Dining Room: Christmas Style

Do you have a favorite room to decorate for the holidays? I do, and it's our dining room. Strange, since we're such a 'family room' family (does that even make sense?!), you'd think that would be the room I focus on the most, but it's not. I think for me, it's for a couple of reasons. 1. It's a central location. We've knocked down most of the walls in our home, so you pass through it pretty much wherever you go. I probably walk in and out of it oh, about 3,753 times a day. 2. It's open to the kitchen also, and I must spend most of my day in that room. Not necessarily cooking or baking, but we're just always in there, congregating around the island, hanging out, kids are crafting, etc etc. And 3. The colors are pretty cozy - the reds and golds just seem to feel warm and inviting this time of year. (Talk to me come March/April, and I loathe the color combo! Happens every spring, without fail;). I've also become aware of what styles I'm drawn to, Christmas-wise, and I just L-O-V-E a Rustic Christmas. The pine cones, and burlap, greens, and plaids...oh my! I love it. And it also happens to work with my 'look' in the dining room. Here's what I've done for the centerpiece this year...

This cake stand was either 25 or 50 cents at a yard sale - it was the ugliest, scratched up piece of yucky wood you've ever seen. But I wasn't looking at it for actual USE of a cake stand, I just envisioned spray painting it, and using it for something non-food related anyway;) Something, like this! So I sprayed it a cream color a while back, and it was stored in my china cabinet. I plopped a glass hurricane on top, filled it with a candle and the goodies from my T-H-A-N-K-S letters, wrapped some berry garland around the base, a few strings of jute around the middle, and called it a day. I've had those place mats for a couple years, and they complement it perfectly.

Then for the chandelier...

This didn't photograph too hot. Even my husband commented when he saw the pic, that it looks much better in reality! Maybe it's my angle? Who knows...ANYhoo...I strung some gold, green, and red ornaments from jute, and hung them on the chandelier, and added some more berry garland. I like the way the shimmery ornaments play off the rustic charm of the jute and berries.

I played around some more with that mix of rustic and glitz with the buffet table.

You can't see it here, but there's a black and red plaid ribbon that runs throughout the greens, berries, and pine cones - very traditional, but the gold candles give it a little more sparkle. I love the addition of my no-sew burlap runner underneath it this year. And that angel has been in our family since I was a kid - one of those hand-me-downs from Mom that I love.

And over on the little table I have placed a quick little project I did last weekend...

These started off like this:

I picked up those little pots at Michaels for a song, gave them a coat of spray paint, and wrote the letters with my gold Sharpie paint marker. I stuffed a little newspaper in them to give the pine cones some height, and a little leftover garland tucked in there too. I think I'll add some glitter or a touch of gold spray paint to the pine cones, to jazz them up a little...

I love hanging a wreath over the china cabinet too...

...and since it's the Naptime Decorator's house, you KNOW there's a chalkboard....

I had some extra stuff hanging around, so I fancied up some candlesticks as well...

So I guess I would call my style more of a 'glitzy rustic,' now that I'm glancing through all these photos?! I just know I love the way my home feels, now more than ever...

(Remind me about this post when I'm looking at paint swatches in early Spring and wanting to lighten and brighten everything, everywhere...need I remind you about the kitchen fiasco?! Thanks;)




*I linked this up at Kissed by a Frog.
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