Monday, October 22, 2012

A Fall Visit in the Dining Room


Now that summer is over and I have thoughts of spending cooler days inside, I've been feeling the urge to do some fall cleaning.  First stop last week was our dining room and once I had the room organized and put back together, I thought I'd attempt to take a few photos.  

I think I've mentioned before that I find our dining room the most difficult room in our house to photograph and because of that I have not taken many photos in this room since I first started writing my blog.  Since then I've discovered that I have a real love of photography, but I'm still learning, especially when it comes to interior room shots. 


Seasonal cleaning always leads to a few seasonal decorating changes for me.  Remember those branches I collected from the dogwood trees?  When my Country Living magazine came this month with an article about decorating with branches, I was so excited because I finally knew what to do with them.  While the girls played outside one afternoon, I took all the leaves off and left the berries intact.  I am thrilled with how the branches look now and I'm hoping the berries will last throughout the winter.  


 I placed the branches in an ironstone pitcher and displayed them on the table with a couple pumpkins.  The built in cabinet you see on the far wall is original to the house (see the wavy glass?).  It's one of my favorite features in our home, but lately I've been unable to completely shut the doors (one of the many quirks of living in an old house).


I also moved the table around for a little change.  (Do you move your furniture around frequently too?)


 Speaking of changes, I realized I forgot to share a small update I made to our dining room a while back.  I finally reupholstered the seat covers on our chairs with a nice linen I found.  Although it's a simple fabric, I felt that a neutral, clean look paired best.  I will say that reupholstering with linen is not the easiest... I recruited my mom's help one evening and when she finished three covers in the amount of time it took me to attempt one, I let the expert finish.  (smile)


Out of all the projects we've done in our home so far, returning the beadboard dining room ceiling to its original state, as difficult as it was, is still one of my favorite things.  After the damage we saw to the original ceiling in the living room, I'm so thankful for the near perfect condition here. 


 Because our house is a foursquare style, the dining room is located between the kitchen and the living room and therefore is one of our most used rooms.  I have kept the palette very neutral since it is the "center" of our house and connects so many rooms.
 

The room is large; in fact, because of the foursquare design, it's the same size as our living room.  I still have one wall in this room that is almost entirely bare... but I do have plans for it.  (My poor husband.) 


The dining room also has one of four fireplaces in our house, but sadly none of them work (the chimneys were cut off by the previous owners), although the fireplace here does have gas logs.  I love the look of the brick inside showing all its wear.  I can only imagine a time when this would have been their source of heat.  I sometimes wonder if this room would also have served as their kitchen in the beginning.  The back of our house, where the kitchen is located, was actually originally a porch and was enclosed later on.  I'm not sure about a lot of details, but it is always fascinating to me to think back on the years when our house was built and what it would have been like then.

It's nice to take a little break every now and then and reflect on improvements that have been made.  Thanks for always sharing in my reflections, thoughts and dreams too.

Have a wonderful week!

Sharing at Cozy Little House 
Common Ground 

45 comments:

  1. What a lovely room. I love the simple beauty of those branches.

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  2. I'm new to your blog and find your decor quite charming. I'm going to snoop around a bit now. Hope you don't mind. :)

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  3. Wood, white, and red details, perfect, I love it :)

    Marina

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  4. Beautiful dining area. The branches do look wonderful in the ironstone pitcher. My friend, your farmhouse is spectacular!!!

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  5. Branches with red berries are one of the things I so love this time of the year!
    Beautiful room and, oh, beautiful pic of you I see at the top right of the page!

    Fra

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  6. Your dining room is so pretty and I love the simplicity of your table arrangement. Your pictures always look great and I have found a new love for photography, too since blogging. So much to learn and practice is good.

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  7. You have a lovely dining room! I don't know what I like best - the beautiful ceiling, the charming fireplace, or the wonderful built in china cabinet. The branches with berries stands out nicely with the white pitcher and pumpkins.
    Mary Alice

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  8. First, you take gorgeous photos! I adore that ceiling. Prettiest ceiling I can imagine having. (Who was the person who thought up popcorn ceilings? Yuck!) Your berries look wonderful, with their little dash of color. And there is not one interior door in my house that will close completely.
    Brenda

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  9. There is a wonderful feeling of calm in how you have designed your room. Having restored painted, rough hewn beams in a house, I appreciate all the effort it took you to bring that ceiling back to the original! Well done! ~ Maureen

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  10. What a beautiful dining room. It's so inviting. Can't wait to see what you do with the blank wall!

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  11. Andrea, your dining room is beautiful and has a look of serenity. I like the clean uncluttered appearance. The chairs are very nice with the neutral color. We used to live in an eighty year old home so I understand your problem of doors that don't close properly. I am sure you have discovered that there will always be things that don't work perfectly. It is fun to see all the progress with your home.---------- Shannon

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  12. Oh, that ceiling. I would so love a house with such details. And I love to wonder about the lives of those who lived in older homes. Your dining room is beautiful; wood and white is such a nice combination. Also like the new picture of you in the sidebar!

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  13. I'm so glad you did this post about your dining room! What a gorgeous room. I love all the natural colors. The table, the hutch, and the piano look beautiful. The ceiling is amazing. The fireplace and built in cabinets are just perfect. I would be in that room all the time! ~ Jamie

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  14. Beatiful dinning room area
    saludos From Chile

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  15. Oh how wonderful!

