My dining room is my most favorite room in the house. It is the room that most reminds me of my farmhouse by the lake. It is cozy and country and a little Victorian all at the same time. And it is the color of Fall.
Are you ready to stay with me? There is a lot to see as every inch is decorated with lots of memories and stories to go with them.
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The room looks crooked in the picture but look at the top of the picture with the wallpaper....
all straight! The room is slanted a bit....it does not pass the marble test! |
I had three large cupboards in my farmhouse dining room so when we moved to this house I was afraid they wouldn't all fit. This house is almost double the size but because it is a Victorian, the rooms are much smaller.
Happily, all my cupboards plus a bench, a high chair and two rocking chairs fit. The wallpaper is original and very vintage but the colors complement my furniture so it has stayed for the last 18 years. I have decorated around it. The colors in my farmhouse dining room were rust, gold, burgundy and ivory.....colors that are in this wallpaper so it all fit in perfectly. I am so happy I remembered the name of the paint I had there so that I could paint the trim to warm this room up. It is called Buckwheat.
One of my most favorite cupboards is this corner cupboard I got in the 80's at a cute little shop called the Leaning Barn in Marion, NY. It really did lean! My sweet friend Susan lives there now, having rebuilt the structure from top to bottom.
I love old wooden spools, rusty bed springs, threads and baskets so they all adorn the top of my cupboard. The old, chippy rocking chair was a steal at $5 from a local thrift store.
To the right of that cupboard is my very old bench and crocks. I have tried my hand at decorating with suitcases. Not sure I like it yet, but the colors go with the room! I think I need a few more in different colors for variety.
My wall of vintage and antique plates and do-dads just warms my heart. There are antique dishes and collectibles from my Grandmother (we called her Ga) scattered throughout the shelves. The dessert plates from my first set of "good" dishes are on the second shelf from the top. My pitcher collection is on the 5th shelf down, some mine, some for sale. Treasures I found at thrift stores, estate sales and garage sales along with some of Ga's things fill the bottom three shelves.
Above my corner cupboard and bench is my special collection of fish dishes. They were my Grandmother's also and when she passed my Grandfather made sure I got them.
The story is that the day he took all four of us kids fishing on his boat (I remember that day so well!). I was the fisher girl of the day, catching bass after bass over the side of the boat. I was probably about 8 years old. I guess he decided I earned those precious dishes.
The cast loon on the shelf is a treasure I found in the early 80's from a shop at Loon Lake.
I have to use every inch of a room when decorating and I love creating vignettes. This is a tiny corner by the door to the kitchen and to the left of my huge cupboard. I have had the red wooden child's chair forever and it makes the perfect seat for the quilted cat made from an 1800's quilt. Next to the kitty is a loose ball of yarn for my kitty to play with. I found the beautiful framed picture at an antique emporium and the hook shelf is from Decor Steals. The pictures hanging on the cupboard are my son's artwork as a little boy. He is 16 now....can't seem to take them down.
The large mustard cupboard (see the first picture for a full view) was a labor of love for me over 30 years ago. It was a wreck when I got it at a local country gift shop. I totally winged it painting it with layers of paint and stain to get the right finish and color. The top is large and flat and the perfect place to change the decor with each season. For Fall it is a woodland scene.
The metal cloche is from Decor Steals and my owl is caged there. The window is from a sale on the
side of the road for $2!
There are only two windows in the room but it is bright! The curtains came with the house and I just have always loved their vintage look so they've stayed.
A few of my old Santas from my large collection sit on the old wooden high chair year round. The large wooden bus is a find from my friend Susan's shop she had in Marion. I bought it as a decoration for my son's room and now it has a place in the dining room.
I love to line my windowsills with things and for this room my house collection and vintage bunnies have the place of honor.
An old crock and some pussy willows just fits in the small spot between the cupboard and the closet door.
I bought the cross stitch sampler with the intention of selling it but I couldn't part with it. I love the sentiment on it.
My tin panel cupboard is a treasure and holds a lot of my seasonal decorating items. The top is always decorated for the seasons with my geese as the main characters. The framed picture is our last name made up of photos of architectural pieces. It was custom made for me on Etsy.
The corner by the pocket door (there are three sets of those doors in the downstairs!) fits my favorite rocking chair painted in Buckwheat from the last house. The clock is very old and one of my first purchases from Speigel catalog. The large Santa is hand made and sits there year round.
I can't resist some kitsch in a room and this scarecrow door hanger is it! He is cute in a kitschy sort of way. My kitties are sewn at the hip and are made of vintage quilts from the local quilt museum. They were also bought to be sold but I could not part with them!
The centerpiece on my table changes every season and from year to year. I recently bought the beautiful burlap and lace runner for a mere $5 from an online shop. The pine plank is used quite often and this year it holds my tin turkey and pilgrim couple. The aqua wooden, chippy bowl adds just a pop of color with the different gourds.
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The lace with the burlap is such a pretty contrast.
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The focal point of the room and my prized treasure is my cast iron hurricane oil hanging lamp with glass shades from the 1800's. I saw a picture in Country Living of the exact lamp and made it my mission to find one. I searched all the antique shops in my area until one day I walked into one in Canandaigua, NY, a resort city in the Finger Lakes, and there it was. It was in my price range and I took it home that day. I used to know the manufacturer of it but the name escapes me now. I have had the pleasure of owning it for over 25 years.
We have been all around the room and I don't think I missed a thing! I hope you enjoyed the tour brought to you by my desire to join in on the fun monthly party over at Nancy's A Joyful Cottage blog for her
Every Room In The House Party. This month it is the dining room and you can click and see other bloggers dining room ideas.
AnnMarie xo
I am linking up with these fun blog parties:
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