Southend Project - The Dining Room

Today we're revealing more of our Southend Project - the dining room. 

I should first clarify that the Southend dining room is not actually a room. It's more of a space between the kitchen and the living room - we'll call it a dining area. The main living space of this home is as open concept as you can imagine with one big rectangle making up the kitchen, dining area and living room. This was an important consideration in designing the space for two reasons. First, tall dining chairs or an enormous statement chandelier over the dining table would block the awesome sight line between the kitchen and the living room. Second, when a dining room is a dining area within an open concept space, it's also (typically) more casual. 

Our design for the dining area had two main spaces - the table (with chairs and a light fixture) and the fireplace.

Let's talk about the table first. It's a round pedestal table in a muted brown, gray tone. For small dining rooms (or dining areas...ahem), a round or oval table is a great option. It allows for an easier traffic flow than a square or rectangular table. The round shape feels less obtrusive than straight lines and sharp corners. The pedestal bottom (versus four legs) creates the same space-saving, airy feeling.

You may have caught our post from a couple weeks ago about a project that led us on quite the hunt for the perfect dining chair. This was that project and this beauty is the chair we found.

Like the table, it's from Restoration Hardware. It's an all-around winner for the size (we wanted something narrow in order to fit 6), the kid-friendly factor (wipeable/non-stainable), the comfort, the quality and the style. In terms of big picture design, the color contrast between the white chair and the wood table is visually interesting and leans modern. Yet, the chair and table themselves are classic styles. We repeated this mix of classic and modern throughout the entire project to create a comfortable, yet minimalist vibe. 

Another example of this modern/classic mix is the chandelier. It has a somewhat classic shape. If it had a more traditional finish (maybe oil rubbed bronze) and the arms were curved, you could almost picture it over a farmhouse table. But, the sleek, straight arms and polished nickel finish take that classic shape and turn it modern.

For the finishing touches in this space we...wait for it...mixed modern and classic. Like the living room, we added some natural greenery, this time in the form of good, old-fashioned back yard clippings. Never underestimate how good a teeny branch will look in a white vase. We also found some awesome wood accent pieces to contrast the super marble and super modern fireplace.

This post contains affiliate links. This means that, at no cost to you, if you click a link and make a purchase we may make a commission.

Our source list is below. And, we have one more room reveal for this project coming - the entryway. So, stay tuned!

Dining table - Restoration Hardware

Dining chairs - Restoration Hardware

Chandelier - Houzz (if you use our code: 4E318 you get 5% off!)

Mirror - Client owned

White and wood vase (on dining table) - HomeGoods

Large wood and metal vase - Target

White fluted vase - Target

Candlesticks - Anthropolgie 

Getting Cozy for Fall

Fall is here!!! Officially, last Friday marked the first day of fall. Unofficially, fall showed up around the same time. Here in Massachusetts, the nights are suddenly chilly and a cool breeze has begun to knock yellowing leaves from the trees. And, of course, Starbucks began serving pumpkin lattes. Although in Massachusetts we love our Dunkin Donuts...which also began serving pumpkin lattes. It seems that calendars, mother nature and coffee shops are aligned this year.

Beyond leaf raking and latte sipping, we're getting in the fall mood with some home decor. No real shocker there. We have a bit of a formula to share on this front: texture + festivity + nature = celebrating the fall season. Any one of these elements will instantly ready your home for fall.

Texture

The texture element encompasses all things furry, fuzzy, knit and crocheted. All those fabrics and materials that make you want to snuggle up as the weather begins to to chill.

 Chair  / Ottoman / Throw Blanket 

Throw blankets are the epitome of fall. It's not quite sit-around-the-fire-weather, but you definitely want a blanket over your feet while you're watching TV on the couch. Throws are functional and cozy taboot. They're also a quick and inexpensive addition to your home to get in the fall mood.

