Help me decorate dining room for Christmas Tour of Homes,

10 years ago

This is likely to be the first of many posts. We are looking forward to being a host home for a tour of homes to benefit the scholarship fund for a local community organization. We just moved in in June, and I don't plan to buy any other furniture, so I need ideas for decorating with what I have. I am working on our formal dining room first. I want this room to be formal and classic. I do have to buy something for the center of the table, and I was thinking of a few hurricanes or tall candlesticks with just a bit of greenery in the center. The buffet will have lighted greenery and possibly ribbon or ornaments. I am searching for some white or silver deer or christmas trees to adorn the buffet. I am also working on some sillouette plates of my kids to hang around the mirror. They will be white with green silhouettes. I will also have a skinny christmas tree in a corner with silver, gold and white ornaments. I was thinking of putting ties around the two end chairs to bring a bit of softness. Also, I have drapes being made that are white with green, turqouise, and some bits of pink. What do you think?

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Comments (11)

nightowlrn
10 years ago
I like the mirror and chair treatments in this picture

Here is a link that might be useful: [Christmas Dining Room mirror and chair ideas[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/homes-for-the-holidays-2012-edmonton-traditional-dining-room-edmonton-phvw-vp~2016511)
alex9179
10 years ago
Pretty room!

Have you looked at Mary Carol Garrity's decorations? She owns Nell Hill's and does a fabulous job when it comes to fluffing for home tours. She has a Christmas book available, if you go for that look. I do!

If it were my home, I would put greenery down the center of the table. Place candlesticks and votives down the line and mix in pine cones, berries, and whatever natural winter foliage is in the area. Weave ribbons throughout.
Hang a decorated wreath on the mirror, with ribbon cascading onto the buffet.
The buffet would feature the deer, vases of flowers, with greenery and native flora weaved throughout. A few candles placed around the greens.

More is more, when decorating for a home tour!
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Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us for a virtual tour. I so enjoy the tours in our area and can only imagine what work it is to have everything as beautiful as you did. Everything was so pretty with such attention to all the little details. Your colors of red and green in the upholstery are great. I would never have thought of using those colors but they work great with the wall colors you chose. You have surely earned some relaxation.
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Now I understand where you are headed. My suggestions will not be matchy matchy and are pretty eclectic in nature. So, hopefully you will get some ideas you may not have thought about. Let's start with the DR. Drapes: I like dramatic so, if the rug has bronze that would be my first choice though there is nothing wrong with gold. I like plain simple drapes. I think drapes like blacksplashes should not be a focal point of a room when you have other beautiful things going. They should help frame the room like the color on the walls do. You may not need pinch pleated drapes. It would save you money not to have the pinch pleats. You need to decide if you want to run them from ceiling to floor or with a rod (I saw some beautiful rods at Calico Corner's. I think JCP carries Kirsch hardware also) above the window not from the ceiling. Dining table: I notice most people select wood to use with oriental rugs. I am working with a designer for my family room and breakfast nook and he just taught me a good lesson: Print rug-glass table, solid rug-wood table. He said you want to show off the beauty of the rug at all times from every direction. They do make some very large glass tables that you can use with 2 wooden pedestals for support or a great square base. If you are having a lot of guests for dinner like Christmas than you can add a folding table and use the same table cloth. This is just a suggestion. You can use wood but I always like to share new knowledge when I learn something. I still like crystal for chandeliers in dining rooms. In this case I would use crystal with some funky lamp shades to add a little fun into the room. You may find these at Home Goods or on line. I would try leopard for shades. It's hard to visualize if this will work without actually seeing it in person. Maybe someone will photoshop. Do you know the size of the table you want to use? I also think you may be able to find dining room chairs on ebay or a used furniture store that might be in decent condition or you can buy them new. Remember the chair wood does not need to match the wood of the table. There is more interest created when they don't. Here is another idea for chairs: you can used entirely different ones for the head of the table. Actually, I am pretty good at decorating eclectically. My friends are always looking for my eye. The designer I am working with always says to me "what do you need me for". Well, he is a great buffer between me and my BF whom I share my new home with. He has made my life so much more easier and is worth every penny. I am also learning alot about decorating from him.
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Good golly, I loved it...that green color is fab! I think I have about as much Christmas "stuff" as you do, but unfortunately this is the first year I've not gotten to decorate. We've had a family tragedy and have also been in remodel h%ll on a lake home we bought, so no go for me this year. I so enjoyed looking at your beautiful home. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. How MANY poinsettias, paper whites and wreaths??? Oh child, bless your heart. Christmas decorating really is so much darn work. It looks so great when it's done, but then, if you are like me, you're usually too pooped to enjoy it. HA! Now to a question that nooooooooooo one has asked you...and probably never would. What does the little sign say in regards to the "temperamental toilet?" That's what we are beginning to call ours. This lake place (built in 1952, hence the remodel) is not on a septic system, but it still has some flushing issues even with the new toilets we bought. We've been thinking of making up a little sign, too, for guests. Something like, "flush often and with gusto...flushing is free, plunging is not." Would also like to include something for the shower doors....."if you see a squeegee, USE IT!" Wow, I'm sounding like such a lovely hostess, huh? HA! Anyway, if you care to share the sign sentiment, that would be great. And once again, thank you so much for sharing your lovely home with us. I wish you a very blessed holiday! pup
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I love the clean, uncluttered look of your home and you've made some great furniture choices. My first thought, though, is that I would try to rework the sofa/sectional placement. It really is unwelcoming looking to me to have the back where it is facing a wall, when it could be oriented to look into the room and out the windows. It seems like if it were placed in the corner under the stairs that it would feel open and invite you to come in and sit. I'd hate to be cooking in the kitchen and have the family or guests with their backs to me. If you are having a TV in another room close by, do you need one in that room, too? If, so placing a 70" unit will probably only work as you have it. But, to me, it's not going to look like a living room but more like a movie theater, which is fine if that's what you're going for. It seems like it won't be a cozy conversation area, though. I might actually flip the rooms and put the dining room where you have the sofa now. I was looking at lights used with dining rooms and ghost chairs and saw this, maybe would work in the living room? Kind of fun. don't know if it would look as good without the colored walls though. And I thought something like these were interesting to consider for over your table:
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Annie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
If you don't have xmas collections of your own, I hope you have a christmas tree shoppe near by or some other low cost high selection tchotchke store near you. Or hit up family and friends to share theirs. The holiday houses I've been in are crammed with xmas stuff....something in every room, and I agree with alex that more is more.

