I’ve always loved our dining room but knew it was missing a key part that could help the room finally feel complete!

A room update doesn’t always have to be huge to make a difference! Our dining room update consisted of just one more element to tie everything together.

Here was our dining room last Fall:

A rug does wonders to make a room feel complete. We’ve slowly been adding rugs to our home over the years. With each addition our cottage feels more and more cozy.

However, we were always hesitant to add a rug under our dining table. I mean, with 3 little kids eating spaghetti can you blame us?! When Boutique Rugs approached me about their new line of washable area rugs I was all for it! This was the perfect opportunity to finally complete our dining room in a beautiful, real-life-friendly way!

Introducing our newest addition: the Cream Hera Washable Area Rug by Boutique Rugs!

This rug really was just what the doctor ordered! Even though we measured ahead of time we were surprised at how well it fit in the space and how the light color made the room feel larger. If you’ve been around here for even a minute you know I love blue and white…so the blue/gray design on top of the cream background was SO perfect for this space!

This rug is thinner than our other rugs as it should be to be machine washable. It’s still very comfy under foot with a soft texture. I did need to add a grippy rug pad underneath as we have hardwood floors and the rug likes to slide. If you’re considering a washable rug, take note of the washing machine chart on the product page to be sure it will fit in your washer!

We now have 4 rugs from Boutique Rugs in our home and we love them all. They are excellent quality, handwoven rugs with beautiful designs at a very reasonable price. Our first 3 rugs we purchased ourselves but this last one was gifted. We now have their rugs in the dining room, living room, master bedroom, and entryway.

If you are interested in any of their products, use my code HYMNSANDHOME to receive an additional 5% off their already discounted prices. Just to give you an idea, the rug I’m featuring here – “Cream Hera Washable Area Rug” in the 6’7″x9′ size is currently $179 at the time of posting. My code would save you an additional $9. Shipping is free in the contiguous United States. I do make a small commission off any purchases made through my links and code so you’ll also be supporting this blog if you make a purchase! Thank you!

I love that the design of this rug is somewhat vintage while staying fresh. It contributes to the aesthetic of the room without screaming “here I am!”

Boutique Rugs offers a huge variety of styles and sizes. You really can find just about anything you’re looking for – indoor, outdoor, traditional, farmhouse, boho, kids and more in a variety of materials – some of which are washable. They also have a large selection of other home decor like pillows, furniture, lighting, etc. Definitely go check them out!

So if you’re looking for an easy way to update your room or make your room feel complete, consider adding a rug! If your room feels too dark and small, a rug could help then too. I know it seems counterintuitive that adding more stuff to a room could make it feel bigger, but a rug can actually lighten the floor space, draw the eye across the room, and help to anchor furniture.

Thanks so much for reading! If you can’t tell I’m pretty excited about this addition! Drop any questions or comments below and I’ll talk to you soon!

Blessings,
Melissa

Sharing is caring!

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

No matter what Thanksgiving Day may look like for you this year, I invite you to first remember why we have this day: To give thanks to our Creator and Provider for the blessings He daily and richly provides, and most of all for the salvation He has granted to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Regardless of your dinner plans, I hope this meaning-filled Thanksgiving table may provide you with inspiration as you read the captions and hymn meditations below.

Candlelight

There is nothing quite like candlelight to bring a sense of coziness, warmth, and peace to a space.

“Light of Light, O Sole-Begotten
Radiance of the Father’s face,
Word made flesh, who lived among us
Full of truth and full of grace,
Shine upon our human darkness;
Pierce the night that shrouds our race.”
– Stephen P. Starke

“Give Thanks Pumpkins”

These easy DIY pumpkins are covered in old hymn pages and adorned with “thankful” hymn titles. The tutorial video can be found in the story highlight “Give Thanks Pumpkins” on my Instagram page.

“Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.”
– Martin Rinkart; tr. Catherine Winkworth

Fresh Rosemary & Pinecones

What better elements to add to a Thanksgiving table than items found naturally in creation? Gathered pinecones and rosemary trimmings add visual freshness and a lovely scent to the table. The napkins are tied with simple white kitchen twine.

