Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Nature-Inspired Holiday Dining

I'm crazy over birds.  I know they've been popular for a while now, but my love of them goes back to my childhood on the dairy farm when I'd rescue baby cliff swallows from the barn cats after their little mud nests had broke.  I spent most of my time in the summer hunting down food for the little guys to eat and eventually set them free when they were big enough.


My love of birds has continued over the years and my much of my decorating style revolves around nature-inspired elements like birds, nests, branches, and moss.  When it came to decide what my holiday table was going to include this year, I knew that it needed to be subtle, muted and coincide with my new dining room that I just finished furnishing.


I don't have any specific Christmas dishes so I keep it casual with with my favorite bird dishes.  With the kids eating at the table, I don't have to worry about breaking fine china. 
To add a little more "Christmas" feeling to the table, I simply used my favorite fancy ornaments and attached little bird tags for place-setters for the guests.
Some glowing candles, little sweets, rock placemats, wood shaving orbs, walnuts, fresh greenery, and cotton all help complete the Christmas-nature theme...





Someday I'll find a set of french chairs for this room, but for now I'm working with what I have (wicker chairs from Craigslist and sprayed painting in an almond-ivory color).  The upholstered dining bench was my splurge, but I still bought it at a very reasonable cost.

Adding to the nature, bird-themed decor...




And to think that the room looked like this at the end of August and sat empty until October! 


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18 comments:

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Kristen I LOVE your beautiful dining room!! Your table looks fabulous and I love how you tied the pine cones to your chairs with the burlap ribbon! LOVE IT!! Martina

xinex said...

So beautiful! I love everything including your table and how you adorned your chairs....Christine

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

You've done a beautiful job with this room....love that chandy and the tablescape!!! I have those dishes but had never thought about using them for the holidays....great idea!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Theresa @ Take A Sentimental Journey said...

I love , love , love your bird plates !! I am following you,hope you follow mw back !

Unknown said...

Kristen glad I found your blog, Your table is fabulous.. love the plates and the pine cones, well everything.. Merry Christmas...Beautiful job...

Unknown said...

You've done a beautiful job decorating your empty space. I loved the wonderful little details you created. The pinecones and ribbons on the backs of the chairs are my favorite!

{oc cottage} said...

Just gorgeous!!!

m ^..^

Pearl Maple said...

you have such a creative eye for beautifully blending in this setting

Janel from NellieBellie said...

this is a beautiful room! So elegant!

Decor To Adore said...

Wow! You are a Christmas crafting genius! So glad I found your project via Centsational Girl.

Please stop by for a visit to my blog. I am currently in the midst of a Gifts to Make series.

Be Merry and Bright!

screendoorgirl3 said...

Beautiful room! Found you on Pinterest. I'll be back.. Thanks

Ooh said...

Hi, I love your house! Can you please let me know your wall color? Thanks:)

Ooh said...

Hi, I love your house! Can you please let me know your wall color? Thanks:)

Designing Domesticity said...

Beautiful, really. I love the idea of adding a settee to the dining room. We are considering one as well - have you had any issues with the kids and the upholstery? Where did you find yours? thanks for sharing, liz

Em said...

I love your dining room table (well really I love everything I've seen here). Did you make it or buy it? I thought for sure I would find it in your furniture section, but no luck.

Unknown said...

It looks so beautiful! What is the wall color?

Unknown said...

It looks so beautiful! What is the wall color?

Unknown said...

It looks so beautiful! What is the wall color?

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