Choosing a wallpaper that evokes your ideal mood (mine is warm and cozy) is key. In this post, I will share photos of my wallpapered dining room, tips for choosing the right wallpaper for your space, and everything you need to know about getting wallpaper installed.

Related posts: 5 Creative Uses for Peel and Stick Wallpaper, The Best Floral Wallpaper, Affordable DIY Wallpaper Hack, Wallpaper Removing Tips, Painted Daisy Wallpaper, and Removable Wallpaper on Etsy.

Transforming Our Dining Room with Wallpaper

When we purchased this home, we instantly fell in love with this little nook that features original built-ins. It’s such a joyful, sunny space and I couldn’t wait to decorate it!

The room was previously wallpapered with a quirky, modern wallpaper featuring monkeys. When I shared it in my empty house tour video, many people commented that we should keep the monkey wallpaper. To me, that is the beautiful thing about wallpaper—it can be so wildly personal and expressive!

I knew I wanted a wallpaper that felt warm and cozy— almost an autumn-year-round kind of vibe. I also wanted a paper that could be from the era when our home was built, in 1904.

I considered a lot of different papers, careful to envision each one decorated with Halloween, Christmas, or kids birthday party decorations. I ended up choosing this Medlar pattern. The floral pattern felt the perfect mix of cozy, inviting and historic.

What to Consider When Choosing Wallpaper for Your Dining Room

• Always buy wallpaper samples. Wallpapers can be different in person than they appear online. If you are purchasing from a place like Anthropologie that doesn’t have samples, find the wallpaper somewhere else that does offer them. It’s always worth the extra $5-$10 per sample to see them in person. I keep a collection of samples because sometimes I find a home for a certain pattern later on as well.

• Consider the size and features of your home. Large scale prints look nicer in big open rooms, while super tight repeats can look nicer in smaller rooms. I always ask the advice of my wallpaper installer for whether or not they think a pattern will look good in a space. Rooms with a lot of angles need more forgiving patterns so that it’s less noticeable.

• Consider the era of your home. For my historic home, I want to use patterns that could have existed at the time it was built. More modern and funky patterns I think are a better fit for newer or mid-century homes. It’s worth considering if you can find a wallpaper option you love that suits the era of your home. Of course, it’s your home and the final call is yours—so choose what speaks to you and what you know you will enjoy for a long time.

• I always use a professional installer. In my experience, the price of the wallpaper is often about equal to the price of the installer’s labor. So, a large room with lots of angles might cost several thousand dollars for installation and a small room, like this breakfast nook, is typically under $1,000 for installation. The reason I always use a professional is because I am not a perfectionist and this job requires precision and skill. To me, it is worth it to hire a professional for this job.

• Many wallpaper installers will not install peel and stick wallpaper, so be sure to check. I strongly prefer traditional wallpaper over peel and stick unless it is for a very small space (maybe lining shelves or a closet). I have had a lot of issues with peel and stick wallpaper through the years that I have not experienced with traditional wallpaper.

Here’s how the wallpaper turned out in our breakfast nook. I love how it accents the original built-ins and big windows. It’s such a warm and friendly space!

Wallpapers I Considered for This Room

• Pirum Pear Wallpaper
• Blackthorn Wallpaper
• Maeve Marella Wallpaper
• Melograno Wallpaper

Elsie’s Dining Room Sources

• Floral Wallpaper (also available here)
• Round Dining Table
• Green Dining Chairs
• Beautiful Faux Roses
• Lantern Light Fixture

Thanks so much for reading! I am so excited to take you along with me as I slowly decorate our historic home. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section. Love, Elsie

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Round dining tables are perfect for smaller spaces, and because the don’t have corners, they allow more space for seating than rectangular dining tables.

Round dining tables are perfect for family dinners, brunch with friends, and playing board games.

In this post, I’ve included a variety of dining table styles, finishes, and designs, plus the answers to common questions to help you find the best dining room table for your home!

Related: 25+ Round Coffee Tables You’ll Love, The Best Blackout Curtains, and The Best Floral Wallpaper.

What are the Benefits of Round Dining Tables?

Before purchasing a round dining dining table, here are a few benefits of owning one:

Space: Round dining tables save space (they typically seat a maximum of six people), making them perfect for smaller dining rooms, breakfast nooks, and kitchens.

