Thoughts on Styling the Dining Room

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone that commented and emailed me with such kind words about my dining room project reveal last week. You guys make my day!

With the reveal fresh on my mind, I thought I would share my thoughts on dining room styling.   Here's the thing.  You need to keep it S.I.M.P.L.E.  Are you surprised to hear me say that?

 Think about it.  You're having his side of the family, your side of the family, and a few of your favorite friends to celebrate ______________.  You're going crazy with menu planning, shopping, thinking about who should (or maybe who shouldn't) be sitting next to whom, what wine to serve with that new recipe, and a million other little details that need to be tended to before the big event. Do you really want to go through the hassle of clearing lots of  accessories off of every surface before you set the table and prepare the buffet? I know I don't.

Raise your hand if you love this dining room by Stephanie Sabbe as much as I do. I think it perfectly illustrates that simple can be dramatic.  And you could get in there and set that table lickety-split.

In my client's dining room, a silver tray holds a collection of family ironstone pieces that  is easily moved to set up for entertaining.

And that's why I like to keep things simple in the dining room.  Agreed?

Have a great week!

If you live in the Chattanooga, TN area and you're looking for an Interior Decorator, please visit my website to learn more about the design services I offer and to view my recent projects.

Client Entry Before and After - in Neutrals

Hello out there readers of design blogs!  Today I have a postlet to share with you of a recent foyer makeover.  This is one of the "afters" because I think it best to open things up with some pretty.

So now we'll back up to where it all began.

The thing is my clients' home is at the top of a mountain on the most gorgeous wooded lot, and we didn't think this particular arrangement honored the natural loveliness of its surroundings. Although the console table was a step in the right direction, the three shelves with the two mirrors and chairs felt busy.

My clients wanted something rustic and sophisticated.  And they did not want to repaint the walls.

Sorry for this horrifically blurry shot, but its the only one I have the shows the "before" of the feature art piece painted by my client's son.  I immediately knew we should make this painting the focal point of the long wall of the entry.  I had the painting reframed with a wider creamy white mat and a simple black frame for a cleaner, more updated look. (see below)

Here's what else.  We added some whitewashed planks to the aforementioned long wall, hung that pretty painting, put a long chunky console table under it and styled the whole thing up. With some nature-inspired stuff like those twigs I got out of their side yard. And, to keep the look from going all Cracker Barrel on us, we added some modern glam with that amazing Drexel Heritage glass prism lamp and crisp white accessories. 

We also painted the French Doors to the outside living area a rich charcoal gray, which we repeated in the family room on the book cases and exterior doors.  It gives them such presence, doesn't it?

Before

 In this slightly wider shot, you can see we also replaced the fussy wool rug with a black & white cowhide.  Oh how I love it!  And we replaced the generic chandelier with something a little more whimsical. A tall leaner mirror further simplifies the look and is perfect for checking out your head to toe look before heading out the door.

And that's the end!  Thanks for stopping by and having a look.  And did you know if you were following me on Instagram then you would have already seen it? Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and on Facebook!

A Few Updates at the Dollhouse

Hello there!  I hope you're having a great summer so far, even though it seems to be passing by so quickly!

Today I wanted to share a few little updates we've managed to get done at over here at The Dollhouse.

Let's start big.  Unbeknownst to you my foyer has been nothing more than a plywood sub floor for some time now.

  I'm elated to report that over the weekend my hubby changed that situation for the better.

Yay!  And I think there's an opportunity for some sort of fun albeit small piece for the wall to the left, so I'll keep you posted when I find my love match. 

Also, if you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that I recently purchased this sketch from a local artist.

and I've incorporated it into this vignette in my family room.  It's getting increasingly hard to find places to put things at my house.  I have no book cases or  mantels and my rooms are narrow so I don't even have side tables in most cases.  It's a struggle for this collector, so I'm layering art where I can.

So what's next you ask?  I've got my sights set on the hall bath.  When we moved in we tore out the old linoleum flooring and the tub surround  and replaced all of that with new white tile. 

Nothing extravagant, but I wanted white tile to brighten up this dark space and make it feel cleaner.  I don't want to spill too many details about my plan for this lackluster space but I'm very excited about moving forward and I think it will be one of my very favorite makeovers at The Dollhouse.  

In the meantime, this 1970's wallpaper is being stripped 

and will be replaced with a Brunschwig & Fils kind of gorgeous.

and that's just the beginning.  Stay tuned, and if you'd like to stay updated with all things The Green Room Interiors, the best place to find me is on Instagram, so please follow along!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in Chattanooga, TN.  If  you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Collected Family Room Project Reveal

Monday again!  How was your weekend?  Mine was a mixed bag of work, play and rest, with an emphasis on the "rest"  portion.

Most noteworthy this weekend was a nice surprise in my Inbox from a lovely client who happens to be a talented photographer.  She snapped some photos of her family room we've been working on and I wanted to share them with you.

A little background info - this is a very well traveled young family that just relocated to Chattanooga. They've lived and traveled all over the globe and have amassed a nice selection of meaningful keepsakes and family heirlooms - many of which we are working into their decor. Their design style leans very classic, light and family friendly.  They're not afraid of color, and wanted their home to be a reflection of their family and their lives.  

