Dining Room Inspiration

This photo from the home of Wisteria catalogue founders Andrew and Shannon Newsom featured in the March 2008 issue of Veranda is my favorite dining room. It's light, airy and pretty, and as with most homes featured in Veranda, it's full of expensive antiques. The interiors were done by Newsom's mother, designer Jane Moore. The other side of the dining room including more beautiful antiques!

I browsed websites to see if I could duplicate this look on a budget. This is a compilation of furnishings found and not surprisingly, it's a challenge to copy this look at affordable prices. The Mora clock, sideboard, and French steel dining table are out of my reach, but I have a similar sideboard that could be repainted. The chairs are pricey, too, but less expensive ones could be substituted. The French round steel dining table really makes this room. Wisteria sells the oval steel "Campaign" table, which is less expensive than an antique, but it doesn't have graceful, scrolled legs of the original table. So, here are the details:

Petite French chandelier, circalighting.com Steel dining table from Paris, 1stdibs.com. Warning: prepare for sticker shock. $4,000 Steel table from Wisteria.com, but a little plain in my opinion and described as a "folding table", so not sure how stable it is for dining.

$1,000

Steel base from finegardenproducts.com. Curvy enough, but the price only includes the base. One would have to find a top, glass (which doesn't quite make it) or otherwise. $2,165 - still expensive, but includes free shipping (if that helps).

Dining chairs, okadirect.com. Pricey still and with the exchange rate they're about $500 each, but look similar to the original chairs.

Wisteria chairs at $379 each, but I prefer the straight lines and nail head trim of the original 19th century antiques (of course I do). The straight lines of the antique chairs balance the curves in the table and lighting fixture.

Chinoiserie print, art.com.

Antique lanterns, 1stdibs.com.

Pottery Barn lanterns. They're affordable and could be antiqued with a faux paint treatment.

Antique blue painted sideboard. You've probably already guessed this is from 1stdibs.com.

Antique Mora Clock. You know where to find it (other than Sweden).......... White ironstone tureen, ebay.com The roses are my own--a gift from someone special!

So, this was not much of a budget friendly solution to a very expensive dining room, but it was a fun project and has given me some decorating inspiration and ideas for my own dining room.

Plain and Simple

The air is hot and heavy in Boston these days. Less is more both in and outside the house. These bathrooms look so cool and fresh which is so appropriate right now. I'm trying to enjoy the heat while it lasts....

All images zoominteriors.com

Zinc Topped Tables

haus-interiors.co.uk

Years ago, I bought a pine table on a whim that was sold to me as an "antique", but my suspicisions have lead me to believe it was a newly crafted table made (not all that well) from old wood. When I think of what it cost me more than ten years ago, I cringe. It was less than $500, however, it seems to me that it could only fetch about the same price today. Not much of an investment, for sure. It's too small for a dining table and too large for a desk. But, the table had an appealing "look"--soft old mellow pine complete with cracks and beetle holes.

patinagreen.typepad.com

The top, split from years of alternating dry and humid conditions, frankly looks terrible and it's too embarrassing to post a photo of it here. I should throw it out, but can't bear to do so since I paid more for it than it's worth and it's a useful place to unload groceries and fills empty space under a kitchen window.

somethingsunique.com

So, I am on a mission to make it look better. The top sports a coat of new gray paint in an attempt to dress it up, but the cracks, holes and chips can't be covered by paint and the table still looks.....well, shabby.

Southern Accents Magazine, Jackye Lanham The solution it seems is to cover the top with zinc. A soft, pliable and (I think) easy to work with metal that will hopefully transform the table from an eyesore into an attractive piece of furniture for not too much money.

lyttonandlily.co.uk

The zinc sample sheets have been ordered and shipped. I've convinced myself that this will be an easy, thirty minute project--tops.

wildflowerorganics.com

Once the finish (the company offers a pre-weathered zinc) and the proper thickness of the zinc sheet is determined, I'll order enough for the table top along with a few basic tools. I hope the project lives up to my expectations. I've already got my eye on the dated counter tops in my kitchen.....