Dining Room Mood Board & DIY Idea

Does anyone else have "saved for later" items in your online shopping carts? As we wait for our new home to be built, I admit I enjoy window-shopping and have curated quite the "saved for later" collection. Most things won't be purchased until after drywall when exact measurements can be taken, but in the meantime, I'm honing in - and keeping my eyes open for pop-up sales! One purchase, however, is already done and currently sitting under the piano in a humongous box...

The dining room chandelier. And it's all I hoped it would be! Old-fashioned yet trendy, it's just waiting to be wired up! Plus, "the internets" gave me an idea for a little DIY craft. See all the dining room decor plans below!

Mood board for our dining room.

The dining room vibe is meant to be "moody / eclectic / elevated boho / casual glam." I could go on but I suppose that's enough adjectives for now, haha! Basically I want everything in the house to look old-school; NO mid-century modern for this house, it just wouldn't work with the architecture.

The chandelier hanging in our local City Furniture last summer.

Last summer I saw this wood bead & metal chandelier in our local City Furniture. It was a moment of GET IN MY BELLY! (Ahem, I mean, in my house.) It's not David's style, but he could see how much I loved it and told me I could buy it for the new house. However, you know I don't pay full-price. So I waited for a sale. Waited and watched. Watched and waited. All summer, no sale. Labor Day, it didn't go on sale. Black Friday - IT DID NOT GO ON SALE. I was checking online at this point. Still nothing.

Finally, I happened to log on Cyber Monday. BAM there it was, 20% off one day only. No Black Friday deal but Cyber Monday only? Okay, I wasn't expecting that, but now I know! I placed the order but it was backordered, which was fine of course, seeing as our house isn't even done yet. It finally arrived February in all its glory. It's 30 inches wide and over 3 feet tall. It looks big in person; hopefully it's proportionate to the room. I'm thinking we need big, chunky pieces for this house.

A different chandelier option with darker draped beads. Just so chic!

Bonus, after seeing this chandelier and similar versions all over the place now, David started to like it, too. A happy ending for all!

Reed dining table in warm black by Pottery Barn.

My ideal dining table: This one is extendable between 73, 85, or 97 inches. That works perfectly for the size of the room and 8 chairs we're planning. No sale price yet, but you know I'll keep my eye on it. Can't wait to have a table to set again!

Fun Flatware Trivia: Who else is LOVING this French vintage-style flatware (below) by Jean Dubost? The engraved bee detail is homage to Napoleon's imperial seal and has been used on authentic Laguiole knives for 200 years. So we could say this Laguiole-style flatware set is the bee's knees! #flatwarejokes

No one's doing flatware comedy these days, am I right?

Imagine a table set with this vintage-style silverware.

I mean, we already have silverware, but... If it's good enough for Napoleon, it's good enough for me! Okay, I'll stop.

Haver Faded Black & White Chairs available on Overstock.com.

I'm not sure of the dining chairs yet but I do know that I'd love to have these upholstered beauties (above) for the two head chairs. Black and white stripes + nailhead trim = can't go wrong!

As for the other chairs, I realize that I literally just made the follow statement a few paragraphs above: "NO mid-century modern for this house." But... can there be ONE exception? Because, acrylic chairs. That's all.

Why yes, I do remember saying "nothing modern"... But this chair is the cat's pajamas!

Wow, I'm loving these granny-chic sayings today. Maybe that's what happens when you grow up in Pennsylvania, maybe it's because I always had my nose in a book, or maybe I'm just an old soul!

Oliver Gal "La Esperada" framed canvas available on Overstock.com.

We don't have much wall space in the new house because SOMEONE went crazy with windows (raises own hand slowly...) But there is one wall in the dining room which could use a large piece and I'm thinking this colorful abstract will do the trick! If there's room, I may put a bar cart or hutch under it.

This bar cart looks like it could belong in a 1920s hotel... perfect!

The bar cart above matches our current coffee table and end tables, though it's not the same brand. Meant to be? I appreciate the nod to Art Deco style.

DIY Idea: succulent and candle centerpiece. Photo credit: Thrift Decor Chick.

And here's the DIY idea! Simple trays filled with live (or faux) succulents and white pillar candles. I'm feeling good about this one. Plus, I love succulents. My maternal grandmother LOVED them. She always has pots overflowing with "Cats and Kittens" as she called them, due to how they reproduce tiny versions of themselves and poke through intentional openings on pots. It makes me happy seeing succulents around the house. Bonus, they're practically impossible to kill.

Did anyone else's grandmother have these pots (below)?

This isn't for my dining table but it's so nostalgic, I had to share!

My grandmother's pots were terracotta; the one above is plastic. It's weirdly hard to find this type of pot. They're called "strawberry jars" but they work great for succulents, too.

Cringing it all together: The completed modo board.

Elements left out of the mood board:

1. Rug: Bottom line, we're not doing a rug. On a recurring basis, I show David photos of gorgeously decked out dining rooms with rugs. Also on a recurring basis, he reminds me that our toddler has a tendency to spill food everywhere. He ain't wrong.

2. Wallpaper/Accent Wall: David hates wallpaper and I love it, so I'm pretty sure we'll compromise and do wallpaper! :)

3. Table Runner: Last year for Christmas I was gifted a beautiful black and white braided table runner that I can't wait to see on a table! Currently I feel like an artist without a canvas... Too dramatic? I think not.

Here's the 108" table runner that's waiting in the wings.

So that's the plan! And since we have time, I've been able to wait for sales and deals as well as new crafty ideas to hopefully achieve our ideal look, one piece at a time. That's one benefit of having to wait! It gives you time to plan. Who else has something fantastic in your "saved for later" cart? Share, please!

With Love,

Molly

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