Summer White Dining Room

 

This summer I’m keeping things simple and clean with my newly decorated white dining room…

We’ve been in this home for 10 years now and I think in all that time I’ve gone through just about every color in the rainbow when it has come to decorating this dining room space.  It has gone from a more traditional red and green to blue with citrus greens, then black with blues as accents.  This summer however I’ve decided to simplify and pare down. White is a clean canvas that calms me and allows me to breathe. This room is centered in the heart of my home with every wall having an opening except for the far side with windows. It’s open to the entry and front door, the main hallway and staircase as well as the kitchen and butler’s pantry.  I was so tired of trying new colors and every direction I leaned toward had an impact on all the other spaces in my home. Thus my happy decision to keep this space monochromatic and white.

Once the decision was made to go all-white I knew I needed a new table.  The Pottery Barn table I had was white as were the chairs, buffet and mirror. White  White White.  There was nothing different in the room in color or finish that grounded the space.  After reaching out to Kathy Kuo Home I found exactly what this room needed.  The French country white wash oak oval dining table was the perfect piece to center under my new glass beaded chandelier. I loved that the table had a Scandinavian feel with the washed white and gray finish mixed with the French design and detail.  The oval shape softens this rectangular shaped space perfectly and I love that it’s flexible in size with it’s leaf.

The white painted side chairs are from a consignment store and a great find at $299 for all. I love the feminine backs with cane detail.  To help balance all the wood in the room I added parsons chairs to flank each end of the table. I always like mixing upholstered pieces with wood and these fit in perfectly with my style. Anything I can wash and clean easily ranks high on my list of ‘must-have’s’.

For this summer season I’ve pulled out some of my favorite shells that I’ve collected over the years and placed them in a large glass bowl which sits in the center of my table… I’ve picked up many of the shells from walks on the beach with my family or found at favorite coastal shops. I just picked up these pale blush colored urchin shells in Hawaii and love the soft hint of color they introduce to the room.

Across from my dining room is a console that I love to use to feature special art work pieces above. I’m currently waiting for something that an incredibly talented friend is painting for me. I cannot wait to show you more once it arrives.

I took this shot from the stairs so you can see the space from above. It shows off my Dash and Albert white and gray rug beautifully as well as my drapes from Homegoods.  I really love the linen fabric and metallic thread detail in these panels.  They provide the perfect design I was looking for without overpowering the space. The drapes, just 96 inches, were  lengthened to 101 inches by my seamstress letting out the hem and finishing off the top and bottom.  They are perfect now.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to have this open and airy space in the middle of my home. It’s a breath of fresh air. I’m always amazed at how white can be made to look more interesting by layering it with other white pieces that have a just the right amount of detail or texture.

 

Sources ~

Rug  –  Dash & Albert

Dining Table –  Kathy Kuo Home

Chandelier  –  Kathy Kuo Home

Parsons Chairs  –  Ballard Designs

Lamps  –  Ethan Allen

Glass Bowl –  Ethan Allen

Candle Holders  –  Pottery Barn

Sheers  –  Pottery Barn

Drapes – Homegoods

Garden Statue  –  Homegoods

White Side Chairs, Buffet, Mirror, Pedestal  –  Consignment store finds