Dining Room Updates

Our dining room hasn't always been one of my favorite spaces in our house.  The table is too small, the light fixture isn't directly in the center of the room (why, I don't know), and I wish I would have added picture frame moulding when we were in the process of building.

Lately, though, we've made a few small changes that have made me a lot happier about it.

Here's a panoramic before picture.  Meh...
Not much going on in here to be excited about.  I've never been happy with the right wall with the plates and London print.  The wall with the platters on the left isn't too exciting either.  Blah.  I love a wall of platters, but just those two lonely ones just made me mad! 

The table is temporarily set with gladiolas from my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend.  
I love gladiolas.  They are so beautiful and tall and look great when placed under a chandelier.  
It's almost like the branches are reaching towards the light.

I don't normally keep the table set, but after 'someone' (still haven't figured out who) drug something sharp across my black table and created an enormous line from one side to the other, I needed something to disguise it! 

These seagrass placemats have been around for a while.  I've had them for years and used them on this same table when we lived in the old house.  I also used them along with my fish plates to stage the bar area for the house tour pictures, but on a normal basis, they are usually stacked in the pantry.
I added the square plates that were hung beside the London print, green napkins that were tucked away in a drawer, and some shells that had been serving as a filler in a large lantern on the back porch.   

The London print looks much better on the adjacent wall between the two windows!  

See anything different and new?
If you recall, I did a blog post a while back about a close friend who I tragically lost in March.
I was helping her with decorating her new house and she would send me pics via text on a regular basis asking about pieces to buy or DIY.
This glossy black china cabinet was hers that she revamped for her dining room.
  I'm so lucky that her family was kind enough to let me have it!
It looks perfect in my dining room and a piece that she and I both loved and is really special to me. 

Here's the text message picture she sent me of the cabinet from Goodwill when it was green! 
We agreed that it would look great in her dining room painted glossy black holding white serveware.

What a treasure! 

I think she would approve. 

I now have two china cabinets in my dining room in two different finishes, but I'm happy about it.  They both are very, VERY special pieces to me.  The corner cabinet was my granny's and holds my wedding china and the black cabinet was Danielle's and holds my white serveware that I've used for parties and get-togethers that she was always a part of.  It now fits perfectly on the long wall that once held the London print and plates!  

Next up....finding some curtains for this room!!

XO,