“For the beauty of the earth, 
For the glory of the skies, 
For the love which from our birth 
Over and around us lies.
Christ, our Lord, to Thee we raise 
This, our hymn of grateful praise.”
– Folliott Sandford Pierpoint

Thrifted Plates & Ribbon

The large plates (by Hearth & Hand), the small ironstone plates, and the lace ribbon were all found at thrift shops. I love to buy second-hand pieces – not only does it save my family some money, but it can help to reduce waste and support the charities that run the shops.

“Father, providing
Food for Your children,
By your wise guiding
Teach us to share
One with another,
So that, rejoicing
With us, all others
May know Your care.”
– Albert F. Bayly

Gifted Items

The crystal water goblets and silver flatware were wedding gifts to my husband and me. The ceramic cake stand was given to me by my mother-in-law one Christmas. I enjoy using these generously gifted pieces not only because I like how they look, but because they bring fond memories and thankfulness for our family and friends.

“For the joy of human love, 
Brother, sister, parent, child, 
Friends on earth, and friends above, 
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Christ, our Lord, to Thee we raise 
This, our hymn of grateful praise.”
– Folliott Sandford Pierpoint

Whatever Thanksgiving Day may look like for you this year, I pray it is a day filled with reflection upon all that has been given to us and thanks to the Provider of all good things.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17

“Even so, Lord, quickly come,
Bring Thy final harvest home; 
Gather thou thy people in, 
Free from sorrow, free from sin, 
There, forever purified, 
In Thy presence to abide; 
Come, with all Thine angels, come, 
Raise the glorious harvest home.”
– Henry Alford

Now, there is something you should understand about my tablescapes: They are for fun only. They never get used. We have exactly one table in our house, plus a 3-year-old and a 19-month-old. Tablescapes don’t work for meals – ha! But I enjoy creating them nonetheless, and my husband sweetly hung out with the kids and gave me some time last weekend to create and photograph one.

Last year I went very neutral for Fall, but this year I wanted something warmer and cozier. I decided on a woodland theme. I found a roll of 14″ wide burlap I had on hand and cut it to length to make a runner for our table.

My next step after placing a runner or tablecloth on the table is always to put out the place settings. After all, if people were really going to eat here they should have plenty of room to enjoy their food without knocking over the candles or centerpiece!

We have a few different types of plates in our house, but I decided to go with our everyday white plates for a simple base. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers use lovely gold flatware for Fall and Winter. While that would be beautiful and definitely add to the cozy vibe, we don’t have any gold flatware and I wasn’t about to run out and buy some. We have one set of flatware and we use it for everything. It’s a great versatile set which we received as a wedding gift, and I love it!

The water goblets were also a wedding gift – I hope to actually use them more in the future, but for now they get pulled out only for tablescapes!

I actually bought the green plaid napkins during an after-Christmas sale last year at Hobby Lobby! They may have been labeled as Christmas, but I think they totally work for a cozy woodland Fall theme as well! I can’t find them anywhere online, but these or these would also be super cute. Never stick to seasonal labels – items are much more versatile than stores want you to believe!

I’ve had those tan burlap pumpkins for years – they were a Target dollar spot find. They are no longer available and I couldn’t find a single similar thing to link for you, but I’m sure Target has something in the dollar spot again this year. Or you could snag some real pumpkins and gourds from the grocery store or produce stand. Or you could use something entirely different that you already have!

The dried branches and stems in the center of the table are from a disassembled Homegoods bouquet. I never used it, so I gently pulled it apart and used just the sticks, dried flowers, and curly things (that’s the official term, you know!).

You could go outside and scavenge for branches and stems – free decor! We don’t really have much like that in our yard, and if you don’t either, something like this would work well too. Or change it up – use twigs, pinecones, anything you can find! That’s the real point of this – using what you have and what you can find.

When I first saw these vintage brass candlesticks at the thrift store, they immediately struck me as Fall / Winter. I love their warmth and character.

You may be able to find some at a local thrift store or antique store. I see them around frequently. If you’re looking to buy new, these are really pretty!

My favorite part about this tablescape has to be these little guys…

Who wouldn’t smile with these little critters grinning up at them? They are decorations that were leftover from a woodland-themed baby shower that was thrown for me several years ago when I was expecting my son. They may have been purchased at Joann Fabric or Hobby Lobby. These are a similar concept or this little set of bristle animals is absolutely adorable!