Appearance: Round dining tables create a cozy and quaint atmosphere and oftentimes serve as the centerpiece of a room. They are very pleasing to the eye.

Meals: Round dining tables are great for sharing meals because more people can fit around the table and sit closer together (with more chairs), creating an intimate dining experience.

Kid-Friendly: Round dining tables are kid-friendly because they don’t have corners or sharp edges, preventing accidental bumps.

Does a Round Dining Table Need a Round Rug?

A round dining table looks best with a round rug. As you can see above, Laura’s dining table is an oval shape, so she picked a rug that fit the size of the table best. Basically, the rug you choose should correlate with the shape of your table.

As a general rule, you should choose a rug that is at least 24″ from the edge of your round dining table.

The Best Round Dining Tables:

West Elm

Pedestal Dining Table

This bestselling dining room table has a pedestal silhouette shape with a spun metal base and marbled top. The design of this brass table frees up space for more chairs, making it perfect for entertaining.

This round dining table is available in three sizes (seating up to six) and is also available in black marble with a dark bronze base.

Wayfair

Solid Wood Dining Table

If you’re looking for a unique solid wood dining table, this is a great choice. The top of the table has multi-toned wood that forms a starburst pattern. Handcrafted from acacia and mango hardwood, this table is built to last and seats between 4-6 people.

One reviewer said, “This table is beautiful and perfect for my space. I love the different tones and the distressed finish.”

Anthropologie

Travertine Dining Table

The amazing dining table from Anthropologie has cylindrical hardwood legs and a smooth travertine (limestone) top. It’s the perfect mix of a modern and simplistic design. This round table is great for small spaces and seats four to six people.

One reviewer said, “Easy to clean, does not stain, and it’s so sculptural and original.” Everyone compliments it.

West Elm

Mid-Century Dining Table

Looking a dining table with a glass top? This mid-century table from West Elm has a solid wood frame with clean lines. Perfect for small spaces (it seats up to four people), this tempered glass table is both sturdy and inviting.

If you love the mid-century look of this table, check out this larger expandable dining table.

Amazon

Drop Leaf Dining Table

Upgrade your dining room with this bestselling pedestal dining table. It has a classic, timeless design and two drop leaves so the table size can be easily adjusted. This round table seats up to four people and is available in 27 colors. Wow!

One reviewer said, “Easy to assemble, excellent finish on the wood, and sturdy construction at a great price.”

Wayfair

Faux Marble Dining Table

Elevate your space with a faux marble dining table. This round table seats up to six people and has a contemporary feel. It’s perfect for family dinners, it’s sturdy, and best of all, easy to clean.

One reviewer said, “Such good quality for the price! Way bigger than I anticipated and it looks excellent in our dining room.”

Target

Criss-Cross Dining Table

This affordable dining room table from Target has a unique criss-cross base and a thick, rounded top. This wood table (also available in black) easily seats four people and has a matching set of dining chairs.

One reviewer said, “Great table. This is a dupe of a Pottery Barn table (which has a price tag of $2k). Perfect size for a smaller space.”

Amazon

Tulip Dining Table

A white tulip table is a fun choice for a dining room and it’s small enough to use in a breakfast nook. This round table from Amazon is budget-friendly (under $200!) and incredibly easy to assemble. It’s available in two sizes and also comes in black.

One reviewer said, “This is the perfect size table for my small apartment. It can comfortably fit 2-4 people and looks stylish and simple.”

Wayfair

Traditional Dining Table

Elsie has this extendable wood dining table in her pink house. The design is traditional with an antique feel, and it has a self-storing leaf to make it larger. This natural wood grain table seats up to six people, making it perfect for entertaining.

One reviewer said, This table is GORGEOUS! Beautiful and heavy, it is exactly what I wanted.”

Amazon

Modern Dining Table

This round wood dining table has unique circular shape and lots of natural texture. The smaller size (seating up to three) would be a great choice for an apartment or small dining area. However, it’s available in three sizes, so it would work in a larger space, too.

One reviewer said, “Looks as beautiful as the pictures and super easy to assemble. Best purchase.”

