Dining Room

New Dining Room Rug + Pillow + a Paris Hotel

So the Hicks rug ended up in the dining room. I decided it was too much pattern for the living room but it works well in here because there’s less going on.

This is truly one of my favorite patterns so I’m really glad I was finally able to use it somewhere in the house.

I also brought this pillow out to see how it would look in the room:

A little story about this pillow – with a laughable number of gaps due to my horrendous memory. I bought it in Paris this spring in a little shop in the Marais (I can’t remember the name) and my girlfriend who was with me bought a makeup bag (or it might have been a coin purse – I can’t remember) made out of the same fabric. The salesperson told us the pattern is based on a medieval map of Paris and indeed, it depicts some areas and streets that no longer exist. Not the Louvre which you see here. Obviously that still exists.

I had never seen this fabric before and just loved everything about it. Then, when I was back in Paris this summer, I was reading a magazine (Air France inflight I think) and saw this:

It’s an ad for Le Mathurin, a hotel in Paris, talking about its newly remodeled rooms. See the pattern on the moodboard? It looks like they used it in wallpaper form in that room in the back. Anyhoo, I thought it was an interesting connection.

While we’re talking about Le Mathruin, let me leave you with the video from their website. It’s nicely done and I quite enjoy this kind of music on a Monday morning. In fact, the hotel is so well presented, I’m going to keep it in mind for future trips. I’m also going to make it one of my Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK.

It’s going to be another busy week around here. For all you locals, if you’re free this Thursday, come talk blogging with me at Digital Atlanta’s Design Day at ADAC. You can RSVP here or with ADAC. I also have a great book giveaway and other fun stuff coming up later in the week. But today, I’m on my way to the dentist for a new crown. Hope your week is off to a better start than mine!

(Photos: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)

Big Reveal: The Dining Room

Are you ready for the reveal of the dining room? You’ve seen bits and pieces so I thought it was time to finally show you the whole thing. Here we go …..

One of the reasons I fell in love with this house was this room for its ceiling, arched entry and the rest of the millwork. The whole room is more traditional than what I normally do but it suits the house and its function as the formal dining room.

A quick recap of things I posted earlier: the furniture came from my parents (except for the two white Louis chairs which I brought over with me from Paris); I decided on this Barbara Barry chandelier after a very long search; and I painted the sideboard which was my first Annie Sloan chalk paint project. The walls are painted Benjamin Moore “Bunny Gray” and looks a little more gray in person.

The photography is from various galleries, auctions and artist’s studios. If you’ve been following FTRB for a while, you may recognize the photography wall is exactly the same as it was in the dining room of our old house. I guess when something works, it just works. (If you haven’t seen the old dining room, there’s a photo of it on Design Sponge.)

On the sideboard: I found the lamp at Home Goods which made me ask where has Home Goods been all my life?  I. LOVE. IT.  So much so that I got a different version of it for another room in the house. The ceramic leaf dish was a recent find at Peridot, a local gift/home store (no website). The white candlesticks are Ikea and the brass ones are from thrift stores. (It seems like every thrift/junk store is filled with them so if ever need a brass candlestick, that’s the place to go.)

Another feature of this room that I love are the french doors leading out to the veranda – perfect for having drinks before (or after) dinner. The oil painting was an engagement gift from relatives and is one of my favorite possessions.

I have some more art to hang and I also need to finalize the upholstery on the chairs. The blue gray linen that you see in the first photo is my current pick but I’m not 100%. (What’s new?) So don’t look too closely at the photo – the fabric is only loosely placed on the seats!

More photos to come once I get the rest of the things finished …..

(Photos: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)

Please Say Hello to My New Pink Chairs

My hot pink chairs are back from the upholsterer and I think they’re well, um ….. hot!

I’m so glad I decided to go pink! Here’s a closeup of the yummy, nubby wool fabric:

So I’ll be staring at these this weekend. What will you be doing?

Have a good one all and I’ll see you Monday!

Gray Sideboard & Hot Pink Chairs for the Dining Room

Ta-da! Here it is the finished sideboard. I am sooooooooooo pleased with how this turned out and I can’t wait to paint something else! (The dining chairs are up next.)  In case I didn’t go on and on enough about how amazing this paint is yesterday (ha!), I’m a total Annie Sloan Chalk Paint convert now so if you have any questions, fire away. I LOVE THIS STUFF!

The other thing that’s happening in the dining room is that these chairs are now at the upholsterer getting a hot pink makeover:

They are going to flank the sideboard and I had a lot of different ideas for them but recently I just decided they needed to be hot pink. I found a pink Chanel-esque wool tweed that I think is going to look fab with the brass. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the fabric but you’ll be seeing the chairs soon!)

So the color palette of the dining room has evolved into this:


It’s not at all what I had planned originally but I’m loving it!

I’m now on the hunt for a fun fabric to redo the chairs and then I think the dining room may actually be finished!  Now, that would be amazing.

Painting the Sideboard With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I have just one word for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint: AMAZING. Seriously, this is the single greatest thing ever invented. I can’t believe I didn’t find out about it until now but now that I have, look out. I want to paint everything! (If you missed it, see Friday’s post about this paint and what I am using.)

