Dining Room Inspiration

Remember when I shared my longggg list of decorating updates I want to make in our apartment a few weeks ago? Well, I thought the best way to get started would be creating mood boards for each room. Something that I can go back to while shopping to make sure the finished look flows, and prevent myself from buying things I don't need! I'll be sharing a mood board for each space over the next few weeks, then update you along the way as I make progress!

I figured, why not start in the dining room. This is the room I will need to make the least amount of purchases, since we already have pretty much everything we need. We're lucky enough to have some pretty great hand me downs from both our parents. One of my favorite things in the house is our dining room table. It's Crate & Barrel, and something I definitely would have picked out and purchased on my own. I love combination of the distressed wood top and black legs with the simple black chairs. We also have the chairs I reupholstered, so we can seat 6 at the table comfortably.

I also have the most beautiful antique buffet that was my Gram's. However, it's currently up in the foothills in a storage container, just waiting to be transported! So the first order of business will be bringing the focal piece home with us! The tricky thing is that, it's about 2" too long for our car! So, we may be renting a trailer one weekend to make the trip.

As renters, we lucked out because our walls are a really pretty neutral grey, and the original wood floors and white crown molding are the perfect starting point for a lovely dining room. Our good friends also just gave us a neutral rug when they moved, it's almost identical to the one in the inspiration board, and works great for us right now. Someday, I'd love a vintage Persian or Afghan rug!

Since we already have the base for a neutral and traditional style dining room, there are just a few more pieces I want to add to make the room feel more complete. I know adding the buffet will make a huge impact. But I'd also like to get a few things up on the walls. Above the buffet, I want to create a gallery wall of maps. I've seen them at flea markets and online, and want to find some old San Francisco and San Diego maps to frame. I already have a ton of frames, so this shouldn't be a big expense. On the adjacent wall that opens to the living room, I'd like to hang a large mirror. I've found a few great contenders on Craigslist, so I think that might be my first purchase.

There isn't much room in the space for a bar cart, but I'd like to create a little bar area, possibly using a tray, on top of the buffet. We have a vintage whiskey decanter that will look perfect there.

I also want to get some simple, white curtains to hang. We have blinds, but I think hanging long curtains along the sides of our large windows will make the room feel a bit cozier. I think Ikea has a few options that will work, and affordable too.

Finally, I hope to add a little color with a small house plant. I've been researching plants that are hard to kill, any suggestions? I have a very black thumb!

Here is a "before" shot of the dining room so you get an idea what I'm working with. This was taken before Andrew moved; so we've since added a new table & chairs, area rug, and moved the wine rack (that's where the buffet will go). It's already looking better :)

Seeing the design board makes me more excited to start working on this space and helps me picture the final results. I think our house will be feeling more "homey" in no time! Do you have any other suggestions for the space? I'm always open to new ideas and suggestions!