dine in:

link

i’ve started this post half a dozen times and each time my concentration is quickly sidelined by a whirl of the many things that i intend to put on top of the table, hang over the table, set beside the table, put on the floor, hang on the wall…etc, etc... as often the is case, i am so overwhelmed by the possibilities that i have had a hard time pushing a post off the ground! (deep breath… ) and really, i shouldn’t feel the need to comment on each picture. when i read through similar design postings on other blogs i hardly ever bother to read the captions! all that said, here are a few inspirational images i’ve picked up here & there and, of course, a comment or two… but feel free to just look at pictures, i have nothing too profound to say. :) (...as for photo credits, all have appeared in some back issue of domino magazine unless otherwise noted.)

i’ll start with the big ticket items, and go so far as to assume that this unknown house of ours will afford the space to accommodate a dining room!

don’t those huge white drum shades just make this room? and the chalkboard wall is pretty cool huh? ...but i wonder how clean you could keep it?...not really loving the chandelier, but i really like the two toned paint scheme! (found here)a little mid century modern fix via design*sponge! (found here & here) hm…this picture is possibly most appealing for it’s tonal continuity. (and the fact that i adore white pottery) ….sigh. sadly this white look might be near impossible with little ones tooling about the house! -white canvas dining chairs -really?! side note: i am particularly drawn to the camel back sofa & deep matted black frames in the back of the room. (found here) this cloudy blue fixture dangles like a piece of sugared candy! i also love the hints of similar color found about the side table. (here)i also am quite fond of the muted drum shade on the left. simple, but golden on the inside. could it be in reach of the adventurous diy-er?...quite possibly! (from here) (found here, here & here)
this one is a bit formal for me, but i love the dark floors and pale gray walls. other than that, i think this picture is here merely because i fell for the good lighting! ;) (found here) yes… who wouldn’t want a saaranin tulip table in their breakfast nook? it is my next dream craigslist find. (found here)

ok, so starting with the table: riding my current whim (and again, taking for granted a spacious dining room that could likely not materialize…) i have settled on the following 2 table options…

option 1) chunky farmhouse table -found here. i love the strong graphic silhouette. i know it’s a bit hum drum…probably found at your local pottery barn or crate & barrel, but i’m really loving the glossy slate gray sported by this particular table! (found here)

glamorous option 2) nakashima detailed, slab table top like this:

found at seattle’s own urban hardwoods. (oh, and they have a showroom in downtown seattle if you ever want to mosey on over for a drool.) (found here)

gathered around it? -a bevy of these…

here

here

really, i could write an entire post on paul thonet bent wood chairs! they are still remarkably available & affordable via ebay & cgslst. and as for the glossy coat of red-orange paint?…yeah, i kinda like it, but we’ll see.
as for other seating options? i am not too hung up on being matchy-matchy so i’d also be pleased to mix it up a bit. perhaps an upholstered (and highly scotch guarded!) couch or bench on one side?

oh, and for a pipe dream, these "juliana" chairs from design within reach. (however, with a $650 price tag i would argue they and dwr are better thought of as “far beyond touch.”)

ok, so now over the table…there are a few fixtures that have caught my eye over the years, this being one… a vintage sputnik chandelier! (via ebay)
whatever transpires, i find it important that there be a certain balance of decor, be it vintage, mid-century modern or traditional. if i find the final emsamble a little too bent toward one way or the other or just too visually heavy, i’d rather pair it a with light drum shade as seen in the pervious pictures ...or perhaps with a fixture like this from restoration hardware:
or maybe even a pair of airy pendants like these from niche.
lastly, for the walls… i know it’s been quite overdone…but i still like a collection of plates. matched or mismatched, ordered or randomly scattered. everyone has a few sentimental plates right?

to close up this post here are a couple of my current picks for dinning room artwork & accessories! at the moment i’m really feeling into typography….

found here at $27 -a steal!! & here at $350 -not such a steal, but cool)

and these vintage glove molds found at this incredible etsy shop.

lastly, a sweet table top shot to wrap it up… maybe because i’ve discovered a recent fascination with manzaneta branches or perhaps just for the heck of it!

thanks for another chance to humor me & my home décor musings!

ps, another side note: in all these homey posts i must admit that it is hard to wrap my brain around the thought of again having a space to call our very own again… be it dining room or kitchen, bed room or front porch… it feels far away & nebulously clouded in somedayness. yes, i know we have been so very blessed to be holed up with loved ones as we bide our market timimg dance. and i can hear hubby’s voice in my ear. all our planning & spreadsheet making will ultimately come to fruition in, above all, the lords perfect timing. the sunshine is finally returning to the northwest and a beautiful summer is just beyond these increasingly pleasant spring days. after summer, the fall will march in and with it our thrice revived housing hopes are hopefully nestled in amongst September & October. we have now past year 2 of our 2 & 1/2 year plan! for now, i just have to keep my head down for just a few months longer… and be content with internet stalking real estate listings like this one here.