The Delightful Home {Dining Room}

While this room hasn’t changed a ton, I went ahead and took new pictures of it last week when I shared the goblet pleated drapes.  Here’s what the room looked like on move in day…a nicely sized, bright space with my favorite window in the house.

dining room

And here it is today!

I adore wainscoating in a formal space, so it was top of the list for the dining room.  And since we did all white below the chair rail, it allowed me to paint the ceiling blue without it feeling like dining in the bottom of a swimming pool.  The plates hanging on the wall are extras from our Butler’s Pantry by Lenox china pattern.  There was a manufacturing issue with them and about a year after our wedding they gave us an entirely new set based off of our registry completion list so I have loads of extras to hang all over my walls.

We purchased the table, chairs and china cabinet from Haverty’s as a set for our first anniversary.  After years of hemming and hawing over what to do with it to break it up, lighten it up and make it feel not so expected, I finally skirted the six side chairs in Robert Allen Linen Duck in Natural.  It’s affordable and heavy enough for light use upholstery.

I decided to leave the arm chairs unskirted with the seats covered in the Pizzicati fabric to match the drapes.  I already had two little monogrammed lumbar pillows that Mother made for my old house.  I made the drapes myself years ago and just recently had them professionally pleated.

I felt like the preserved flower arrangement that I had here on the table for years was tired and dated.  These days I am keeping the table clean and simple with a soup tureen and candle sticks that match my china.

When entertaining or if I just happen to have some beautiful flowers, I often switch out for a blue and white jar and add a few Spode candle sticks.  These particular hydrangeas came from my mother in law’s garden!

The boy’s formal portraits, both taken at age three, hang side by side in the dining room.  Mother always had portraits of Sister and I in her dining room and it just seemed like the perfect place to do the same!

Peeking in from the living room, you can see the gigantic china cabinet.  I’d probably pick something different if I had my druthers, but it really is lovely in person and it offers a massive amount of very functional and much needed storage!   You can also get an idea here of how the two rooms flow together.

Mother gave us the antique sideboard years ago – it served as our foyer table in our first home.  The lamps are from Ballard Designs with finials from At Home.  They sit on glass risers from Wisteria (I love these things…I must have four sets scattered about that I’ve procured over time.)  The Venetian mirror is also from Wisteria – after much searching, I think they do have the best prices on this gorgeous mirror style.  Oyster shells found by Mother and Daddy-O sit in a marble bowl from Pizitz in Seaside.

And, tucked away in the corner of the dining room is my high chair.  It’s one of my favorite pieces of furniture and I couldn’t bear to hide it away for the next thirty years until I have a little granddarling to use it.  Mother and Daddy-O had it painted by the same Savannah artist that painted the walls of my room as a child and gave it to us as a baby shower gift before we had John.  The underside of the tray holds a very special message.

April 2013 235 copy

But the most beautiful thing about the dining room is that we use it… a lot … for everything from birthday shin digs to supper clubs to holidays to Sunday Suppers!

Sources:
Paint – Benjamin Moore Beach Glass (walls/ceiling) and Benjamin Moore Alabaster (trim)
Curtains – Lewis and Sheron Silk in Aquamarine, trimmed in P Kaufmann Pizzicati in Robin’s Egg, made by me
Drapery hardware – Antique Drapery Rod Company
Floor – unstained white oak
Rug – Indoor/Outdoor French Leopard by Ballard Designs

I often see people questioning how functional a formal dining room is these days.  If I were building a house right now, I’d still put one in.  I think I’d forego the formal living room, however :-)

The Delightful Home {Dixie Delights Home Tour}

DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED

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18 thoughts on “The Delightful Home {Dining Room}

  1. Your dining room is just lovely. I’d still put one in, too, although my dining room doesn’t get nearly enough use these days! xo

  2. Is your chandelier real crystal or plastic/glass? I have a glass chandelier in my laundry room :) but not sure how a “not real” one would look in my dining room. Real crystal ones are so expensive!

  3. I love your china cabinet. I think given a few years when styles come and go, you will love it again.
    I totally agree with you about the dining room. We use ours and it has been the location for many family members. We never ever use the formal living room though. That would be better served in another way.

  4. Your dining room is so beautiful! I love seeing how you have made changes over the years and I just love that highchair. Such a special piece to keep for the future! We only use our dining room a few times a year, unless you count Rosie sleeping in there during the day and the fact that I usually use the room to pack for our weekend getaways! I would still have a formal dining room if given the choice though. We do use our living room almost every day. The kids play piano in there, I sometimes read in there and we just go in there a lot. Enjoy your day!
    Shelley

  5. Your formal dining room is beautiful and traditional. I also have a formal and traditional dining room and always thought it would be something I would not have in the “next house “. I’m not sure, though. It’s nice to have a beautiful space separate from the mess that happens in the kitchen during meal preparation. I think I will always have my large dining area at least partially separate from the kitchen, but maybe be a little less formal, but still very beautiful.

  6. I LOVE your blog!!!! Thank you for sharing your stunning dining room!!! I too have a cherry Queen Anne dining room set we have had for many, many years and wonder how to update it for today…..your skirted chairs have me thinking that may be a start :)……Could you share how you place your dishes, crystal in your china cabinet….do you change items to reflect the seasons? I have my cherished cream colored china with gold trim from Germany placed inside but never change the arrangement??? May you have a blessed Easter with your two boys :) I too am a mother of two grown sons and now a grandmother of two granddaughters and one grandson…..the time flies soo fast!!!!

  7. Amanda, what a beautiful room! I love that it’s formal, but still inviting and warm. The goblet pleats on the draperies are just stunning. It’s nice to know I’m not the only design nerd who swoons over tiny details, such as pleats!

  8. Love the goblet pleats on your curtains…it really dresses them up. I have serious rug envy and have always admired your Ballard leopard print rugs. I am so sad this particular rug is no longer sold!

    1. Thank you! I agree – this was one of the best rugs Ballard ever made! I’ve had them for 9 years and they are still going strong!

  9. I would love to know if you have any tips for styling a china cabinet? We have a small ugly one that I am debating on cutting off the top and making it into a buffet cabinet because we have a tight space. But also wondering if maybe just the right amount of TLC and style may make it more tolerable?

    1. I can chat with you about this. In general, pick a few big pieces to go in the back against the wall of the cabinet. Then later in a few dinner plates. Then add in a few small unique pieces. In my opinion, the goal is not to store every piece of China but to highlight the prettiest pieces.

  10. Your dining room is gorgeous and your home tours are so inspiring especially as we update the home we just moved into. We are now in the process of replacing our dated, dining room chandelier.

    Any tips on how to buy a crystal chandelier? What to look for/avoid? Yours is an absolute stunner! Are you still happy with your choice in going with a crystal one? It seems like such a classic, timeless choice.

    Thanks so much for the inspiration!

    1. Hi Dorie! Long time no talk :-) Thank you so much!! I still love it and don’t foresee replacing it!! I went with size and price over anything else in making the decisions. It came in a bunch of pieces that had to be put together.

  11. Amanda –

    Where did you get your dining room chandelier? It’s gorgeous – just like the rest of your house!!!!

    1. I ordered it on ebay 10 years ago. It came in 1000 pieces and we had to assemble. But, it was worth it!

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