Our Fall Dining Room

Now that our retro ranch renovations are *Almost* done we’ve been living with somewhat of a blank slate. As you can see our dining room had a great foundation with nice built ins, neutral floors, and a great Mid Century table, but the space was lacking color and personality.

My strategy for infusing life into any space includes #1- Neutrals, #2- Pops of Color, #3- Textures. What I mean is that I look for lots of neutral items that are full of texture, and a few items that bring pops of color. The first thing I did to start the dining room transformation, was hang a curtain rod and some neutral curtains to add texture and soften the space.

I also tossed some great throw pillows on the bench to warm things up.

As I was setting it up my five year old told me he’d be taking his naps there going forward!

I added three of these of these amazing hobnail hurricanes, as well as some fall scented candles for in them. These are awesome for candles, but could also hold flowers, fillers, or just about anything. Even though they are super neutral, their texture is what made them total winners.
Underneath it all I added this neutral runner. I love how it adds texture, while not distracting from the centerpiece. Around one of the hurricanes I just laid a fall wreath on the table. It is so simple, but looks super high end! This is where my strategy of adding pops of color comes in. This wreath also has loads of texture so it hits both points.
Over on the side of our dining space I made a mini-gallery wall with these two quatrefoil mirrors and shadowboxes. My desk/workspace is all concealed into this built in, so I can see swapping out the shadow boxes frequently.

By bringing in just a few key items from Big Lots, I was able to completely transform our bland dining room. If you are shopping to fill a space just remember the three key points: #1-Neutrals, #2- Pops of Color, and #3- Texture.

Now it is a space that I actually want to invite people over to gather in!

It’s also somewhere that I’ll happily spend my time working in.

Just for the sake of understanding our layout, here is how the dining room lies across from the kitchen.

Here it is looking out from the kitchen. Doesn’t it look like a space you’d love to host a meal? Or sit and do homework at?

So if you have a space that’s feeling bland and boring, this is me telling you that it doesn’t have to be expensive to bring life into! With just a few neutral pieces, some pops of color and varying textures you can completely transform a space.

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