Formal Dining Room

Ma chère Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride

And greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight

And now we invite you to relax

Let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents

Your dinner!

Be our guest! Be our guest!

- Beauty & the Beast

Our formal dining room is a beautiful place to come together!

We do not save this room for holidays and special occasions.  We gather here every day for lunch and dinner. We reserve our breakfast room for the mornings. 

Our home is a classic colonial design which honors the tradition of a formal dining room.

This is essential for our style as we love defined rooms including a dedicated 'fancy' space to honor our family time and our guests when entertaining. 

We prefer to keep the preparations behind the scenes for an effortless & tidy atmosphere. 

Here's how this room started ....

The bones were so good! 

Custom dental molding, large space for ample seating and additional furniture such as our antique buffet, a window with a nice view to the backyard, a large opening into our formal living room and a smaller into the kitchen

This 'before' picture does feature our first step which was painting the walls - Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

This was the first thing we did throughout our home prior to moving in 

(so many hideous dark colors in each room)

But it was still so flat and lacking.

I wanted this room to be as sentimental as the memories we'd make in it!

We began with lighting. This grand chandelier was in our previous home and something I wanted to incorporate into our forever home. 

Next up, wallpaper! By far my favorite part. While paint can surely add impact, it can't compete with the detail, dimension and pizazz of a pattern.

This particular print (available in several color palettes) is special as it contains metallic trimmed herons in honor of my mother. She loves birds and these are as elegant as she is. They are often used to represent hope! The chinoiserie style is a nod to my grandmother's formal dining room. The colors are soft complementing the blues and pinks in our formal living room and the print is larger something that was important so that it wouldn't overwhelm. 

I was just about to select fabric for custom drapes when I came across these panels at HomeGoods and I just happened to have the wallpaper sample in my purse.  The color matched perfectly! 

This antique buffet houses our china and silver serving ware. 

I also proudly display the silver tea set that belonged to Ryan's great grandparents. 

Heirlooms give us a reminder of our loved ones. 

The lamps add a modern touch to all the traditional furnishings.

I found this mirror at an estate sale with a special friend.

This large ornate table & 8 chairs were my mother's that she recently gifted to me. 

I love that we can continuing to add use and pass down generations of love. 

We currently have one leaf inset but there's an additional we can add alongside the 2 chairs we keep off to the side, for hosting larger parties. 

I encourage you to give proper attention to your dining space.  It's more than just a place to break bread. It's where you can step away from the world's distractions and share meaning, love and laughter with those you hold most dear!

Dress Your Dining Room Beautifully

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Bar Cart: Service with Style

Gals, our bar cart has been empty for over 2 years because of our darling Vivian Louise & her inability to resist tampering with it. She's now at a place where Mamma's shiny things don't intrigue her so much so I can start using it again! 

A bar cart is not only for styling. Do you gals remember 5+ years ago when it was ALL the rage?! For holidays, shindigs and everyday decor IG was covered in #barcartstyling. 

Fun Fact:  A bar cart's purpose is actually for serving. 

Bar carts allow a host to serve guests in rooms away from the kitchen. It has wheels so that the host can outfit the cart with the necessities and easily transport it to the appropriate room. It was the lifestyle midcentury. 

Now, you can use it for serving or decor. I use it for both.  Whether it's a dinner party, birthday party, tea party, coffee & cake, a shower or even outdoor soiree the bar cart makes for festive fun!

Currently entertaining is on hold so I've filled the shelves with some of my favorite pretty things.

It's in a corner of our formal dining room and fills the space quite nicely. 

It's a great piece for showcasing seasonal decor.

I have a picture of Ryan & I, because he's my favorite to cheers with and the colors go with our wallpaper :)

A stack of monogrammed cocktail napkins - necessary with every spirit.

A glass keepsake box with the place cards from our wedding rehearsal dinner (Ryan saved them unbeknownst to me and had them on the table at our 1 year anniversary - my heart nearly burst) and a couple brass candle sticks. I love tapered candles for the dining table.

