Dining Room: Before and Idea Board

August 26, 2009

three weeks after we moved in

To Do:
Touch up paint trim
Fill nail holes
Paint walls
Finish curtains

First of all, I want to say that I used to roll my eyes at the whole idea board thing.  It seemed like a peer pressure fad of decor-crazed bloggers.  But then I realized that (like a lot of things) I was rolling my eyes because mostly because of jealously.  Imagine that.  Jealous that I hadn't figured out how to create them, jealous that the board wasn't for me, jealous that I don't have the money to simply copy one item for item (insta-room).  So the solution was to figure it out, create them for our house as I work thorugh each room and use items that we already own as much as I possibly can.  Yay for affordability!

I'll also say that creating idea boards has been a huge help in keeping me patient with big purchases.  When I start to feel antsy and the credit card is burning a hole in my pocket, I can look at the set and it satisfies my appetite for awhile.  You know what they say... putting off the purchase of something (big or small) is the best way to save money and learn to live with less.

I'm not going to pretend that I have any sort of official decor knowledge.  It's just something that I've always had an interest in, from organizing the family junk drawer at age 8 (or something like that)

via Google images

and helping my mom reconfigure the living room furniture, to saving up all summer after 5th grade for-

via Google images

a sunflower printed bed set from Domestications!  Luckily my taste in furniture and decor has continued to evolve.  I just hope that in 10 years I'm not as horrified by my current taste as I am of that horrendous comforter.  Much to my dismay, Pottery Barn came out with a painted sunflower pillow cover this spring.  I don't like it at all... a little too close for comfort.

via Pottery Barn

Back to the dining room/kitchen- I want to add some texture and softness to contrast all the hard surfaces (cafe curtains and rug) and then add some fun without cluttering it up too much (plates and blue painted Ikea cart).  Our dining table isn't completely ideal for the space (round would work much better), but it was made to our specifications as a wedding gift from my parents with the hope that we will someday have a dining room large enough to accomodate it.  It's also important that if/when money is spent, it be spent on versatile items that can go with us to our next house (assuming that things go according to plan).  Right now I am very anxious about getting some new dining chairs.  And while I know that Ikea doesn't always have the best quality, they almost always have affordability and versatility- two very convincing qualities for young married people. 

More to come...