Just for fun, here’s a view of my sideboard for Fall. I changed out a few things from my Spring decor, which was still up until a week ago. Yes, it’s true… Priorities.

I took away the little stool I had previously used as a prop, and replaced it with an antique ironstone pitcher I found on Facebook Marketplace, filled with Fall hydrangeas from our yard. The previous wreath got replaced with a pumpkin and pinecone one I’ve had for a few years.

The vintage butter dish full of little lambs and greenery got re-stuffed with dried moss and little burlap birds, and for good woodland-themed measure, I stuck a tree slice under my ironstone plates.

All topped off with a candle, a few vintage books, and a little white pumpkin.

I didn’t buy a single thing for this entire room, and yet it has never looked exactly like this before.

Always start by shopping your own home and yard.

Look past the seasonal labels that stores put on their products and use them anyway if they fit with your theme. No one will think twice about it, I promise!

Be flexible – if you don’t have what you need to create what you originally intended, go a different route – it will still be great! Don’t get hung up on one vision.

Most of all, cozy and pretty doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple!

Only two days until Christmas!

I’ve been excited but also a little frazzled this season because I finished gift shopping and wrapping much later than I usually do! I’m not so sure wrapping far in advance would’ve done me much good this year anyway, though – we’ve had to block off the tree with a baby gate because baby girl is determined to pull off every ornament and strand of ribbon that she can. She also likes to tear up paper and eat it, so one can imagine what she would do to wrapped gifts…

Side note – one time during a trip to Target, I was trying to keep her happy, so I let her see a stuffed animal as we walked around the store. By the time we got to the checkout I realized she had eaten a piece of the cardboard tag!! Mom fail. I felt it was only right to purchase the toy at that point [insert face palm here]. Thankfully it was one of those dollar spot items!

Seeing as Christmas is upon us, I’d thought I’d share a few glimpses of Christmas decor around our house. I don’t decorate every single room – I simply don’t have the time and resources for that. I pretty much keep it to our main living spaces.

A little greenery over the window, some wreaths on the cabinets, and a few Christmasy touches on the counters…Found that fresh greenery at Trader Joe’s for only $7.99! (You can find the curtain tutorial here.)

Wreaths – World Market
Greenery – Trader Joe’s
Sign – Michael’s
Rug – HomeGoods

My little tiered-tray winter village… Back when I was pregnant with my first child, I would come home from work every day around Christmastime and work on making these little pine cone people. (That was back when my evenings were so carefree! Ha!) I made about 20 total, and gave them as gifts in groups of 3 to family members.

I found inspiration for these on Pinterest, but didn’t follow any kind of pattern – I just made my own little pattern on paper and went from there! I love making homemade gifts – anything from crafts to fresh bread from the bread maker! I’d love to hear about any homemade gifts you make! Leave me a comment below!

Tiered tray – Marshall’s
Houses – Hobby Lobby

I love how red pops against this white pew. It’s going to be hard to beat that vibrant, cheery contrast once Christmas is over! And doesn’t that green vintage ladder lend itself to star ornaments? I found that 20-ft fresh greenery also at Trader Joe’s for only $9.99(!) and topped it with some dried oranges and homemade salt dough hearts. Instant cozy.

Big wreath – World Market
Baskets & little houses – Joann Fabric
Pew Paint – Rustoleum “Chalked” in Linen White
Striped Blanket – Michael’s
Pillows – HomeGoods
Wall Color – “Urban Raincoat” by Behr
Curtain fabric – by Lush Fabric (curtain tutorial here)

Our dining area sideboard… This decor is extra special, as those wood slices under the houses came from our beloved tree we had to have taken down back in August. We were so sorry to see the tree go – it was big, beautiful, and original to the house, but we were at least able to preserve its memory in this way.

Flocked Trees – At Home Stores
Sign, Runner, Large House, & Beaded Garland – Hobby Lobby
Small Houses – World Market
Bottle Brush Trees – Pier1

Have you ever watched “Christmas in Connecticut?” It’s a great classic Christmas movie and I highly recommend watching it if you haven’t! Well, the main character, Elizabeth Reed, is a writer who has a home-making column in the newspaper. She is extremely popular for her stories about her farm, all her fancy recipes, and so on. The only problem? She doesn’t have a farm and she can’t cook. I won’t spoil it for you, but sometimes I feel just a bit like Elizabeth Reed – not because what I post is false, but because what you see is not necessarily how we live every day. That’s probably pretty typical of most bloggers – most don’t show you the bottle drying rack on the kitchen counter…though some will.