    First- your photography is AWESOME!

    I absolutely love your farmhouse!

    I ♥ your berry branches too!

    it makes perfect sense that was the original kitchen area - makes sense as to why is it so large, too. What fun. I am going to go read more of your blog now!

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  16. Love your dining room. That ceiling is fantastic!! Really pretty and so serene.

    Judy

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  17. Gorgeous! One of my favorite things to decorate with are sticks and twigs. I absolutely love your ceiling and fireplace, too. I'm now following your blog.

    Have a great week!

    Angela

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  18. Your dining room is beautiful! Lovely, lovely photos. Thank you for sharing. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/10/make-it-pretty-monday-week-20.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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  19. The original features of your old home are wonderful!! The built-in cupboard and beadboard ceilings could never be replicated in a new build. Your all white palette with touches of color throughout is so fresh looking and the wood pieces warm up the room. Lovely.

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  20. I love the features in this room so simple and pretty. I really like the berries and the runner is beautiful.

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  21. Very simple and clean lines. Branches add a very natural rustic element to our designs. The best thing is, they are free. We have a curly willow tree in our yard, which I love.

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  22. You have a beautiful dining room! I love that ceiling and that fireplace!!

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  23. They cut off the chimneys?!?!?! Yikes! Our main source of heat is the fireplace in the living room. We found a temp wood stove to use for heat in the kitchen, so we just have the two chimneys, but we're thankful to have them. The kitchen stove chimney is the heat source for the boys' room upstairs and the main chimney is the one for our room, leaving our daughter's room kinda chilly!
    Thankfully, we added in a pellet stove upstairs s few months ago to try and help us all not freeze. I'll be lighting it in a few hours for the first time this year as we awakened to snow.

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  24. It is amazing how a simple branch with berries can transform the entire look of a room...Simply elegant...I love your dining room...your hutch reminds me of Stickley...such a classic...I only wish I had a warm and cozy fireplace in the dining room..such a wonderful atmosphere when enjoying a meal with your loved ones...

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  25. Love it!!! Please join me at www.vintageonadime.blogspot.com for Welcome Home Wednesday!!! Thanks Debbie

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  26. What a wonderful idea to remove the leaves from your branches and showcase the berries. I am going to try that with my bittersweet...it's looking a little dry anyway! Your ceiling is beyond wonderful. Worth every minute and sore muscle it took to get it looking so good! Sometimes it's the "worst" jobs that we love the most in the end.

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  27. Hi Andrea, I love the wonderful simplicity and character of your dining room. the huge oak cupboard is truly one of a kind. Just joined as a follower and would love to have you at Vintage Inspiration this Thursday afternoon!

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  28. What a lovely dining room! Your ceiling is just beautiful!! You must be so proud to live in such a lovely home. ♥
    Martha Ellen

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  29. That room is so perfect. Simple and truly lovely. I love the berry branches in the white pitcher.

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  30. Andrea, I just love your dining room! It exudes warmth and character, and is so well styled. I need to get some holly branches and see if your technique works on them.

    Thanks so much for joining in Blissful Whites Wednesday!!
    Have a wonderful Thursday!
    Becky

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  31. Hello Andrea... I found your beautiful blog through sweet Debra's party... I love your farmhouse, and I love that you have kept your natural woods in so many places and not painted them... everything looks so warm and inviting... signing on as your newest follower, xoxo Julie Marie

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  32. Your dining room is lovely. Love the linen seats you added to the chairs and I am really liking the look of those sticks with the berries but no leaves. Great job!

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  33. Your dining room ceiling is amazing. The style wouldn't fit in my little Tudor beach cottage, but I love the look.

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  34. This room is stunning, truly magazine worthy!! Love your berry branches and the simplicity of it all!
    ♥Linsey

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  35. Your beautiful farmhouse looks a little like mine, Andrea. :) I have the same wood beadboard ceiling in the kitchen/eating area and love it! I adore the natural simplicity of your dining room, and those gorgeous drapes really warm the room up and make it look so cozy! Great job!

    xoxo laurie

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  36. Your dining room is beautiful. Love the branches with the red berries. So crisp and clean:)

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  37. Absolutely gorgeous, love the berries in the ironstone pitcher! The wavy-glass cabinet is incredible, and the slightly ajar door makes me love it even more. Love your table runner, perfect for the display. Thanks for sharing with us, I found your feature at Cozy Little House. Mary

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  38. I love your space. The built in cabinet is wonderful, wish I had something similar. Great, simple decorating:)

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  39. Your home just speaks comfort and love. Oh, how wonderful it must be to gather, visit, dine and maybe hear a tune or two on that lovely piano. Fireplaces are charming even if they don't work. Between that built in cabinet and the sweet warmth of the ceiling, well I can't imagine what you might want to add to that beautiful room, other than a few burning candles at night. You and your husband have a charming home. Your blessed.

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  41. You inspire me! I have been jumping from one project to the next here. (It started with the chicken coop) :)

    We just purchased an old farmstead in Tuscumbia, AL. We take possession of it next week and then we will begin the arduous task of returning it to its former beauty. So glad to have stumbled onto your page!
    ~Lynda

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