Dining Room Design Plans Coming Together
We moved into our house about four months ago, and while so many spaces are still unfinished, the dining room is one space I’m excited to finally bring together. I feel like the design plan for this room is actually clicking into place, which feels like a gift in a season where my design brain has been a little sluggish.
I usually design most of my spaces on Pinterest, but I’ve also shared here how I use Canva to mock up ideas by pulling screenshots of furniture and décor from around the web. Lately, I’ve had a bit of a mental block when it comes to redesigning spaces. My plate is full, and I haven’t had the capacity to make big design decisions with much confidence. And honestly, when I’ve rushed decisions, I’ve made some mistakes—like ordering curtains that I don’t love (and that weren’t cheap!). Those lessons have pushed me to slow down and give myself margin before clicking “purchase.”
All inspiration sources can be found here.
The nice thing about the dining room is that it’s not a space we’re in every day. We really only use it when we’re hosting. That means I know what’s practical for the space because of how often we’ve had people around our table, but I’m not distracted by the clutter of daily life in there. I can see the room with fresh eyes and imagine what it could be.
The Inspiration: Blue & White China
The whole design really started when we unpacked the wedding china my mother-in-law gave us when we got married. She had thrifted the set, so it’s not a family heirloom, but it is absolutely beautiful. The cobalt blue and white is so classic, and I knew I wanted to feature it somehow.
That’s when the idea came: a wall of blue and white plates as the main focal point in the room. From there, the rest of the design started to fall into place.
Wallpaper & Color
To echo the traditional pattern of the china, I’m leaning toward floral wallpaper above the chair rail. This paper is a honeysuckle paper by Sandburg and I just keep circling back to it. Our dining room already has hefty trim—crown molding, chair rail, and baseboards—so I think painting everything below the chair rail a solid color will create a grounded, polished look. Right now, I’m considering an oaky brown to balance the blue, but I haven’t finalized that decision. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them!
Furniture & Storage
We ordered an oak dining table from Lula in Georgia when it was on sale, and I love it. It feels sturdy and timeless—the kind of piece that’s going to last us for decades. For seating, we scored one set of Pottery Barn chairs on Facebook Marketplace for just $100 (new with tags!), and then bought the other four during a Labor Day sale.
I also found a Pottery Barn china cabinet on Facebook Marketplace. It’s incredibly heavy and already storing cookbooks, cocktail recipe books, and (of course) my growing collection of china. It anchors the room in such a classic way.
The head chairs are from Target! Are you as surprises as I was? The bottom ruffle is everything, and I love how they soften the space. They bring a wee bit of green into the room which ties into the wallpaper so nicely.
The Details
To fill out the plate wall, I’ve been thrifting other blue and white china pieces—platters, plates, and smaller accents—to mix in with the set from my mother-in-law. I love the layered, collected look it creates.
The rug is from Rugs USA and is a part of Emily Henderson’s line. I really love it, but as it is wool and has some stretch to it, I still need to get some grips to hold it in place. It’s slippery on wood floors without!
Curtains are another piece I haven’t nailed down yet. I’m leaning toward trying this set from TwoPages (Sara Le in Copper), but I’m still considering options. After my last curtain purchase miss, I want to get this one right!
And then there’s the light fixture. I can’t decide if I want to go with a more feminine, traditional chandelier or a modern fixture to bring in some contrast. Right now, I’m leaning modern—but honestly, I could wake up tomorrow and feel the opposite!
I can’t wait to see this space come together—and even more, I can’t wait to host around this table and let the room serve its purpose: gathering people. I’ll be sure to share the final product once everything is in place!
