• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Shop My Home
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

August 4, 2014

Re-arranging the Dining Room

You know those pictures where it starts out looking like one thing but the longer you look at it, you are able to see another image appear?

Well, I’m really horrible at those.

Everyone around me will see that what looks like the solar system is in actuality a big bowl of apples.

Squint your eyes, they say. Tilt your head, jump up and down, close one eye and stare at it for 10 minutes with the other eye, spit on the ground and then spin around twice. THEN you’ll see it.

But, I never do. So, I fake it.

“Ohhhhhh! There it is! Yes, I totally see it. I totally don’t see the solar system any more but instead I see a bowl of apples!”

dining room
 

I really think the key to the success in seeing the picture within the picture is changing your perspective.

And I think sometimes that’s the key to success in decorating too.

Case in point…my dining room.

When we first moved in I was absolutely positive that there was only one way to position our table. And that’s where it stayed for 5 years. You can see it here.

Then I fell in love…chair love.

These weren’t just any chairs. These were dining room chairs on casters, slipcovered in creamy perfection with sassy little pleats.

I wanted them. But, even though they were already at a discount store, I still didn’t want to pay their price. So, I waited and waited and waited and waited. Going back again and again and watching that price drop lower and lower and lower and lower.

Until, that one magical day when I went to visit them and the price was so low that I just couldn’t hold off any longer.

And now, they’re mine…ALL MINE! (cue maniacal laugh)

upholstered dining room chairs

As I wheeled these chairs through the store (they wouldn’t quite fit in the cart!) my mind was racing with thoughts about how I was going to make them work with the current layout in the dining room. In the process of stalking these chairs and willing their price to drop I somehow lost sight of the fact that there really wasn’t room for them.

I got home and stood in the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room for a long time just staring at the space like I stare at those paintings withing paintings. I squinted my eyes, tilted my head and just when I was getting ready to spit on the floor and spin around twice (okay I wasn’t actually going to do that!) my perspective changed!

traditional formal dining room atthepicketfence.com

I realized that by turning the table the other way that it would give me enough room to use my new chairs AND it even gave me enough room to add an extra leaf.

Seriously! Why on earth did I not do this sooner?

Suddenly there was all of this extra space and the room felt sooooooo much bigger!

dining room living room combo

You know, it’s  funny how a simple change of perspective can make such a big impact.

This is true of pictures within pictures, decorating and…well…life.

Sometimes we all just need to look at things differently, right?

Maybe it’s something as simple as a room or maybe it’s something as complicated as a relationship or a difficult circumstance you suddenly find yourself in.

formal dining room set

I’m the first to admit that changing one’s perspective is easier said than done.

You see, the thing is, I’d been feeling like I needed to start from scratch with my dining room. I looked at those images on Pinterest and felt like this space was just all wrong. Like my matching table and china cabinet were just not ‘in’ anymore. That I should just wipe the slate clean and start all over.

My perspective of this room was that it was just not measuring up.

But simply by turning the table around and adding two discounted chairs, suddenly I saw my dining room in an entirely new light.

Nothing dramatic happened. It just felt ‘right’…like how it was always supposed to look.

hydrangea centerpiece

Changing my perspective about the room also changed my attitude about it.

Maya Angelou said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude about it.”

I’m fairly certain she wasn’t referring to dining rooms.

But, who am I to question it when decorating leads to profound life lessons?! 😉

Vanessa signature

11 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas Tagged With: dining room

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « I Let Her Decorate Her Own Cake
Next Post: Back to School Party Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cindy says

    August 4, 2014 at 4:32 AM

    Your dining room is gorgeous, and I love your new chairs…great addition!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
  2. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    August 4, 2014 at 5:41 AM

    Fabulous post and your dining room is stunning. I love the new chairs too.

    Reply
  3. Jordan@the2seasons says

    August 4, 2014 at 5:55 AM

    What a great room. I am ready to come over for dinner!!

    Reply
  4. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    August 4, 2014 at 6:03 AM

    So pretty! What an elegant room!

    Reply
  5. Jean from Georgia says

    August 4, 2014 at 6:46 AM

    Pretty photos. Have you thought about lining the interior back wall of your china cabinet? Chevron would be pretty or a watermarked silk fabric would lighten up the darkness of the wood. Just a thought from my perspective.

    Reply
  6. martina says

    August 4, 2014 at 6:56 AM

    LOVE your new chairs Vanessa…your dining room looks gorgeous!!

    Reply
  7. June says

    August 4, 2014 at 8:23 AM

    LOVE THE CHAIRS VANESSA! Worth the wait. Love the change to the dining room as well.

    I recently had a wall taken down between our kitchen and dining room. It allowed me to play around with the space a little more since like you I had one vision to begin with and kept it that way for 25 years. What I did and love is move my big china hutch to a living room wall and I absolutely love it! Ironically my sister came over and commented she had been thinking of doing the same thing.

    It’s a long room and I haven’t totally completed the project. You can still see the hutch from the dining room table and I just love how it is all coming together.

    Thanks for the great inspiring posts.

    Reply
  8. Nellie says

    August 4, 2014 at 11:22 AM

    Hi Vanessa,
    Love love love your new chairs, and they do look wonderful with your table…..and other chairs. You are so right about perspective, it is everything really.
    Sometimes we all need a change…….or need to change ourselves.
    Your dining room looks lovely and love your tablescape as well.
    I love white anything……..
    it just makes me hap hap happy………

    Have a great day,
    Blessings,
    Nellie

    Reply
  9. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    August 4, 2014 at 12:16 PM

    Love that quote from Maya….and I guess it takes getting those fabulous chairs to make the change happen…they are wonderful and look so great in the dining room…where there’s a will there’s a way and you did it…So happy that you were able to get those chairs!!!

    Reply
  10. Becca says

    August 5, 2014 at 5:59 AM

    That’s right … all in the perspective! And, it IS fun to change it sometimes! Having said that, I LOVE your new dining chairs … I have a crush on them, and, if I spotted them at a fantastic price, they’d hop in my cart, too! They look beautiful in your dining room and the new arrangement is fantabulous! Great job, friend. xoxoxoxo

    Reply
  11. debbiedoos says

    August 5, 2014 at 4:21 PM

    I love it Vanessa! You have such a warm traditional Dining room where I can see many of memories made. Cozy, homey and full of LOVE!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Cindy Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

  • Simple Fall Decorating Ideas

    Simple Fall Decorating Ideas
  • Autumn Home Decor Tour

    Autumn Home Decor Tour
  • Apple Bread Pudding

    Apple Bread Pudding
  • Paper Bag Pumpkins

    Paper Bag Pumpkins

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Latest Recipes

Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Simple Fall Decorating Ideas September 14, 2023
  • Decorating a Sofa Table May 31, 2023
  • Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze April 19, 2023
  • Console Table Refresh March 24, 2023
  • Laundry Room Makeover February 23, 2023

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

“Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season “Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir.” Peggy Toney Horton.

Happy October dear friends! 🍂
On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence