Thinking up a Dining Room Design

While I was in Sarasota the weekend before last for my daughter's basketball tournament, I made it a point to make to the local Boca Bargoons fabric store since I was in the area. I am in search of window fabric for the girls rooms and for the main living areas. I only had 30min (always a time crunch). I did find some fabric for the girls rooms.

Its a Braemore Selim Pattern fabric in Punch and Heather. I have found them for as low as $10/yd online. Not exactly sold yet, I am sitll on the prowl! I will post you up to date about my plans fo the girls room.

I actually fell in love with an especially particuler fabric. There was no information attached to the fabric, and I had no time to check with a sales person since I found it at the last minute. I did however cut a good sized sample.

If anyone recognizes this fabric, please let me know! Its a beautiful bird (I cut off its head) :( fabric with all these beautiful colors of the sunset in it! It has corals, pinks, and oranges with a cream base. It goes perfectly with the taupe walls. So, with this sample in hand...I have been thinking up a dining room design.

The dining room window falls in the front of the house, seen above. The way the house was originally built, this was actually supposed to be the formal living room and my now living room was supposed to be the dinging room. It did not make any sense to me space planning wise, so I changed it! My dining room table was my first furniture purchase. I bought it (in my mind) before I actually knew we were buying a house.

Its a 72" round dining table with a large glass lazy susan. Lu-u-uv it!!! It fits the space perfectly. The only thing is I do not have room for a large china, which is okay, because I like the idea of keeping the room feeling open. With the fabric serving as my window fabric, take a look at what I thought up:

I want to make this room more than just a dining room, I also want it to be a lounging place. I bet the first thing you see is that gorgeous turquoise settee. This is representative of color! Its something I  like to do in each room, adding that punch of color. I also would like to soften up it up a little more. I have to pay attention to the height of the back so it does not block too much natural light and I use this window to watch the kids at play when they are outside.

 

Via

I have always liked the idea of using a settee in a dining room. Its just one more way of making a dining room a more funtional space to lounge and eat. It will definetlty allow for longer conversations due to the level of comfort.
Since I can not fit a china, I am thinking of the best way to create storage in this area. Take a look at my options:

I can either do two matching cabinets with wall mounted shelves above or two matching open book shelf piers. Its something I need to ponder on just a bit longer, but I am leaning towards the cabinets with shelves above because it will allow me to have a buffet surface.

I plan to adress lighting by adding a Z-gallerie gold capiz chandelier above the table (z-gallerie who'd of thunk it?)! Aww...man I bet this will be so gorgeous at night in that large window from the outside. I have always wanted that chandelier, hope to have it within the next 3-4 mnths. 

I would also like to add wall sconces, on my focal point wall. Above is and inspiration photo from my archives, I do not know where I got it from, but here is how its inpired me:

I would like to mount a long wood shelf mantel, no more than 6" deep. Above it I would like to do a abstract piece of art with sconces on either side. This shelf will give me a place to add small decorative elements, like candles, and break up the large expansive wall space since I can not fit a china. I would like to paint the art myself, but this is a great alternative from the "Z."

I have not thought of what I would like to do for chairs, but I know I want either leather or wood. Maybe a woven rattan chair might be a good option. Let me know what you think!