The Dining Room is Happening.

I'm getting pretty excited about our dining room. Evan is almost done building the table, and figures it will take about a week of finishing before it is ready. So now I'm on a mission to get chairs. We're opting to buy unfinished ones and finish them ourselves, to save some money. I had been trying to figure out what kind of stain to use to complement the (maple) table, when Evan turned me on to the idea of actually painting the chairs instead. So, I looked around and I think we're going to go with a sage green, distressed effect. Something along the lines of this:

the green will go with the couches in the living room and kind of tie the two areas together, and I just like the red. I'm leaning toward these chairs:


And, finally, I want to get cushions for the seats, and thought I could pull the whole color scheme together with something like this (the top one):



I can't wait until it is all set. I'm already trying to figure out what our first official 'event' should be to utilize the room - possibly a Mother's Day brunch for my mom and my aunt. Anyway, I'll definitely post pictures once it starts coming together.

Is the outside of your home personalized?

One thing that really makes a house stand out for me, are those extra touches people put on the outside of it, to make it theirs. It might be a pair of planters flanking the front steps, an inviting bench in the yard, a wreath, mezzuzah, or celtic cross at the front door, a custom-painted mailbox or address sign...so much thought and energy and money is focused on getting the inside of the house 'just so' that a lot of times, people just ignore the outside. Now, I don't advocate for tons of stuff cluttering up the front, but one or two well-placed things really make a mark.

I'm trying to get some ideas for what will work well with our house, so I've been really noticing what other people have. I'm pretty sure I want to install some lights along the walkway up to the front door, but I have to figure out what the perfect accent piece will be. Any suggestions?

Add to my wish list

I think I mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is thumbing through Better Homes and Gardens and eyeing up all the things I'd like to do to and buy for our home. Well, I've been on a tear about benches, since I saw them in a recent issue. I'd really like to get one for near our front door, since that's where we do our Mr. Rogers routine with the coats and shoes several times a day.

I so want this one (pictured)... made by Powell furniture. I think it would go great in the spot I have in mind. And, the price is very reasonable. Now, I just have to convince my furnituremaker husband who, talented as he is, is always too busy to make US anything, that it is ok to actually spend money on furniture made by others ;-)