I first put a coat of “Paris Grey” straight out of the can to see how it would look:

As you can see, I applied it directly onto the piece. You really don’t have to prime! All I did was wipe it down for any dust.

I then mixed some with “Old White” and tried that out:

I decided I liked the straight gray so I put one coat on (using a decent quality brush) and left it overnight to dry. But when I looked at it the next day, it looked too blue to me:

I know it doesn’t look that blue in this photo but as you know colors look totally different in person. So I mixed it with some white (like in the second picture) and applied that. I also watered down the mixture since it was the second coat of paint and didn’t need to be as thick as the first. I took this drawer outside to see it in the sunlight:

Just the gray I was after! Let me also add that it is the most smooth, matte finish I’ve ever seen in a paint. And as the name suggests, it is very chalky.

I left that overnight and then it was time to apply the wax:

The wax looks like and has the consistency of lard so there’s no dripping, no mess. Again, any half decent brush will work. As you can see, the wax deepens the color on application but it doesn’t stay that dark when it dries.

All I have to do now is to buff it and then it’s done! I can’t believe how easy this was – I swear I’m ready to paint everything I can get my hands on! I will take some photos of the final result to post tomorrow.

If you want this paint and you’re in North America, you can find the list of distributors here. If you’re in Europe or the rest of the world, you can order from their site. (In case you’re wondering, this is not a paid post. It’s just that good so I had to share!)

Gray Paint Update

Did I really say “……if things go well, maybe the cabinet will even get painted this weekend.”? I must have been high.

Here’s what got accomplished this weekend: I got a ton of swatches and samples:

I painted some samples and stuck them all over the place:

(I know they all look white and the same but they’re all different shades of gray.)

I then checked out all the colors about a hundred times to see them in different light at different times of the day. And here’s where things are:

I’ve managed to narrow the choices down to about 8. As you all know, colors look totally different in person than they do on your monitor so you just have to trust me when I say they really are all gray.

For all of you who want the details, the 8 are:

Farrow & Ball: Cornforth White (the big swatch on the right)
Benjamin Moore: Stonington Gray, Whitestone, AF-695, Smoke Embers (the big swatch on the left)
Richard’s (a regional paint company I just found out about): 0524, 0530, 0539

I chose these 8 because these are the right color value, they aren’t too green or taupe, they go well with the gray on the wall and the hardware on the cabinet. I will make a decision soon, I promise!

“….. maybe the cabinet will even get painted this weekend.” Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha……

Looking for the Perfect Gray Paint (Again)

(Hey, Donna, are you reading? ;) )

I haven’t been talking much about the dining room (other than finding a light) and the reason is that it has had me stumped. You may remember we got dining room furniture from my parents when they downsized. As much as I am embracing more traditional than ever before, it’s still just too traditional for me.

I knew that if I painted some of the pieces to break up all the dark wood, it would make a huge difference but the guilt of painting antiques (and just the thought of broaching the topic with my mom) kept me from doing it.

So I tried modernizing the space in other ways but it just wasn’t getting there. Well, when I was talking to my mom yesterday, I finally just came out with it and guess what? she is fine with me painting! She’s not elated or anything but she’s perfectly okay with it.

So I will be painting this sideboard:

and I’ll probably also paint the chairs but we’ll talk about that another day.

(The swatches above are some of the colors I’m considering.) I’ll be making the rounds today for paint swatches and samples and who knows, if things go well, maybe the cabinet will even get painted this weekend.

Have a good one, all!

Dining Room Light Found!

My year-long search for a dining room chandelier is finally over! When I went to Circa to get the sconces for the family room I saw this Barbara Barry Bowmont chandelier (on sale) and that was that. The size, color and clean lines are just perfect for the room.

I was *this* close to going for the Jean de Merry light I posted about last month but in the end I was too chicken to make such a big commitment. Specifically, I was worried that 1) someone would knock it off and 2) it would start turning up everywhere. We all have those things that just drive us bonkers. For me, it’s those two things. The second thing can’t always be avoided, especially these days when everything is transmitted at warp speed but it still drives me insane.

Do you care if things in your home are seen in a lot of other homes? And how do you feel about knockoffs? Have you ever stopped yourself from getting a high priced item because you were afraid it was going to get knocked off? I’d love to know what you think so please share!

I May Have Finally Found a Dining Room Light. For Real This Time.

The first time I saw this Jean de Merry light was when I had lunch at BG Restaurant in Bergdorf Goodman in New York several years ago.

They are all flush mounted in the restaurant but it usually hangs from a chain:

I was reminded of it more recently when I saw it in the 2010 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles’ Christmas House:

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When I saw it, I realized that it is exactly what I’ve been searching for for my dining room without even knowing it.

So I’ve been frantically researching it and I finally found it at a great local showroom called R Hughes. I went to see it yesterday and I liked it even better in person:

R Hughes, by the way, has the most exquisite things housed in a fantastic space at White Provision. If you’re local, I highly recommend a visit. Here’s just one shot of the showroom:

My only hesitation with the light is that I’m afraid I’m going to start seeing it everywhere and then I’ll start hating it. This is definitely an investment piece so I can’t be swapping it out 6 months from now!