Well, that was totally the case with this table setting. I set this all up with absolutely no plans to actually use it, knowing that I would have to take it down immediately after its photo shoot. Why? Because it’s our only table – we eat 3 meals a day here – and fancy linen runners and toddlers don’t exactly mix well!

So why did I even bother? Because I enjoy creating pretty things and sharing ideas and inspiration with you. It makes me happy. Big thanks to my husband who watched the kids while I took photos and didn’t roll his eyes too much when I made him eat lunch standing at the kitchen counter!

Bottle Brush Trees & Window Wreath – Pier1
Table Runner – HomeGoods
Chargers & Napkins – Hobby Lobby
Plate wreaths – Joann Fabric
Candlesticks – Vintage
Table Paint – Fusion Mineral Paint in “Lamp White”
Table Stain – Minwax Gel Stain in “Coffee” (table makeover here)
Curtains – Ikea “Vivan”
Wall Color – “Urban Raincoat” by Behr

Winter printables and rustic touches create a cozy vibe that can last beyond Christmas! I like to make the “base layer” of my Christmas decor just plain wintery so that I can strip away the overtly “Christmasy” stuff and still be set through January!

It helps ease that awkward period between Christmas and springtime!

Printables – click here
Frames – HomeGoods
Bench – Facebook Marketplace (see makeover here)
Throw – At Home Stores
Milk Can – GoodWill
Flocked Pine – Home Depot
Star – Local shop
Wall Color – “Urban Raincoat” by Behr

It’s amazing how one photo can have so many memories in it: the Christmas tree we had so much fun finding at a tree farm (in spite of it being bitterly cold!)…our family’s ornaments, both old and new…the vintage tree skirt and star sewn by my husband’s grandma…my beloved piano that I’ve had since I started playing at age 7, which my grandmother helped purchase in spite of having very little money, because she wanted me to have a quality instrument…

Christmas brings forth so many memories – both joyful and difficult ones. The same grandmother who helped buy my piano passed away the very next year shortly after Christmas. I was 8 years old. I miss her dearly and think of her often, but I take comfort in the fact that I will see her again one day.

I pray that whatever memories and feelings you are having this season that you may find peace, comfort, and joy in the true reason for Christmas – our Savior, Jesus Christ.

A very Merry CHRISTmas to you and yours!

~ Soli Deo Gloria ~

One of my son’s favorite books right now is “The Little Engine That Could.” Having read this story a number of times (okay, a lot), it was the first thing that popped into my head when trying to figure out how to describe the transformation of this dining set.

You see, this is actually the dining set my husband’s family used as he was growing up. It dates from the mid 80’s and has (as far as I know) been used every. single. day. since then. It’s worked hard, put in its time, been well loved and well worn, and was pretty much at the end of its life.

And that’s when we got it.

When my husband and I first got married and bought our house, we had no dining table. We were using the little 2-person Ikea table that had been in my husband’s apartment. While that was okay [temporarily] for us, we had nothing large enough for when friends and family came over. Conveniently, my in-laws decided it was time for them to get a new set and offered this one to us.

Hey, you can’t beat free, right? And having a table is better than no table…

And so we used it for several years…

…until I couldn’t stand looking at it anymore. We had finally renovated our kitchen and I was finally beginning to decorate (yay!), and that orange 80’s table with the busted out cane chairs just looked so sad.

(Please excuse my messy basement!)

Now don’t get me wrong – I was very grateful to have a table and extra grateful we didn’t even have to pay anything for it – but as you can probably imagine, it didn’t really fit with my “vision” for the room.

I brought up the subject of getting a new table and chairs – even an inexpensive set – that would fit with our decor. My husband was not keen on the idea, since we have very young children and the table will probably see a lot of messes, projects, and “love” [read: abuse] over the next few years. He wasn’t ready to buy our “forever” table only to have it torn up, and he didn’t want to waste money on “something cheap.” I saw his point, and mostly agreed, but was still majorly disappointed. I was so sick of looking at the broken chairs and orangey finish!

Since we weren’t going to replace the set, I was at least going to spruce up this one!