Serena & Lily

Stone Dining Table

If you’re looking for a splurge dining table, the St. Germain table from Serena & Lily is a gorgeous option. It’s carefully handmade with a mix of brass and stone, and could fit in with a variety of aesthetics and home decor.

This round table seats up to six people and requires no assembly. It would look great with wicker chairs, but the options are endless!

World Market

Extension Dining Table

You can’t go wrong with this versatile dining table. It includes an extension leaf and seats up to six people. Available in two finishes, this table design compliments a variety of decor styles like modern, traditional, and farmhouse.

One reviewer said, “This table is sturdy and stylish! Easy to assemble, yet feels and looks indestructible.”

Links: Pedestal Table / Traditional Table / Mid-Century Table / Modern Table / Extension Table / Drop Leaf Table / Travertine Table / Faux Marble Table / Solid Wood Table / Pedestal Table / Criss-Cross Table / Stone Table

Shopping for More Home Decor Items?

• The Best Affordable Traditional Light Fixtures
• The Cutest Sofas Under $1,000
• The Best Living Room Rugs (Splurge + Save)
• The Best Full Length Mirrors (Splurge + Save)

When we first moved in, our home was bare, beige and sterile (see before photos here). Adding built-ins made a huge positive difference in the feel of our rooms, as well as how we use our home on a daily basis!

The best compliment we receive on our remodel is that it looks like it was built this way. I love that we took it back in time by imitating historic homes rather than reaching for newer trends. Built-ins add instant coziness!

Related: 10 Inspiring Home Decor Books and My Used Book Collection.

When deciding how to decorate our dining room, I was torn between built-in bookshelves and wallpaper. Both had the potential to add a lot of personality to the room. I chose built-ins because I love to collect books, and I knew it could be styled endless ways.

Here’s a link to my dress. It comes in lots of colors. I recommend sizing down one size.

The light fixture is one of my favorite details in the room. It is called the Meme Tulip Drop Chandelier, and it was gifted to me from Stray Dog Designs. It is a true work of art, as it is hand sculpted.

Room sources: Table and Chairs / Article, Chandelier / Stray Dog Designs, Sconce Lights / Etsy, Tablecloth / Amazon, Rug / Apple & Oak Nashville.

The jade pottery is a DIY (I thrifted glass and ceramic vases and painted them).

When it came to filling the shelves, I wrote a post about my used book collection. The majority of the books filling these shelves are books I purchased used.

I am very proud of my spooky book collection. Whatever type of books you are passionate about, a home full of books is my favorite type of home.

Let’s talk about the fireplace for a moment. I had a fixation on adding as many fireplaces to our home as possible (we started with one and ended with three).

We added this non-functional fireplace (also called a “candle fireplace”) to the dining room. I love that you can add some glow and twinkle to the space.

I found an antique mantle at the flea market and we used it as the base for this fireplace. I had to source more corbels and design around it. I love how it makes the whole room feel more antique.

Thank you so much for reading. If you’re interested in more room tours and home content, here are a few of my personal favorites from this home:

• When an Open Floor Plan is Too Open
• My Movie Room Tour
• Art Studio Tour
• Narnia Hidden Library
• Green Living Room

In this post, I’m sharing the best affordable area rugs that you can find online. I’ve included a variety of colors (bold, neutral, and in between) to choose from.

Also, let talk about texture! I know shag carpet ended years ago, but it’s fun to have different options depending on which room your rug will be in—like a living room, dining room, bedroom, or office. An area rug can really make a big impact on a room.

Related: The Cutest Sofas Under $1,000, Best Living Room Rugs (Splurge + Save), Best Coffee Tables (Splurge + Save), and Best Round Dining Tables.

At the end of the post, I’m going to share our tips for keeping area rugs clean. This is a popular question in the A Beautiful Mess world since so many of us love light-colored rugs!

Types of Area Rugs in this Post:

• Shag
• Jute
• Chenille
• Wool
• Tufted
• Moroccan
• Bohemian

Rug Sources: Wayfair, Rugs USA, Urban Outfitters, World Market, Rifle Paper Co., and Amazon.

Amazon

Simple Jute Rug

You can’t go wrong with a simple jute rug. Elsie swears by this rug and has used it time and time again in her home. This neutral color goes with everything and this rug is available in 11 versatile colors.

One reviewer said “This jute rug is not only beautiful, but it’s very soft on your feet. It lays perfectly with no wrinkles.”