On the second shelf I have a Christmas cactus, one of my favorite house plants and some gold lowball glasses & matching shaker. 

On the bottom shelve I have books, one being Emily Post's Etiquette, as a polite reminder to always have good manners. Now the marble wine cooler is fitting and chic but the Staffordshire dog figurine is more of a humorous addition.

I bought it at an antique store as his peculiar appearance spoke to me.  And I love midcentury chinoiserie style.  Ryan however was appalled by it and finds it to be absolutely hideous. I laugh just thinking about his offended sensibilities.  So over the years I tease him by placing it in his office or around our house as a joke.  He continues his threats to destroy it but I think he secretly enjoys the banter. :)

I encourage you to enjoy your bar cart whether it's for entertaining or decor.

 

Bar Cart Options Here - Here & Here 

Dress Your Bar Cart Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise

Mamma Monday: Baby Blessings

Remember when you were engaged and you went from girlfriend to fiancee.  It was such a short time and then you'd be wife forever.  It's a sweet chapter as you prepared to wed.  I find pregnancy to be similar (well instead of sweet mine was filled with puke but special nonetheless).  Those you love are in celebration for you and send blessings of happiness.

Well this past weekend I hosted a baby shower (I'm starting to loose count of just how many over the past 5 years - don't drink the water!) for a dear friend from our church.  She's my age and was just married a little over a year ago.  We bonded over her sickness during her first trimester ... so much PTSD!  I did my best to encourage her and lucky for her it passed.
I was silently hoping for her to have a girl so that I could share Vivian Louise's wardrobe and other girlie things but she's having a precious baby boy.

I immediately raised my hand to host her shower - Mr is constantly asking me why I'm always so eager to host showers. Because it brings me great joy to bless others.  We all love to be celebrated and to know that I've contributed is an amazing feeling.

I find that hosting showers can be intimidating to most ....
My home isn't big or nice enough
I don't have nice enough serving ware
I'm not creative

I'm here to tell you that you can host a very elegant and beautiful shower regardless if you live in a mansion or have crafting skills (UGH I think 'Pinterest' showers are incredibly tacky)

1. I believe a home is the best place to hold celebrations.  It's personal and comfortable. No one, and I mean no one cares about the size or how fancy your house is.  Open those doors wide! As for room, ladies will gather together chair or no chair.  But I find you can always slide the furniture around and squeeze in some chairs (even if they are from your patio set, I've done it).
I hosted a bridal shower and my sisters baby shower in my 1 bedroom apartment on the second floor with over 20 gals - and we all had a blessed and cozy time!

2. I didn't inherit any fancy crystal or silver.  My china was my Mamma's and it's not a high end brand but it's more special to me because it was hers.  My silver was all purchased at my favorite thrift store here in Charlotte. I have two sets so that I have plenty for large gatherings. I have a few sets of tea cups that I will mix and match and can select based on the occasion.  I also collect vintage linens from this same thrift shop and use whenever I host.
Gals, if possible please do not use paper/plastic products. I know it will be a lot of dishes to clean and laundry but these occasions are worth it!

3. As for creativity, a colored pen is as crafty as I get.  I don't even color code my spreadsheets. I find crafts and 'Pinterest' type decorations tacky. Some colored balloons and bouquets of flowers are all you need! Favors don't have to be expensive or crafty either.  On Sunday I handed out sachets of gladiolus bulbs for guests to take home and plant. I've gifted tiny plants, soaps, lavender sachets, and nice chocolates.

You gals know I avoid my kitchen at all costs, so I always delegate when it comes to the food.  Guests want to help so include them by letting a few bring a dish.  It saves you time and mess.

Yes those are Chick-fil-a nuggets on a silver platter. #classy

I believe the key to a wonderful shower is to remember the reason you're hosting/gathering - to bless another!

Maybe you don't have a shower to host, but you could have your gal pals over for a meal or keep it simple and serve coffee and dessert sprinkled with chit chat.

Dress Your Next Shower Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise