home sweet home: dining room

So here's our dining "room" BEFORE we moved in...

and AFTER...

It's just to the left of our front door and foyer, with columns defining the space. In our old house, we never really had a dining "room" either - just a space off the living room and it worked for us. We actually used our table then way more than we even do now because it was right off our kitchen. Now our dining room area serves us more when we have friends and family over and more formal dinners, whether it's just us three or whether it's with more family.

For this room, we decided to nix the tray ceiling (Gorgeous, yes. However if one thing to cut I thought that's where we could save money) Instead, we opted for wainscoting and extra thick crown molding. It helped "dress up" and define this space even more.

I found my fabric for curtains seriously years ago when I first knew we wanted to build. I'm not even joking. It was an impulse buy at a fabric sale in Williamston and the moment I saw it, I fell in love with it. I never looked back. I knew I wanted light pale blue/aqua walls in the dining room (my favorite color!) and so I matched to a color in the fabric and there you have it....Sherwin Williams Silvermist. The most gorgeous blue! I could stare at it all day long. I recently had Mrs. Ann (sweet family friend) sew my curtains and I purchased the hardware from Hobby Lobby (y'all. Hob Lob has some seriously good drapery hardware. Always 40% off with coupon, if not more when running 50% off sale!) 

The Claire Chandelier from Ballard Designs has always been one of my favorites. Well, when I saw it at the Ballard Designs Outlet marked to $150 (regular $400) I thought "yep, that's it". It's so gorg and you know I got to have a little "bling". So we strapped her in the backseat and off we went. Again, so many months before we even had the dining area complete. If you can't tell, I definitely had a set vision for this space.

The table and china cabinet was a purchase from my dad and stepmom when Chad moved into their old house (now our old house) before we got married. It was so heavy and they had so much furniture already (from combining furniture when recently wed) that they just simply did not want to move. They sold it to us for a pretty penny, but it was still an amazing deal! I am so glad we splurged because it could seriously be our dining room furniture for life. It's classic and timeless. Solid wood. Farmhouse style. We've enjoyed so many meals at this table and knowing my dad sat here and enjoyed many of meals too, it makes me love it even more. 

Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Silvermist
Trim Color: Sherwin Williams Pure White
Rug: RUGS USA (75% off sale)
Chandelier: Claire Chandelier via Ballard Designs Outlet
Vase: TJ Maxx

What's most special to me about this room is the china in our china cabinet. When we were engaged, I didn't register for formal china, only everyday. I knew that my grandmother had boxed up china before she passed that she had purchased years and years ago - long before we were ever even out of school or thought of being married. It is the most beautiful, simple white china with gold trim. I love!

I also love my pillows, also hand sewn by Mrs. Ann. The pink fabric matches the curtain print fabric perfectly and I told her I wanted the leopard print piping to add a bit of pizazz. Then I had to monogram it....le duh. 

 And finally.... dun, dun, dun, dun....here's the very last missing piece to the puzzle....what FINALLY makes our dining room THE only 100% finished room in our house...we recently added both of our boys' portraits to the wall!

The plan is to take a picture of Charlie when he's the same age (2),  in the same outfit, on the same porch. Until then, I just couldn't wait to get Cade's on the wall and bc I'm OCD about symmetry, that meant Charlie needed a pic up there too. Glad his newborn photo worked out perfectly!

the opening to the left in the hallway goes to the kitchen...

 The portraits look so small in the photo above, but you can see here they are perfect size for the size room and china cabinet. I would have hung them lower but we ran into an issue with the breaker box being behind Cade's portrait (on other side of wall) and had to hang higher than anticipated. I don't freak out about stuff like that though. It's perfect to me and that's all that matters.

This has turned into one of my favorite "rooms"...

and I'm so jacked that it's the only one that's completely "finished". Now my thoughts are how to plan Christmas decor around all the PINK? Oh I can't wait...