For the table, a nice grouping of something ... anything...will be great, provided you have height with it. So a row of cone-shaped white or gold trees of various heights....or a passel of candles in various candle holders of matching material like all silver or all glass ... or a tall xmas decoration on a cake plate to get some height. Typically there are xmas type place settings as well with red glasses or whatever....ribbons around the wine glass stems, christmasy napkin rings....

Rather than put a bow on the upholstered chairs, I would put a bow on the top backs of each of the wooden chairs. Take a fat ribbon and start on the top left of the chair back...ribbon goes down and under, across the slats on the backside of the chair and up the other side in the front. Criss cross both ends and staple to the center back of the ribbon on the back and let the tails hang...that gives you a base to attach a large bow to.

And of course all this needs to be color coordinated so it gives an even larger impression for your large room.
caminnc
10 years ago
I would pull the primary colors from your drapes and wall color or just keep your colors simple with silver or gold. Z Gallerie has some decorations you might like. Be sure to use as much fresh greenery as possible.

This post was edited by caminnc on Tue, Oct 29, 13 at 11:02
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
"More is more, when decorating for a home tour!"

I disagree ... I lived in a neighborhood that did home tours as a fundraiser and the ones jammed with "holiday decor" all ran together. It was like seeing the contents of Ye Olde Yuletide Shoppe dumped in the living rooms.

The ones that were getting the oohs and ahhs were decorated to fit in with the existing decor and style of the house. They were sparser, but they were carefully done. You could actually imagine that you were arriving for a holiday party.
springroz
10 years ago
That room is SO pretty...I would use Williamsburg as an inspiration, with pears and apples and pineapples.

Nancy
alex9179
10 years ago
My "more is more" comment can certainly be interpreted as an over-the-top version of Santa's house.

What I mean is layers. That pic above is a great example of layer, although the garland looks a bit bleh and soldier-y with the use and spacing of the gold pine cone picks. I'd rather see natural greens with a wide ribbon woven throughout and real pine cones/leaves/berries along with candles at varying heights.
The place setting and stemware is definitely in the "more" vein and looks wonderfully luxurious.

It's not about how many tchotchkes one can stuff in a room (or garland), it's about thoughtful layering.
oldbat2be
10 years ago
Oh I remember your kitchen, loved it.... Very much looking forward to the many posts on the rest of the house :)

Your dining room looks very finished already. The hurricanes with fresh greenery sound great to me. My MIL #1 recently sent me some gorgeous large silver balls, which have been great fun to add to arrangements. If you can start forcing some paper whites (start a new group weekly) and /or white amaryllis (my favorite source -John Scheepers), those would be lovely to add as well.

Congratulations on your new home, I look very much forward to your kitchen reveal! Best, oldbat2be
teacats
10 years ago
Check out pin boards on Pinterest .... always a great way to find photos and ideas!

And here's a link to the Ballard Designs site -- might be some ideas there too!

Pretty room! I'd love to see holiday trees in simple white, silver and gilt .... also lots of candles, white berries and white-frosted pinecones ... easy to do with spray paint and glitter! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: ballard designs
bpath
10 years ago
I like the "Williamsburg" theme, and thinking boxwood for the greenery, and square boxwood wreaths on each window. The pears and pineapple sound elegant, too.
iheartgiantschnauzer
10 years ago
Nice home. Have you considered colored wine goblets? They add such a festive touch. I also would do colored linen napkins with a simple elegant napkin ring. Like Annie, I would skip the bow on the softer upholstered chairs. I may even consider switching out the mirror for a holiday/wintery piece of art. Perhaps greenery or kissing balls in the windows?

Whatever you do, I am sure it will be lovely. Please post finished pictures!

This post was edited by iheartgiantschnauzer on Wed, Oct 30, 13 at 1:49

Help me decorate dining room for Christmas Tour of Homes,

Comments (11)

nightowlrn

alex9179

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