Pillows and rugs are equally great for the fuzzy texture that makes you want to snuggle in and sip hot apple cider. We're not suggesting you need to run out and buy a brand new, chunky, braided wool, area rug for your bedroom...though they are super textural and cozy. A small, faux sheepskin rug layered over your current rug works just as well (IKEA has one for $14.99). 

Here are a few more fantastic textural finds (say that 3 times fast) to help you cozy up this fall.

Mug sleeve / Pillow / Slippers

Festivity

The festivity element encompasses all the seasonal items that are inherent to this time of year when apple picking, trick or treating, and turkey eating are welcomed traditions.

Pumpkins are as festive as fall gets, hence the prevalence of pumpkin spice overdosing. Keep your lattes to one a day, people! You don't have to go traditional orange to show your fall spirit. We found mini white pumpkins at a local farmstand and piled them into a wire basket. The white is a little untraditional, a little less obvious and really beautiful.

We love the subtle wink to fall these little guys bring. But don't get us wrong, we fully support going whimsical and obvious. Hang a vintage broomstick on your front door. Put a cool, chrome skeleton head on your desk. Fill a wood bowl with shiny red apples for your entryway table. There are plenty of ways to be obvious without crossing the line to hokey. 

Below are some festive finds for your home. We especially love the soy candles - we use them and gift them frequently. Aria Botanicals (who makes them) has a bunch of scents. Macintosh Apple and New England Spiced Apple are spot on for the season.

Pumpkin place card holder / Skull decanter / Apple soy candle

Nature

The nature element is sort of self explanatory. Like all seasons, fall brings noteworthy changes in nature. The goal is to take the most stunning and bring them into your home. Nature makes us more content...it's science...according to a book about Hygge I recently read...

This sweet, simple leaf garland (above) was an awesome pick up from the Target dollar section. Just one strand along a fireplace brings texture and nature. That's some bang for your buck. We also love using clippings from our yard to bring the seasonal outdoors in. And I do mean clippings - a small branch from a bush or tree are free and surprisingly beautiful in a simple vase. 

Fill a basket or metal bin with wood, even if you don't have a fireplace. Put it under your entryway table. Birch logs (like the ones above) are beautiful. Head to your favorite craft store and grab some bunches of dried wheat. You can use them on your mantle, like we did above, or you could (gently) throw them in a vase on a console table. A wreath of leaves in those classic autumn colors is a gorgeous option for your front door, of course, or to hang on top of a mirror inside your house (just consider proportion and don't go too big with the wreath). Use a removable command hook or a thick burlap ribbon for the hanging part. How about a big planter of mums on your front stoop -  classic and beautiful. 

We're all about simple and inexpensive. You don't need to break the bank to get in the spirit. Hence, all the finds below are under $20 (the wreath is on super sale...quick!).

Dried wheat / Acorn garland / Wreath

We hope you're enjoying the cooling weather and found some inspiration here to really get you in the spirit. Happy fall everyone!

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Southend Project - The Living Room

Let's dive right in.

This is our Southend Project. And today we're revealing the living room.

For those who follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you got a sneak peek of this completed project last week. Michele and I had SO MUCH FUN playing with succulents and blue pillows as we watched our design come to life. Where was Sonia?!? Good question. The afternoon before install, she spiked a 103 degree fever. Apparently the flu cometh early this season. (I know you have the sudden urge to wash your hands and your computer keys/phone screen, which isn't a bad idea, but you can't catch the flu through the interweb...not as far as I know). Before I get too off track...too late...poor Sonia wasn't there, but she edited and tweaked from her bed. Thank goodness for the magic of FaceTime.

Let's quick go back in time and show you what the living room looked like when we first took on the project.

And now...

Our aim for the entire project was to create a minimalist, serene and inviting space. The color palette is neutral: white, gray, beige and tan. We brought in shades of blue through decor (and an amazing chair) and green through plants, but otherwise kept it really light and simple to create a calm vibe. The wood tones are light to medium and the wall color is Whisper by Benjamin Moore, a perfect pale gray that can reveal some blue/green undertones in certain light. We leaned on lots of texture and subtle pattern (just a bit) to add interest.