Oh, what to do, what to do …..

(Photos: 1-2.Kelley Wearstler 3.Jean de Merry 4-5.Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles 6-7.FTRB)

Chandelier Picks for the Dining Room

Well, that string pendant DIY project is not looking so good. It’s not 100% dead so stay tuned for the results.

In happier news, I think I’ve found some lights that may work in the dining room. They all come in different finishes like bronze, silver, nickel, etc. so you’ll have to imagine them in different colors.

Breck 12 Light from Arteriors is my current favorite.

Venetian 16 Light from Circa is a close second.

Reed Eight Light from Circa is nice and simple.

Double Twist Five Light from Circa is the oddball of the bunch.

What do you think?

Yellow Dining Chairs On My Mind

I know exactly how it began. Earlier this year, I fell madly in love with this room in Elle Decor. (This house is still one of my all-time favorites.)

Then I saw this room in House Beautiful:

(We’re ignoring the sea horses.)

And most recently, I was wowed by this room in Veranda:

What do they have in common? Yellow dining room chairs. I’m obsessed. It’s taking every bit of strength I have not to chuck my dining room chairs and replace them with yellow ones like these. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out . . .

On another note, thank you all for the amazing feedback on Friday’s post. I couldn’t believe the tremendous response and how nearly unanimous it was! Thanks, everybody!

Updating Our Dining Room Furniture

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One of the big items we got from my parents as part of their downsizing is an antique dining set. I was happy to get it since the white table and chairs we had in our old dining room have gone into the eat-in area of the kitchen and we needed something in the space. It’s a very lovely set but very traditional so I have been trying to think of different ideas for updating it.

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One look I’ve always liked is white painted chairs with dark wooden tables. These are some examples I’ve found.

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Our chairs are not these styles, but you get the idea.

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(And look at all the gold frames – this could have been part of Monday’s post . . . )

Being obsessed with white, my first thought was white paint for the wood but then I saw this image and it made me think that gray may be nice:

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I had the walls painted a very soft, light gray (something between the curtains in this room and the walls outside) so I think gray chairs could work really well. But then again, that might be too matchy-matchy so I will probably just go with white.

Of course all this is if I can get up the nerve to paint these beautiful old chairs. (My mom is going to be horrified!) I just feel bad about painting antique wood furniture. I would probably have less of a problem if they weren’t family pieces. But for the sake of aesthetics, I think I can get over it(!) Does anyone else feel guilty about painting antiques?

(Photos: 1. Marie Claire Maison 2&3.via Centsational Girl 4.via Things that Inspire 5.via House of Turquoise)

Today’s Crush: Pink Ants

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It’s no secret that I love anything by Arne Jacobsen. We have his Series 7 chairs in our dining room but I think the Ant chair is also equally fabulous. Especially in pink! This photo, by the way, is my current screen saver. I’m in love with the whole space.

Also, Christina from Down and Out Chic is featuring me today in her Hump Day Spotlight. I think of her as one of my first blogging pals so I’m really touched that she would choose me for her series. Head on over to her blog today for some words of wisdom (ha!) and a few other fun bits. Thanks, Christina, you’re a doll!

And if you aren’t totally sick of me by now, I’m at ofifteen as a visiting blogger all week. I’m cooking today (scary)!

[Update 7.12.09: I've replaced the photo with a different format. I hope it's visible to everyone now.]

(Photo: Fritz Hansen)

There’s Zebra Stripes Then There’s Zebra AND Stripes

I know there’s intense debate about the zebra rug and even though it’s totally ubiquitous now, I have to say I’m still pretty fond of it. Ours was a housewarming gift from my parents and my only wish is that they hadn’t spent so much on it. You can get these suckers for so much less now! Anyhoo, in one of my rearrangement moods, I wanted to see what the zebra would look like over the striped rug we recently got. 

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What do you think? Too much?

Way Off Into The Future

When I move back to Paris – and that is the plan – I’d like a dining room (and birthday party) just like this:

picture-88(sarahkaye.com)

And by the way, can you tell I’ve found my new favorite website? Sarah Kaye Represents is just a treasure trove of beautiful images from amazingly talented photographers. I can’t get enough.

Importing a Little Bit of France

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(left: Paris dining room, right: Seattle dining room)

As we left Paris, our household was packed up in a big container and sent ahead of us across the sea.   I wondered about making all the pieces work together in our new (and *entirely* different) house but since I’ve always liked mixing styles and time periods, it’s starting to come together.  

In the dining room, for example, most of the major pieces came over with us. We had bought the round table in Paris because we had this lovely round dining area; that came with us. We also brought over the two chandeliers we bought while we were there. We even had parts of the house wired such that we could hang them without re-wiring them for the different voltage. The pair of Louis XVI chairs are one of my favorite Paris purchases. They move back and forth between the dining room and the living room, depending on my mood.  The only new item is a buffet (photos coming soon) and the zebra rug, which was actually a housewarming gift from my parents.  Overall, I’m happy with the result and there are still plenty of French pieces to incorporate into the rest of the house!