Wayfair

Colorful Shag Rug

This vibrant shag rug has all the 70s feels. It would be great in an area where you want to hide stains and marks (like a playroom or kids room) or as a colorful statement piece in a living room.

One reviewer said “This is a fantastic rug. Super bright colors, very soft, and a great price.”

Wayfair

Wool Terrazzo Rug

Laura has this amazing terrazzo rug in her pink living room. I love the vintage-inspired pattern and the dusty pink color is fresh and fun. This rug is also available in ivory and navy blue.

One reviewer said “It’s gorgeous. There are metallic threads in it, which you can’t see from the pictures. And this size of rug for the price is incredible.”

Urban Outfitters

Orla Chenille Rug

This soft chenille rug has rich, earthy colors with a cool bohemian-inspired geometric design. This type of rug works best in low traffic areas with a rug pad.

One reviewer said “I get so many compliments on this rug. It matches a lot of my other decor because it has so many different colors in it.”

Rifle Paper Co.

Power Loomed Rug

Rifle Paper Co. makes high quality rugs and the prices are very reasonable. Elsie has this loomed rug in her master bathroom. This stunning rug also happens to be stain and fade-resistant. If you’re looking for a neutral rug with a lot of charm, this one is for you!

Rugs USA

Moroccaan Jute Rug

I’ve been looking for a pink textured rug for my living room, and this Moroccan jute rug is on my list. Handmade in India, this rug is made from an eco-friendly fiber that’s easy to clean (a huge plus if you have pets). It’s available in 4 colors.

One reviewer said “It’s very well made. I also have a $5K rug in the house and it is hard to tell the difference.”

Wayfair

Striped Taupe Rug

Elsie has this affordable striped loomed rug on her back porch She actually placed two of these rugs together to create the look of one long rug to work for her outdoor space. I love a versatile rug that can be used outdoors as well as inside.

One reviewer said “I am super happy with this rug. I plan to put it on the balcony in the summer, but couldn’t resist using it to layer and now I think I need a second.”

Amazon

Southwestern Tufted Rug

I love this handmade ivory rug. It’s extra plush with a wonderful geometric pattern and bright, fun colors. And, you can’t beat the price.

One reviewer said “I love this rug! It’s super soft. I bought it for my office to make it cozier and more welcoming.”

World Market

Faux Cowhide Rug

I had no idea that faux cowhide rugs were so easy to maintain and clean until Emma told me about one she has in her dining room! The fibers can be spot cleaned, so you don’t have to worry about spills as much. And, this neutral rug can “dress up” any space.

One reviewer said “I bought this to layer over a vintage Turkish rug and it looks elevated and luxurious. This rug is soft and nice.

Wayfair

Boho Dots Rug

This rug that would look so good in a bedroom or dining room. This wool polka dot rug (I love the imperfect dots) is thick enough to be used without a rug pad. It’s also available in dark blue.

One reviewer said “Just what I was looking for. Great quality, heavy rug. Looks phenomenal in my space.”

What’s the Best Way to Clean a Rug?

Elsie owns a mix of vintage and newer rugs and she swears by this stain remover. Keeping your rugs vacuumed (at least once a week) is another trick to keep them looking new and fresh.

If you have pets, Folex is the best cleaner you can buy, hands down. Elsie and Emma swear by it, and it has nearly 80k positive reviews on Amazon.

Looking for more tips? Check out How I Clean My Vintage Rugs and Leather Sofas.

Speaking of vintage rugs, Elsie’s favorite places to shop for them are:

• Apple & Oak
• Etsy
• EBTH
• eBay

Looking for More Rug Inspiration?

• The Best Rugs on Etsy
• How to Uncurl a New Rug
• Make Your Own Woven Rag Rug
• Make Two Rugs Into One Large Rug

While we still have a long list ahead, certain projects have helped us feel cozy (and at home) here in our pre-renovation space. Each project has brought us just a little bit closer to the vision we have for this home.

This project came to me at the perfect time! I had just reworked my home mood board (I will share that in a future post) and I knew I wanted to lean into a new direction.

This wallpaper is perfect for our space. I love how it adds a cozy feeling to our room and acts as a perfect frame for the views of our outdoor space.