All that said, this is probably not our “forever table.”

(I’m not even sure exactly what our “forever table” will look like, but probably something rectangular and rustic…)

However… I am pretty pleased with the transformation that has taken place! That orangey 80’s dining table with the busted-out cane chairs has come a long way, and for not a whole lot of money! I managed to learn some new skills in the process, plus we have the satisfaction of having done it ourselves! Win!

Well, let me disclose to you that the whole process took months, because…life happened. Just the daily life stuff with little kids + only working on upholstering and painting during nap time, etc. The chairs alone took me *cough* 5 months to complete.

Two of the four backs on the chairs were broken. I could have ripped out the cane and just upholstered them, but I was afraid that with such long backs the chairs would begin to look “heavy.” I like the airiness that comes with a caned back. So I rolled up my sleeves and learned how to cane!

I’m not going to give you a tutorial on caning because I am not a pro in the slightest. I followed this tutorial on youtube, and it was SO helpful. If you ever want to give caning a try – which I recommend because you totally CAN do it – use that tutorial (and feel free to ask me questions).

After I roughed up the shiny finish on all the chairs and re-caned the 2 broken ones, I glued on these wood flower appliqués with some wood glue. (The photo below is of one of the chairs that wasn’t broken, that’s why the cane looks darker.)

I then gave them all two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint in Lamp White. You can paint cane with a brush, but you have to go super light with it and make absolutely sure that you don’t have drips coming out the other side! Working in a circular motion helps. To add depth to the flower appliqué, I brushed on some watered-down Martha Stewart Vintage Decor Paint in Charcoal. I wiped off the excess and touched up bad spots with white.

Whenever I got a spare moment, or while I was waiting for a coat of paint to dry, I stripped the old upholstery off the seats, and then worked on reupholstering them with this gray and white buffalo check fabric. It is super sturdy and I have no doubt that it will hold up with daily use. I plan to write up a chair-reupholstering tutorial in the coming weeks.

(The way I’m writing this would give the impression that this all went very quickly, but it definitely took several months!)

Dining chairs get knocked around all the time, so to add extra durability, I sprayed the chair frames with a coat of Rustoleum Satin Clear Enamel (before I reattached the seats, of course!). As an aside, I know that Fusion Mineral makes a “tough coat,” but since it seemed to yield mixed reviews, I decided to skip it. The Rustoleum clear enamel did not yellow the white paint at all, but this may vary depending on what type of wood you are dealing with. Always test in an inconspicuous spot first!

Also before I reattached the seats, I gave all the new upholstery two coats of Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, because life happens! Always test this sort of spray first to make sure it’s not going to mess up all your hard work! I tested it on some leftover scraps of fabric before spraying my precious seats!

Over the course of the 5 months it took me to redo the chairs, we continued using the table and sat on our old Ikea chairs. Then we switched and started using the new chairs at the little Ikea table! It was really quite comical.

The table got dragged down to the basement where it underwent many experiments and tests (bwa ha ha!). No, really, it did.

The top is a veneer and it seemed like no matter what we did, we could not get it dark enough. We thought we had it finished at one point, but after using two coats of stain it was all uneven and splotchy, so my husband ended up resanding the whole thing and we tried again. It never did get as dark as we wanted, but we finally said “good enough!” It received one coat of Minwax Gel Stain in Coffee, followed by a coat of polyurethane.

I then painted the legs and the apron of the table with two coats of the Fusion Mineral Lamp White. Hubby rigged up a system so I could paint all sides of the legs at once. He’s a keeper. The legs got two coats of the Rustoleum clear enamel before being reattached to the tabletop. We decided not to worry about top-coating the apron. You cannot tell any difference just by looking.

And it is finally DONE DONE DONE! Woohoo!

I don’t have an exact total for this project, but it ended up being somewhere in the $150 – $175 range to completely revamp this table and chairs. The most expensive part was the fabric – heavy duty upholstery fabric isn’t cheap! But you want it to hold up, so it’s worth the investment.

Glad we could breathe some life back into this little dining set that was on its way out the door. It’s cool that it has so many special memories for my husband and now it gets to add a whole new chapter in its story with our kids! That may be worth even more than having a brand-spanking-new table.

Shh…can you hear it?

“I thought I could…I thought I could…I thought I could…“

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!