It seems like there is a never ending debate about dining rooms. Many people feel they are not necessary if you are only going to use them for holidays and special occasions. Other people keep them very formal and they are used even less than that. Some people don't have them and some people eat in them nearly every day.
We tend to go through spurts of using ours a lot and then not so much. No matter how much I use it though, I love our dining room. Our "
happy rug", our gray but still blue wall color (Sherwin Williams Argos) and our vintage table bought through the newspaper (before there was Craig's Lists) all make it one of the happiest spaces in our home.
The weather this summer has been so weird that we have not made it outside for meals so I pulled together a summer table for inside using several items from
our shop. And as usual, I kept things simple for set-up and clean-up. I started with a
paper runner that can just be thrown away (or recycled!) when done. I love this pattern and will use it for many more things than a table runner. Plus, it is fifty feet long so it will last a long time. I used my simple white plates (
Mikasa) that go right in the dishwasher but then dressed them up a little bit with cloth napkins. I always make sure they can easily be thrown in the washing machine so they are not too complicated. I just used a stapler and some
paper tape to make a napkin ring.
I also used chalkboard
placemats and
place cards. They are pretty versatile to work with and go casual or more formal depending on your set up. I will also be using the place cards as food markers on our buffets this summer as well.
One of my favorite things for the summer line for your table is the nearly unbreakable drinkware. They are hefty and solid like a regular drinking glass, but they are made of a FDA approved polymer that won't break. Plus, they are dishwasher and microwave safe and made in the USA. I know, I am gushing, but I really really love these. They come in the
white or
clear stemless and the
white champagne style that I used as a vase here but are perfect for summer cocktails. And one more gush - we have had the clear ones for over year and use them a ton. They have been in and out of the dishwasher and look great. These will be with me for a long time and I will no longer be buying the discount store plastic glasses that only last one season. Okay, I am done gushing now.
Oh, and you can also find the most adorable
salt and pepper shaker set ever in our shop! I had so much putting together this table with items from our shop. So many times when I have done this in the past, I have gotten emails and comments asking me where I got this or that. Now, I tried to make it as easy as possible sharing things that I love and would use myself in our home. You can find lots of other fun ideas for your home in
our shop as well. Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