Schoolhouse Electric is one of my favorite home shops of all time, and when I heard they created a wallpaper line with Hygge & West, I was immediately excited!

After ordering basically all the samples (there’s a lot of good options!), I decided on the Olive Grove pattern in Spruce.

I hesitated to call this a “tour” because there are still several more things I want to do in this room in the future, including changing the floors, paneling the ceiling, adding a chandelier, and painting the trim. In the view not shown (looking into the pantry), I also plan to add either an arched opening or pocket doors.

So, with all that said, you can see this room is far from “finished,” but I do think this wallpaper is here to STAY and is the beginning step for what we want this room to eventually become!

Links: Wallpaper/Schoolhouse Electric X Hygge & West, Table/Room & Board, Chairs/IKEA, Curtains, Rods, Holdbacks, and Clip Rings/Amazon, Salt & Pepper Shakers/Anthropologie

Here’s a peek at my tea drawers—my favorite part of the pantry (which is right beside this room!). Collecting teacups was one of my random phases last year. I found this one on Etsy.

Thanks so much for following along with my home progress! I am SO excited about where this project is headed! xx- Elsie

I think the wavy wallpaper and textiles that are part of the classic ’70s look are really fun, but I didn’t want to overdo it to where you feel a bit dizzy when you look at it, so I decided to do a large scale version in a more organic shape to get that groovy ’70s vibe in a more modern color scheme. It’s actually pretty simple how it all came together—I’ll show you!

So, while you can totally eyeball this and wing it, I like to plan out my designs a bit first so I know I’ll be happy with the final placement.

And since I was doing this wallpaper in an entire room, I really needed the wave to feel balanced from each angle and connect back at the right place so it felt like a continuous line.

Related: Rainbow Corner Accent Wall DIY and 10 Statement Wall Ideas

First, I took a picture of each wall in the room and printed them out so they were side by side on paper (I just made them all the same size in a Photoshop document). Then I drew out some ideas with a pencil of a general idea where I wanted the wave to be on each wall.

Once I had that blueprint, I used painter’s tape to rough out where the wave would actually be on each wall. It is kind of a bit of time to do this part, but I’m so glad that I did because once I was standing in the space it was easy to see that my waves needed to be tweaked some to feel balanced in the space, so I would just keep moving the tape higher/lower until it felt right.

I was making my four colors pretty even for the stripes, so I just focused on outlining the top and bottom edge of the wave. It can get a little tricky in the corners to continue the wave so that it looks continuous, but keep playing with the tape and the angles until it looks good when you step away from it.

It was also important to have big furniture pieces where they should go on the wall during the taping so you could see how the waves would sit in relation to the furniture.

Once my tape felt like a good size and balance, I took light colored pencils that were close to the paint color I was using and I traced just inside of the painter’s tape lines so I would have an outline to follow with my paint.

If you like to tape off lines when you paint them, you could tape each color off and tape and paint them one at a time like I did on this rainbow wall. But I will say that taping off curves is not my favorite thing, so I just decided to paint them freehand.

I divided up the wave into four sections (relatively equal but I left some areas not equal for a more organic look) with the colored pencil lines and then set about filling in the lines with paint!

The colors I used (top to bottom) are: Valspar Simply Coral, Warm Cider, Pale Satin Peach, and Golden Chime.

It took 2-3 coats of each color to fill in the wave (I like to use angled brushes like this for this type of painting) and I definitely wondered a few times if I was insane for doing this pattern in the process.

But when it was all dry, the furniture was in place, and the art was hung, I could see how fun and special the room now felt. It totally has a ’70s vibe but the organic pattern of the wave and the colors give it a modern twist that makes it feel fresh.

