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Dining Room Ideas

Dining Room Ideas, Entertaining, Home Accessories Ideas Published: February 6, 2017 | Updated: February 6, 2020

How to Plan An Outdoor Dinner

Nothing goes hand in hand like great weather and outdoor entertaining. Here are a few tips that will make your guests want to linger long after the sun sets.

Spread the news

Unless it’s really a swanky event, feel free to skip the paper invites and send an email to your guests. Make it easy on them and ask them to respond only if they can’t make it.

What’s for Dinner?

Decide what type of shindig you’re throwing. A favorite is pot luck. Just ask guests to let you know what they’ll bring so you can plan the menu. (You don’t want to be faced with three potato salads and no dessert.) Even if guests are bringing food, you should plan on an appetizer to get the evening started. Make an easy antipasto appetizer by filling a generously sized tray with cuts of salami, olives, roasted bell peppers, assorted cheeses and a variety of crackers or slices of a baguette. Cheese platters are always a great option. Click here to find out which cheeses will keep your guests wanting more.

Set the Table

 
You don’t want to use paper plates but also don’t want to risk breaking your dinnerware? An easy solution is to set the table with melamine plates. Melamine is shatterproof and BPA-free.

TIP: Paper napkins and plastic utensils may be more convenient, but you’ll elevate the tone of your event if you pull out cloth napkins and use real cutlery instead.

Break the Ice  

Hot summer evenings demand plenty of ice. Don’t have an ice bucket? No worries. Just line any clean, attractive container with heavy duty plastic to make it waterproof and voila, instant ice bucket.

 
Tip: Don’t forget to place tongs or a scooper next to your ice bucket to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Liquid Refreshments

Set up a bar cart with essentials like chilled alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and of course nothing says summer like lemonade.  Turn it into a classic adult beverage with a British flair by adding Pimm’s Cup No. 1 for a light, refreshing cocktail.

 

Pimm’s Cup (makes one drink)

  • 1 1/2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
  • lemonade (or ginger ale)
  • lemon slices
  • cucumber slices
  • (optional: orange slice, fresh borage and/or mint leaves, apple slices, strawberry)
  • Half-fill a tall glass with ice and a few slices of cucumber or lemon. Add measure of Pimm’s, then top up glass with lemonade or soda. Stir gently and add more ice if necessary. Garnish with slices of lemon and cucumber.

Candles Count

Make the evening magical by placing candles everywhere. They can even do double duty if bugs are an issue when you use these candle holders.

 
That’s Entertainment

Use wireless speakers to liven up the evening with music. And if the evening gets chilly, warm things up with a fire pit. More than just a heat source, fire pits add instant ambiance. Outdoor Ashley HomeStore is appearing in-store soon and now online!
Bedroom Ideas, Dining Room Ideas, Home Decor & Furniture Published: December 29, 2016 | Updated: November 5, 2021

New Year’s Resolution #2: How Do You Want Your Home to Feel?

Carry the energy of new beginnings with you by creating a home that reflects your personality and how you want yourself and your guests to feel when they walk through your front door.

Colors

Wall colors are a great and fairly simple way to create a mood. Tranquil pastels cultivate the feeling of a calming sanctuary, while brights like red, yellow, orange or lime will give off a more exciting, energizing vibration. If you’re a fan of multiple colors or just have a style all your own, go ahead and experiment with color combinations or even wallpaper styles that reflect your unique personality. Every room in the house can have its own unique vibe – there are no limits to the possibilities!

Textures

Textures are another aspect to take into account when decorating, and are not just limited to textiles. While there are many styles of pillows and throws that will add a finishing touch to a room, subtler textures like the fabric of your upholstery and even your solid pieces like living room tables and entertainment centers inevitably add to the feeling your home gives off. For a relaxed entertaining space, incorporate elements like natural wood-finished furnishings. For a more sophisticated entertaining space, choose pieces with clean lines and polished finishes.

Shop Clocks

Layout

You might be surprised at how much the placement of furniture affects the feeling of a room. If a room feels small, try rearranging the furniture to open up walking paths.

Now that you have an idea of how you want your home to feel as you walk through the door, you are on the right track for starting the year off with new year resolutions for your home. What other goals do you have this year?
Dining Room Ideas, Entertaining, How To Published: November 7, 2016 | Updated: October 19, 2021

A Naturally Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescape

With so much emphasis on food during Thanksgiving, we thought we’d focus less on stuffing and more on style—at least until dinner is served! Because if you’re going to spend all that time preparing a delectable meal, your Thanksgiving table decor should look just as beautiful.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to create a beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape, from seasonal and colorful to whimsical and personal. Just make sure your imagination leaves enough room for family and friends to sit and enjoy their meal.

This year, we’re opting for a natural approach, using real branches and acorns to complement metallic sculptural pumpkins, gourds and other fall fruits. Watch our table being set, and good luck creating your own Thanksgiving tablescape. Let’s eat!
Bedroom Ideas, Dining Room Ideas, Home Decor & Furniture Published: February 9, 2016 | Updated: August 20, 2020

Distressed Out: Why Distressed Furnishings Are So In

Whether your ultimate style is shabby chic, beach bungalow, quaint cottage or urban loft, one thing’s for certain: distressed furnishings make it that much more…like home. For lovers of the distressed look, interior fashion is about more than dressing to impress. It’s about exuding a warm, welcoming vibe, where everyone is invited to sit down, kick back and take it down a notch.

Here’s to distressed furnishings’ beauty and versatility

What a realm of possibilities. You can create a comfortable oasis with subtle hints of timeworn charm, or opt for a heavily distressed look for more rustic appeal.

We love the dramatic saw marks on the Fanzere bedroom set. Treated to a lightly applied whitewashed finish, it looks so much like reclaimed lumber.

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Distressed finishes can convey everything from a comfortably cool aesthetic to a chic, upscale attitude. Mix things up for the perfect mood in your home.D540-225-202(6)In the design world, this mixed look is called “rustic refinement.” Mestler’s Parsons-style table with an antiqued finish is paired with posh, button-tufted upholstered dining chairs. The merger is elegant, without fuss and formality.

Those who grace their space with distressed furnishings understand: style and comfort go hand in hand and some things do get better with age. Weathered furnishings make homes rich in character.B673-31-36-46-58-56-97-92-ALTLoaded with textural interest and tonal variation, distressed furnishings allow you to combine light and dark pieces for one uniquely coordinated style. Case in point: the Wesling series.

Distressing extends far beyond furniture. From erased motif rugs to new lighting with tasteful “tarnishing,” there are floor-to-ceiling possibilities.A60000922-923-924-209-124-GROUPPersonalize your style with timeworn accents. Distressed materials—from wood, to ceramic and stone, to patina metal—look so at home together.

Ready to create your own distressed piece?

Blogger and DIY diva Sara D. (of sincerelysarad.com) doesn’t just tell you how it’s done. She shows you how to do it in this step-by-step tutorial video.

blog 2.91 blog 2.9Are you a distressed furniture DIYer? Share your tips and pics on our Facebook page.