Nearly everything you see in the room above was theirs, with the exception of the drafting table against the back wall, the lamps which I sourced for them and the Asian wing chair, (which was purchased from me and reupholstered).   We also reupholstered their existing sofa and love seat with a neutral velvet and had her throw pillows re-made with a mix of new fabrics. The walls were coated with Benjamin Moore's Manchester Tan for light, neutral envelope. 

Just a few weeks ago we installed the photography wall so it could be seen from the new banquette in the kitchen (photos will be coming soon!).  I think the photography wall is the thing they love most about the space.  

The end tables are antique family pieces and the coffee table was purchased while they lived in Asia.

Everything we used to style the mantel has special meaning to this family.  The oars belonged to the husband's side of the family and we hung them with jute.  The brass lantern and green camping box also hold special meaning, as well as the books and pottery items. We have since added some fresh greenery to soften the look.

This is my favorite shot. I think it really speaks to my client's photography skills. Such a beautiful image!

While most of our efforts have been concentrated in the main living areas downstairs, we also added a book case in the upstairs loft area. Just last week I styled the book case for them using some of their favorite possessions.

I'm excited to share more of this special home with you as projects get completed, so please stay tuned for more!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Top 5 Items for Styling (that you already have)

And so yet another week of way way way below normal temps are expected around here for the majority of this week.  And that means lots of time spent indoors. And that means lots of opportunity to really study your decor and maybe start to think you want to change things up a bit.  This happens to you, I'm sure!  And maybe you don't want to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff to get a new look at home.  Not to worry!  Here are my top 5 items that you already own that you can use to freshen up your place.

1. Bottles.  I love to decorate with bottles.  See photo of my kitchen below.

Would you believe there are 4 bottles in just this photo?  Limoncello bottle on bottom shelf, small blue bottle on middle shelf, blue wine bottle on windowsill, and wine bottle behind fruit on countertop. More bottles have been added since this photo too.

Wine bottles also make good vases

and candleholders

2.  Books.  We all have them.  They're great for adding texture and for propping things upon.

In my kitchen I used a small collection of cookbooks to style my kitchen counter (and more bottles if you look to the far left in this photo).

In the photo above, I used books to add some height and texture to my bust planter.

And I used a collection of books to style my skirted table.

3.  Candlesticks.  I like a mismatched set placed in front of a mirror for maximum impact.

Image above from Pinterest

4.  Bowls.  Of something.  It helps if its a cute bowl and you put something cool in it.

Image from Pinterest

Like a bowl of photographs or a big bowl of sea shells.

5.  Mirrors.  I love them and I'm always looking for ways to work in another mirror.  Layering is the answer.  Behold.

3 images above found on Pinterest

And there you have it!  What's your go-to styling item that you like to use?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to experience the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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One Room Challenge Week Five - Kitchen Progress

I can hardly believe I'm typing this but we're now in WEEK 5 (aka "Panic Week" ) of  Linda's One Room Challenge.  If this is your first visit here, welcome!  As part of this series ( which culminates in the BIG REVEAL next Wednesday)  I've been making over the kitchen at my house.  If you would like to see the progression thus far, click here.

So about this week. Not a huge leap forward, but a few little details have been addressed. I think "shopping" is the theme of this post.

Like I changed out my cabinet hardware. When we first moved in I used some pink glass knobs and pulls left over from another project. I replaced them with these lucite knobs and very simple drawer pulls I found at Home Depot.

And that early 90's tile floor that makes me cringe is a little less visible under my new seagrass rug from the O.  Please note that if you want a natural fiber rug in the kitchen, seagrass is the way to go.  Seagrass is grown in salt marshes and is naturally water/stain resistant. Why they take all that water resistance and then band it with plain cotton is beyond me.

A cute and easy storage solution was found at my local HomeGoods.  The big basket is large enough to hold a 20-lb bag of dog food and the smaller stripe basket holds 4 big soft drink bottles and an assortment of canned drinks too.

I have been styling and restyling my shelves ad nauseum.  "Effortless" looking styling is exhausting.

Finally, I tried out this little x- bench but I don't think it's staying.  All those legs going every which-way is just too much.  I think if by some miracle I can find a bench with cabriole legs similar to the table legs then I would be good with that.  Or I may just end up getting another Panton chair.  What do you think?

I'm still waiting for window coverings to be finished, art/framing to be completed and picked up, and over the table lighting installed.  And more shelf styling.  This could be a nail-biter of a week.

Wonder how these folks made out.

Calling it Home 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

Cottage and Vine 

Design Addict Mom 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room 

Henhurst Interiors 

Little Black Door 

Maddie's Nest 

Mix And Chic 

My Notting Hill 

Pawleys Island Posh 

The Pink Pagoda 

Shelter 

Simple Details 

The Vault Files 

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to experience the joy of living in a well-designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

So here's what I've been up to

Happy tax day!  When I saw what would be going down around here this past weekend

I decided to get out of town.  And that's just what I did.

There was lots of shopping, and I found some exceptional pieces for my booth and for The Dollhouse!  So many great pieces that they deserve - and will have -a post all their own.

There was some restyling of Mom's secretary to accommodate her growing collection of blue & white porcelain.

New lighting got installed 

for this nursery project.

There was some rug obsessing  and a final selection

for this dining room project 

all topped off by this situation at Wal-mart.  (about 60 people ready to check out and 3 lanes open.)

Now fill me in on what you've been up to!  Taxes done? Extensions filed?  Good shopping finds?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like a to experience to create more happiness at home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com