You could totally just do this on one wall as an accent, or across two walls to highlight the corner of a room—just adjust the wave and colors to fit your style and I think you’ll end up loving it as well too!! xo. Laura

Print

Striped Wave Wallpaper DIY

Author Laura Gummerman

Ingredients

• paint colors of choice
• painter's tape
• paint brush

Instructions

• First, I took a picture of each wall in the room and printed them out so they were side by side on paper (I just made them all the same size in a Photoshop document). Then I drew out some ideas with a pencil of a general idea where I wanted the wave to be on each wall.
• Once I had that blueprint, I used painter’s tape to rough out where the wave would actually be on each wall. It was also important to have big furniture pieces where they should go on the wall during the taping so you could see how the waves would sit in relation to the furniture.
• Once my tape felt like a good size and balance, I took light colored pencils that were close to the paint color I was using and traced just inside of the painter’s tape lines so I would have an outline to follow with my paint. If you like to tape off lines when you paint them, you could tape each color off and tape and paint them one at a time like I did on this rainbow wall. But I will say that taping off curves is not my favorite thing, so I just decided to paint them freehand.
• I divided up the wave into four sections (relatively equal but I left some areas not equal for a more organic look) with the colored pencil lines and then set about filling in the lines with each color of paint!

We also realized odd things like the crown molding was installed wrong (that kind is supposed to be installed at an angle to cover where the wall meets the ceiling, but they just put it straight on the wall, so it looked really strange). And there was an “arched” doorway into the room that was really more of a not symmetrical rounded edge square that drove us kind of crazy.

There’s a step down into this room so you get a little higher ceiling height (I think it was part of the front porch at some point) and we wanted to make it feel fresh and modern with a fun ’70s twist. I’ll show you what we chose!

I moved back to my hometown to be near family, so making a space for holiday dinner hangouts felt really important to me. I love that this Seno oak table has two leaves I can add to the ends so we can fit up to 12 people at once (Elsie has the same one!).

We had my sister’s family come stay with us for the first time this month, and I can’t tell you how happy it made me to get out a leaf so we could all fit together with my parents and all our kids for a family spaghetti dinner—I almost started crying!

We actually had these Svelti dining chairs at our breakfast nook in our last home, and I loved them so much that I got six in pink for the dining room! They are comfortable, easy to clean, and they combine vintage vibes with a modern look perfectly.

It may seem crazy to have a white rug under a dining table in a house with a toddler, but it’s actually a strategic decision! Having a white rug means you can spot clean areas like crazy (or even bleach them depending on what the rug is made of) and it doesn’t look discolored from the rest of the rug like it can with a colored rug.

Ever spot clean a rug to have that area now look like a lighter pink than the rest of the pink rug? When it’s already white that doesn’t happen, and so far red juice and spaghetti night spills have cleaned up like it never happened (this is my favorite stain remover of all time!). My sister and Elsie both do the same thing!

I brought this IKEA hack bar cabinet from our last house, but I took off the leaf panels and added two rounded panels instead to have it fit in with the vibe a little better.

Also, I love a good quote print and I found this shop on Etsy that will print your custom quote in a ’70s font. So I did “I love you like Fanny loves Nick” as a nod to my favorite musical Funny Girl … #peoplewhoneedpeople

I brought that DIY two-tiered acrylic planter from our last house and it looks really cute in the corner of the room. I’d probably put a hanging planter in every room if I had enough of them—it’s a great way to get some greenery up high in a space.

I knew I wanted a big side board in this room so that I could store entertaining glassware and platters somewhere other than my kitchen (space is at a premium in there!) and the Seno sideboard was perfect for the room since it also matches our table.

I also keep some puzzles and board games in one section of it since Lola loves to do puzzles on the table as well. I love the color of the oak and it will also be perfect as extra serving space for parties.

I like that vase collection sitting on there (similar here) and I’ve been wanting that gold cactus table lamp for years and I’m so happy with how it feels in this space—it’s one of my favorite things in the house! And a pink velvet record player to go along with it all…yes please! We brought that parlor chandelier and ceiling medallion from our last house because I didn’t want to leave it! It’s so pretty and I’m still a sucker for a beautiful globe light.

We did have to get a longer rod for it since these ceilings are a lot higher though and it was hanging at the wrong height for the first nine months—haha!

And a giant pink Freddie Mercury print?? Uh, yeah!! I got a digital download and printed here, but you can also buy it as a print as well.

You can find more cute & affordable wall art for a dining room in this post!

You’ve probably noticed that wavy wallpaper by now! It’s actually hand-painted and I’ll share how I did that in a future post. Once you have your lines planned out, it’s really easy to do and it takes the room up like 30 levels of fun in my opinion. I’m basically doing velvet curtains wherever I can in this house since I love them so much and these curtains are the same mustard ones I have in Lola’s room too—they add so much cozy luxury and I’m obsessed (especially with this curtain rod)!

