except as a holding place for furniture that didn’t fit anywhere else. Because my clients love bold color, they had painted these front rooms dark orange. Problem was, the black furniture gave it a Halloween-all-year-round kind of feeling. [Read more...]
My client had dated wood dining room furniture and a limited budget. This pine set screamed, “country!!!” The brass chandelier didn’t help, either. I had to come up with a cost-effective remedy. No problem.
This makeover began with a very nice dining room - great architectural details and furniture. Nice, but nothing special.
You want to make your house a home? A place that soothes and comforts you and your family? A place of order, beauty, and wonder? I’ve got a few thoughts for you to ponder.
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You gotta live in your WHOLE house. There’s nothing sadder than a lonely room. Spending time in each room in your house on a regular basis can generate a more balanced life. I find many people spend most their time in one or two rooms of their house. Most people use their dining rooms a few times a year, at best. If you have the rooms, it’s such a shame for them to go to waste! |
Please excuse me, but I can’t completely separate myself from my past as a psychologist: Each room should serve a practical AND emotional function. It will serve you well to heal those disconnects, establish new practices, create new routines, and benefit from the proper utilization of your space. The effort creates a more balanced, satisfying life. Doesn’t it kinda make you feel guilty not to use that one (or more) certain room(s) in your home? Start tonight and actually serve dinner in your dining room.
| Do you guys shop at Dollar Tree? What a great place for finding mini-gifts, party favors, paper party products, stocking stuffers, holiday trinkets, and sometimes even good decor! So I’m at my local Dollar Tree to stock up on Old London’s Melba Toast – but they don’t have it anymore! Sad, but I did find these beautiful blue-tinted, delicately etched bud vases. I scooped up 5 for a mere $5 and brought them home to do some styling.
Have you ever put a large centerpiece on your dining room table only to have to remove it to be able to see your guests? Well, here’s a simple but elegant idea for a table “centerpiece” that doesn’t interfere with conversation. I simply grabbed my new bargain bud vases, clipped some hydrangeas from my yard, and lined them down the middle of my table. If you do this, it’s important to use items in odd numbers – 3, 5, or 7. |
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