I’ve worked as an interior designer for a dozen years, and one of the really fun parts of my job is I get to design for all types of styles: modern to traditional, and everywhere in between. But every now and then my client has the SAME design taste as moi. It was kind of like getting to design my own dining room, but without having to buy a thing. I was so excited to help out this client with a Fixer Upper Style Dining Room! If you’re not familiar with the HGTV Show Fixer Upper (you might have been out of the country for the last year!), it is a mix of traditional, industrial, cottage, and farmhouse all blended together to a yummy goodness. Pure Bliss. It is a twist on the farmhouse look: it involves a lot of neutrals, a mixture of woods and metals, and there you go.
Because my client already had the main furniture pieces, she was mosty looking for accessories and pieces to round out her room. So she requested my Starter Package which includes the floor plan, Shopping List, Notes & Tips, and Mood Boards (pretty much everything but the 3D drawings). Here’s some of what she got!
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I started off with some inspiration of a dining room from Home Remedies, I love the mix of that traditional table with the industrial metal chairs.
And even BETTER than something pretty, is something pretty AND affordable. That gorgeous table clocks in at only $270 and the rug (which is indoor/outoor=easy to clean) is only $160. They already had these classic black wood chairs, so I kept those, and added in some head chairs to add even another layer to the room.
More inspiration from Fixer Upper, my client wanted a half-windmill over her buffet area (can I tell you how excited I was to specify a windmill for a dining room-eek!). NOTE: If you are looking for one yourself, start at Etsy and Ebay to find your own to claim. To continue with the softer side of the industrial look, I suggested filling up the bottom shelves of the new buffet with these wire baskets for all of their extra dining room supplies (think cloth napkins, placemats, etc). Add in some white pitchers, soft linen Pottery Barn curtains and creamware are cottage farmhouse staples all the way.
With every Postbox, I include a floor plan so my clients can both visualize the scale and placement of everything. Sometimes worrying about logistics is a barrier for many people to choosing the right fixtures and furniture. Is this table too big, too small? How many chairs will fit? I give you a plan to start with, and you can run from there!
And because I REALLY wanted them to love their space, I did a second version for them with some additional ideas. Rooms For Rent provided the inspiration starting off point for this Mood Board. This version had a little more “farmhouse” feel to it. Doesn’t wicker, striped rugs, and feedsack fabric just make you think of summer out in the country? BUT to keep it from going too far down the old dirt road, I tried to balance it out with some more modern elements. The modern geometric “swiss cross” pillows and framing some modern prints in a Gallery Wall help with that. Also, keeping the palette neutral: tans, ivories, creams, and tans, with just a few pops of navy keep it classic.
Here is what her Postbox looked like for her room!
Check out all of the Packages I offer, from this Starter Package and up. Every Postbox includes all of this, plus Notes & Tips, paint and fabric samples, and more. Every Postbox is uniquely created just for YOU. Get all of your questions answered here and see more photos of more Real Life Postboxes!
And if you need some more Dining Room inspiration check out my Pinterest board here, a Dining Room is honestly one of my favorite rooms to design, so I pin a LOT
Happy Designing!
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