I also added in a yarn wall hanging for some more cozy texture. I love that gold glass pitcher and glass set. I don’t have a rainbow collection, but I do like bits of colored glassware here and there! They look so cute on that rounded tray (which is useful for so many things around the house!). 

You can also see that we ended up squaring off the doorway and reframing it to match the other doorways in the house (shout out to my brother for helping with that project!).

I do think arches can be really pretty and dramatic when done right, but this wasn’t really a full arch to begin with, wasn’t symmetrical, and just didn’t make sense as an arch spot anyway, so it. had. to. go. No regrets there!

Overall, I know this room is a little different from your traditional dining room, but it feels very fun and lighthearted to me with a bit of a ’70s nod and that’s exactly what I was going for. What do you think? Would you like to come to a dinner party in this space?? xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman.

Here’s a before and after:

I’m thrilled with how this came out. Since it was something we’ve never done before, we weren’t sure if we could pull it off, but we had an easy backup plan of adding some bookshelves. It’s always good to have a backup plan!

This is not a DIY post and we don’t have step-by-step photos for each part of the process. It was more of a semi-DIY because we were learning everything for the first time as well as hiring two steps out (more on that ahead). I will do my best to explain the steps we took to complete this project. The cost of the project was around $2,500, which included the drywall work, the quartz counter and the oversized hardware. Me for scale Here’s a link to this comfy striped set.

The first step was removing the stone shelf. It was set into the drywall and permanently attached, so there was no clean or simple way to remove it. Collin demoed it with a sledgehammer. It left damage to the wall, which we anticipated, and were OK with since we already had plans to hire a drywall professional.

After the stone shelf was gone, Collin added the three built-in drawers. It was his first time to build inset drawers and also custom drawers. The opening was really large or I would have purchased pre-made drawers. But in this case, custom looked way better than the options I found online. It was fun practice for Collin, too.

Next, we added a temporary plywood counter.

Next, Collin did the framing for the arch. We drew a basic shape of the arch we wanted and he did the framing by looking at DIYs and YouTube videos online (the best way to learn basically anything).

Next, we had our drywall appointment and they did an incredible job.

After that, Collin added the two wood shelves. Last, we had the countertop appointment and we were done!

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section!

Vase links:

Speckled Cream / Crock Stoneware (here’s the smaller version) / Ribbed Porcelain / Round Textured / Mod Bud Vase / Ceramic Bud Vase / Speckled Cup

I love these salt & pepper grinders. Thanks so much for reading! xx- Elsie

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Project Assistant: Collin DuPree. Photography: Amber Kelly. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Unlike other homes we’ve lived in, in the past, we moved into this home immediately as soon as we got the keys. Typically, we would do some renovations first, but not this time. It was a functional choice as was our decision to move—it was one big Covid pivot. The house has some wonderful features that we were able to enjoy immediately, but I knew going in that it was going to take a long time to personalize this home and give it our style—or any style really. It was very much a blank slate, which I’m so grateful for!

So today, I’m going to share with you our first phase of a dining room and also chat about future plans!

The first thing we did when we moved into this house was measure for a table. Our previous home didn’t have space for a long table and I was so excited to get something long. After spending an unreasonably long time looking at different options, I came full circle and ordered the first table and chairs I had originally wanted. We chose the Seno extendable dining room table, which seats eight. For chairs, we picked the Rus dining chairs in light oak. They have a Scandinavian style that I really love. I actually almost ordered them at our last home and then for some reason I didn’t—but I couldn’t get them out of my head.

They are comfortable, easy to clean (!!!) and beautiful!

I kind of want to start collecting tablecloths. Where do you shop for them and do you have any tips? I feel like it would be special to have some for special occasions and family dinners. What do you think? Are tablecloths granny in a good way or a bad way?

Let’s talk about the room and future plans!

I’m hoping to bring some color into the space, likely with wallpaper or possibly paint. Where the stone ledge is (in the carved out nook) I would like to build a full built-in. I like how it can be used to serve food for a big dinner, though, so I want it to still function for that, just maybe with some cabinets below and maybe some open or glass shelves above.

