Moodboard Monday: Dignified Dining
10February 11, 2013 by Decorum DIYer
Good Monday morning!
Today I will be showing you the dining room of my dreams. Well, at least the dining room in my dreams for my current home.
Before I show you how I would like my dining room to be, allow me to show what my dining room looks like now, and even what it looked like when we moved in.
BEFORE – Much like most of my before pictures, this was taken amid the ‘great clean-out’.
There wasn’t much that I liked about the wallpaper, and it was peeling in places, so my husband and I stripped all of the wallpaper, primed, and painted.
CURRENTLY – Just a coat of dark, brown paint; some creative, faux painting on the ceiling; adding crown molding and painting all of the trim white; and our furnishings made it much better, without much of a budget.
Our faux coffered ceiling created with nothing more that parallel painter’s tape placed on the ceiling in a grid pattern and some yellow/tan paint painted atop the original white color. We also spray painted the chandelier a dark bronze and added black shades.
This gives you and idea of how the dining room is adjacent and completely open to the kitchen.
My favorite spot. Can you guess why?
Again, much of this decorating was done with a gallon, or two, of paint and serves as a place holder until we can really decorate the room to suit our style and needs.
Not only is our dining room the main eating area (as one would expect), but it also serves as our home’s main entrance, thanks to the carport. Additionally, the dining room’s sliding glass doors serves as the only access to the screened porch, through which, one can also access the backyard.
I grew up in a modest home without a carport, nor garage, and only had a front door and back door. I am not a fan of carports and side entrances being used as the main entrance, but I certainly appreciate the functionality of the carport. When you come home in the pouring rain with three little ones that have fallen asleep in the car = MUCH CARPORT LOVE!
However, this means that the dining room’s wall adjacent to the entrance must also serve as a makeshift mudroom/coat closet. Since my home does not have a pantry, I also use this same wall as overflow storage for pantry items. Any updated dining room decor must include a sizable bank of storage to suit the multitude of needs: dining, food storage, coat closet, etc….
Are you ready? Here is my vision of my dining room:
‘Dignified Dining’ via Olioboard
As in, the words of Gene Kelly’s character, Don Lockwood, “Dignity, always dignity.”
I love the mix of dark and ebony wood tones. The dining room walls would stay a dark brown. Currently, I am crushing on Ralph Lauren’s ‘Old Violin’. However, only the upper portion of the walls would be painted in the dark hue. Most of the walls would be covered in an updated board and batten look and painted white. Also, the upper portion of the walls will be first covered in grasscloth wallpaper before being painted in the ‘Old Violin’ color. I love the below images for inspiration:
(Via BHG)
(Via Better After)
I know for certain the fabric I want for curtains on the sliding glass doors. I have had this fabric pinned forever (and before that stored in my iPhoto library) and love the colors and subject matter (here come the birds again):
(Via Amazon)
I love the idea of light aqua, orange, and brown drapes mixed in with greens (like my vintage glassware). As with most of my home, there is a subtle Asian vibe (especially with that faux bamboo chandelier and buffet- swoon). I would also like to add at least two styles of wall sconces around the room on dimmers to control the light a bit better.
You may have noticed that I titled this moodboard ‘Dignified Dining’. Well, currently we have three small children and our dining experiences are anything, but dignified. Someone is usually complaining about what is being served, food is usually knocked onto the floor by our youngest (more in his lap than his belly), and there is almost always a spilled beverage. The vision of my dining room is for the years when our children are bit older and less likely to cause too much damage. As usual, you can check out my Pinterest board for more of my thoughts regarding my dining room. That said, I’m enjoying the hand-me-down, mini facelift of a dining room we have now. It serves it purpose and the children are happy. Our dinners are lively, THAT is for sure.
Well, that sums it up. My ‘one day’ dining room of my dreams for all to see. So, what are your thoughts. Do you, too, have ideas of what your home should look like one day?
Until next time…, happy daydreaming, uh…, decorating!
Decorum DIYer 
I love this mood board. You have some great style, girl! It’s classic but you introduce a few elements (like the bird fabric and pillows) that really lighten and freshen up the place. I really like the exercise of letting yourself day dream.
Hi, Christine! I like your question and your project and I have to answer a big “YES”. I plan, that one day, I will change my home! Not only the interior. I am talking about a completelly new home. But it is still far away. Until then, the only I can do is to dream and to imagine how it will be!
I feel the same. I get so tired of the ‘one day’ approach, though. Sometimes I feel as though that day will never come. I guess my little moodboards are to help me focus my design and fuel my passion to make my daydreams into reality a little sooner.
I wish you luck with your ‘one day’ home. When the time is right, it will be there waiting for you.
Love the Mood Board, I love the play on a little whimsy in a dark palette
You’ve selected some great pieces for your board! I love the mix of the wood tones. You don’t want things to be too matchy & the variations add depth. And that dresser—swoon! Everything feels so earthy & cozy. I love the brown you have on your walls currently as well. Good choice for a dining room.
Christine, I love that your a dreamer and that you really explore in your mind your design dreams for a space…even if it may not come to fruition for years! That takes a certain kind of ability, and honey, you’ve got it in spades.
I’m not usually a fan of darker colors, but you always use it well and tastefully. I like that Old Violin color…mostly for the name! Ha ha. And that sunbeam mirror in your moodboard REALLY caught my eye. Love!
P.S. This post made me very happy for its inclusion of a photo of Gene Kelly. What a man, what a man. And not a bad dancer, either.
Ooh, I like that fabric a lot.
I love your dining room the way it is. I love the rich dark colors. I can see how you’d need more storage though. Can’t wait to see what finally ends up in there. By the way, we had that same light fixture in our first house. We didn’t do anything cool to it like paint it though.
Although I couldn’t see it closely, I really like your current breakfront. Is it bowed glass? Just curious – I like it either way.
Although the entrance of our house is not into our dining room, we have a similar set up with a completely open wall between the kitchen and dining room – it’s one of the reasons I wanted to buy our house. I love hosting and I knew this would be a good way to do it, as opposed to the walled-off kitchen or pass-through like many of the houses in my area.
One of our upcoming projects is to measure, measure, measure and figure out if my Grandmother’s dining room set will fit into our dining room. Our dining room came furnished with the house and while I don’t love it, the pieces do fit nicely in the room. While I would love to have my Grandmother’s set, I am not willing to sacrifice how well our current pieces fit. Stay tuned (though this will likely be a long process).
[…] and I’m soo sorry it hit your family! I must confess that after seeing your mood board “Dignified Dining” my jaw dropped! How breathtaking!! I would live in that room. Eat, sleep, live in that room! Um, […]