This sun splashed nook at the far end of the living room is a seedling play area. Our client's daughter is one, so the explosion of toys and chaos is still on the upward trajectory. For now, our task was to keep it simple and add storage. When their little one is ready they want to add a little table and chairs, a play kitchen and those next level toys.

The storage bench is a Kallax bookshelf from IKEA turned on its side. We chose a combination of drawers for hidden storage and open cubbies for easy access by a one-year-old. We, unfortunately, can't take credit for that amazing Patriots pull toy - it was already our clients - but we did find where to get one and some other fun options, if you're raising a Tom Brady fan. (here, here and here)

The most exciting part of this little nook is the cardboard chandelier. It adds just the right amount of fun without overwhelming the space, screaming KIDS PLAY HERE!!! or taking away from the peaceful vibe of the room as a whole. 

We hung it with some clear fishing line and a tiny white hook in the ceiling (it doesn't weigh much). We should mention, this is completely for looks and doesn't actually contain a light bulb. That's not to say that you can't find (or make) a cardboard chandelier with a light bulb - we found some tutorials on Pinterest. But, for this space we didn't need more light. The natural light from those big windows is amazing during the day and well place recessed lights take care of nighttime. 

The TV console is custom. Sort of. The base is the Besta drawer unit from IKEA. The top was hand crafted by our carpenter who used pine and sealed it with a matte poly finish. The big, deep drawers can be storage for just about anything (even more toys if the play area finds itself at max capacity in a few years). 

Here it is from the other angle. 

The couch and coffee table were already owned by the client, we just added one or two or...lost count...blue pillows to make it feel finished and tied into the rest of the space. Also, everyone knows that a good pillow fort needs lots of building material.

Let's switch perspectives to behind the couch.

This console table might be my favorite piece of furniture in the entire space. It's so simple, but not. It's chunky, but refined by the design. It works fantastically (real word?) in this modern/transitional/scandinavian space. But it could just as easily go farmhouse or industrial. I could also see it in a lake house or ski lodge or beach house...or my house. If you need to maximize function, you could throw counter stools under it and create a workspace. For our clients, it made the most sense to add large baskets for maximum storage in this city home.

Both sides of the couch are flanked with a set of three hexagon shaped side tables (two smaller tables on one side and a larger table on the other side). 

On the opposite side of the room, between the TV console and the fireplace (which we'll get to in a future post about the dining room), we added an occasional chair. A blue velvet occasional chair.

It creates a perfect conversation zone between the people on the couch and the person in the chair. And it's gorgeous.

Now that you have a sense of the space as a whole, here are some highlights of the low key pattern and texture that we added to keep it interesting without distracting from the overall mood of the room.

And, at last, before we wrap up this long post we need to give a quick shout out to the fiddle leaf fig plant and some of those succulents.

We had so much fun designing this room and putting it together. Below is a source list for just about everything you see in these photos (let us know if we missed something you love!).

Play Area Nook

Storage bench - IKEA

Cardboard chandelier - Amazon

Solid blue pillow - Target

Tufted diamond pillow - Target

Lamb stuffed animal - Amazon

Patriots pull toy - Ebay (owned by client, but we found exact same)

Gray knit stool - HomeGoods

Living Room

Rug - Wayfair

Woven large blue pillows (22" x 22") - Target

Pleated blue pillows - Target

Semi-circle pillow - West Elm (no longer available, sad face)

3-piece hexagon side tables - Walmart

Console table - Industrial Home

Wood bowl (on console) - HomeGoods

Rope balls in wood bowl - Target

Silver bowls (on console) - HomeGoods (clearance!!!)

Tall baskets (under console) - West Elm

Blue chair - West Elm

Silver drum table - Target

Throw blanket - HomeGoods

White/blue low bowl with blue interior (on coffee table) - HomeGoods

TV console base - IKEA

Basket for fiddle leaf fig - HomeGoods

This post contains affiliate links. This means that, at no cost to you, if you click a link and make a purchase we may make a commission.