I am taking some time to decide whether or not we will go wood for the floors or keep the tile. My husband really wants to keep the tile and it’s fully heated which is awesome. It feels very cozy to walk on when it’s heated, but it doesn’t feel cozy to me visually and so far I think I would prefer wood. But I am giving it time to see if it will possibly grow on me.

I would LOVE to add detail to the ceilings. Some kind of paneling or white beams. They are very high, but they don’t have much charm or personality.

The biggest design challenge in this part of our home is that it’s very open. From the entry area (where the piano is) you can see into four different rooms. A part of me wants to go crazy with multiple wallpapers. I definitely feel over my all-white-everything phase, but I am still exploring what feels right for this home and this new phase of our lives.

For now, the white is pretty! I’m really glad the house came with all white walls so I could take some time mulling it over.

Let me know if want to hear all the details and thought process behind my rooms or if it’s more fun for you to just see it all at once. Like–Bam! Reveal! I can go either way and I’m always curious which one you enjoy more.

So far, I have scheduled myself to tackle the next phase of this room in February, so it’s coming up soon. So if you need me I’ll be over here obsessing on Pinterest over wallpaper and light fixtures.

Thanks so much for following along! And thank you Article for gifting us this table and chairs.

xx. Elsie

Credits // Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Amber Kelly. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Hello hello! Today, I am excited to share our dining room with you. It was a challenge to design because of its square shape. In the past, I’ve only ever had rectangular dining tables, but we didn’t want to make the room feel cramped.

We ended up choosing a large round table that seats six. As soon as we finished putting this room together, it immediately became my favorite place to work as well as hang out as a family! I love it when the missing pieces click together like this!

I couldn’t believe my luck when I stumbled upon this vintage china hutch about a month before we moved in. I found it at my favorite local antique mall (Gaslamp Too) and the seller was even in the booth and gave me a deal.

I have always admired these mid-century china cabinets, and it was perfect for this space.

Our dining room is connected to our kitchen as well as our front living room (the one where the entryway and pink sofa is). It’s the first thing you see when you walk into the home, so it was important to me to make it cozy (which is where the many framed photos came in), but also kept it light and bright so it flows with the rest of the rooms.

Originally, I wanted to paint this room a bold color or possibly wallpaper, but it felt like it was asking me to stay white. Haha—do you hear imaginary voices from your rooms talking to you. Just me?

That said, I’m curious what you think. Should it have been a bold color or pattern? If we weren’t moving, I would honestly have probably tried all three over time. I love those simple but dramatic changes you can make season to season.

Haha. Can you spot the one frame I left the store “art” in (like what it came with).

Art sources: Cactus print (color) is by Kelly Christine Sutton, Letter board/Target.

The rest of the photos are personal photos from throughout the years.

The chandelier is from Schoolhouse. It’s the Luna Cord Pendant. I’ve always wanted a light like this. It’s perfect for a mid-century space that would feel overpowered by a big brass chandelier. It’s perfect for this space! I will definitely be using these pendants more in the future!

The table we chose is really special! It’s a Decker Table from Room and Board. We chose it because it’s bigger and more sturdy than a tulip table. We chose the marble top and the white base. It’s super pretty and fits the space so well!

The Decker Table has quite a few different options for tops you can choose, including quartz, ceramic, marble and wood. For this space, we felt that marble would be really pretty. It’s perfect!!

If you have any questions about it, just ask me in the comments.

Ah! Well there you have it. Our little dining room! I’m really happy with how it turned out and how it flows with the other rooms.

Source list: Decker Table/Room & Board c/o, Chairs/IKEA, Hutch/Vintage, Light/Schoolhouse, Pink Velvet Curtains/Amazon (you can also find similar ones at West Elm).

And just because I know some of you might be curious, yes, we are taking this new table and chairs with us to our new home. :)) I’ll be sure and update you on how everything translates. We are hoping that pretty much everything will translate, since many things are brand new.

We’re actively trying not to be wasteful, though it’s obvious that moving two times in one year is not ideal. Still, I’m feeling like having our familiar things right away will be a comfort for our children and hopefully will make this next move more peaceful than our last! Wish us luck?

Sending a big hug to every one of you. Thank you for your support and love this year. It really means a lot. xx- Elsie

P.S. Check out this Living & Dining Room Transformation (Before) and the after for more inspiration!