My Dad’s Dining Room: Finally {Almost} Finished!

You might remember this project from way-back-when but my dad’s dining room at the lake cottage started out looking like this:

The room was actually taken down to its studs prior to this picture being taken but I don’t have any shots of that.

Over the years, we added the table & light fixure & built-in cabinetry.  It’s finally almost totally finished (with the exception of maybe a rug for the cooler months and shades on the windows) so I wanted to share a few pics I took:

{The boys use the table more than anyone for coloring & projects and of course eating (ie making a HUGE mess with food for Justin.)

I wanted the kitchen & dining room to feel simple & practical and carry a bit of nostalgia for my Grandma (who died 20 years ago but is still somehow a driving force in my family) with it.  It cleans up so easily & there’s no stress with messes.   (Crayons came right off of the chairs- don’t worry Dad!)

I used my Live Paisley linen in dusty blue on the curtains because of the colors of my Grandma’s china (now displayed in the built-in cabinetry)

Here’s a very crooked picture of the cabinetry:

{I forgot to get a straight photo of this spot with the new hardware on- oops!- atleast you get the idea}

This cottage has been in our family since 1958, with the dining room & open kitchen at its heart.  So many meals have taken place here and for my family, eating is a BIG deal.  In reality, any room is just the backdrop for the life that’s going on there, but it makes me so happy that the backdrop here finally feels right.  My Grandma & Nanoo loved this house and truly made it into a home.  My Grandma had a very disctinct style:  She loved flowery details and was pretty frilly, but also a very simple woman.  Function & practicality were always first.  I like to think of the house as an updated, tiny-bit-more-masculine version of my Grandma and I think she’d love it if she could see it now.

{Queen Anne’s lace on the table thrills me to no end…  seriously.}

One of my favorite things about visiting the old house is picking flowers from our field and bringing them inside.  My grandma always used to ask me to pick flowers & bring them in when I was a little girl.  It’s such a simple thing, but when we go out & pick flowers, I’m in Heaven.

Also, I’ve received a lot of questions about my textile line & how to order, so I just wanted to clarify a little bit. In September, I will be selling the fabrics online (in my new online store – Pure Style Home) for those who don’t live in Virginia or those who don’t have access to the Design Center of Northern Virginia.  It’s an online store where you will be able to view all of the fabrics & colorways, and purchase sample memos & yardage right there at the site if you need to.  (I’m waiting until September to debut the line because the fabrics have not yet been photographed so without, pictures, there’s no way for me to really sell them online.  My good friend & photographer Helen Norman and my family & I are doing a photoshoot at Helen’s farm for the fabrics in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to share them with you!!  Not only will we be photographing the fabrics themselves but we’re putting them in lifestyle settings that embody the feeling I hope that the fabrics convey: classic fresh, simple & carefree, and in some cases a little vintage or bohemian.)

If you are in the DC metro area, you can view my fabric line at the Design Center of Northern Virginia.

Thanks for the support & have a great weekend!!  (Can you believe summer’s almost over?? wa wa wa)