Well, this weekend was no different as I was pondering the dining room. We finally got our Mid Century Drexel dining table back from Alex Rivas Upholstery, who did a great job of refinishing and making new seat cushions. But still, the dining room is a blank canvas, and yes, a little disheveled as it is the currently the 'catch all' area for random things.
As I was researching some design ideas, I came to an epiphany. First off, why the rush? After moving 3 times in the past 5 years, this is where we are finally (or at least for a long time) planting our 'roots'.
Finally, this is what I realized-
1) After living in this house for almost a year now, we sort of let it grow with us, as a married couple. What is it that we enjoy about this house, and most of all, what do we love doing together? Perhaps that is one thing that becomes the center feature or core design concept of this house.
2) We love to cook and entertain. The floor plan is very open with great views, so it definitely was meant for that purpose.
3) Over the years, we have accumulated a great library of cookbooks ranging from Momofuku to Ferran Adria to Thomas Keller. Also, I am a hoarder of beautiful serving pieces and started a collection of black cast iron Staub cookware and various pieces of black serveware from Heath Ceramics.
4) The dining room is adjacent to the kitchen, with a low wall that separates the two areas. So...why not almost combine the two areas?
Like I warned you, the dining room is still not done!
So here is the plan!
-Add shelving (DIY) similar to that of the living room so that it becomes a library display of our cookbooks and a way to display some of our beautiful serve/cookware.
-Incorporate the buffet, as in the image and keep scouring for the perfect bar cart!
Current kitchen photo - thought I would like the open cabinets but not really anymore. Having doors made for them...Like I said, nothing is ever really done, there is always something to do!
To some, it may be astounding as to why the house is not yet complete, after being here for almost a year. But in all of this, I found that the process is the most exciting part, as making a house a home can not be done overnight. The beauty of it all is that when the day finally arrives when we can say we are done (or almost) it is a collaboration of both of our interests and something that we had truly put our hearts and design mind to work!
Stay tuned!
