You guys, it’s been a while since I had a good Craigslist find to share with you all! I found this dining set right before Christmas, which was perfect timing because we had just sold our last dining set (the one from this Thanksgiving table setting post) and both sides of the family were coming over for Christmas Eve cookies and cocoa!
[Now, I could pretend that I shot these photos at Christmas-time which would explain the holiday decorations, but we all know I like to be real.
I took these photos yesterday.
I may never take down my Christmas tree – it’s my ideal soft and gentle light source in the evening. Do you think I could somehow start a home décor trend of “lighting-trees”?]
It’s a pretty adorable vintage dining set, isn’t it?
I’m debating whether or not to keep the chairs and sell the table. I already have a dining table that I’m planning to use one day when I can clear the dining room of for-sale-furniture and this is the third (or fourth?) set of Chinese chippendale-ish chairs I’ve been tempted to keep. I would paint and reupholster them – so many possibilities! They are extremely sturdy, but not very comfortable… But, (more real-ness here) we seldom actually sit down at the dining room table anyway. So comfort doesn’t have to be the ultimate factor here.
So what do you think – do they have enough promise with new paint/upholstery? What color would you do? I really love white, but then they would get lost with the white walls. So then I thought about painting all the walls in the teeny-tiny dining room that dark gray (Martha Stewart’s Zinc, one of my favorites). Or painting the chairs black. Or mustard. Or gold.
You know, the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the whole dining room needs to be a little gray box…
And that I need to invest in a wide-angle lens.
Talk shop with me ladies!
oooh what a find!!!!! surely you can find somewhere o stick the table if you don't use it there!
Thanks Cassie! I'm hoping I can sell the table for what I paid for the entire dining set, making the six chairs in effect "free" – this would keep my husband happy 😉
Keep, keep, keep…or give it to me! And I would be itching to paint them, yes! But I think not mustard because they are already kinda mustardy.
Thanks Julia! I was wondering if everyone thought the straight backs were as charming as the "x-back" faux bamboo chairs… But I am leaning towards keeping! I agree on nixing the mustard, but I will have to find a way to use it somewhere in my house because I love it with gray and emerald green! I think once I decide what else to do in the dining room I'll have better vision – I do have an awesome black midcentury chandelier that I am dying to hang up and share!
Oooh, Zinc is amazing, my favorite dark gray as well. Is that what the one wall is? You should totally paint the whole dining room that color.
As for the chairs, personally, I would stain them a more fitting shade rather than paint them. Unless of course, you're going to pair them with the burlwood table, then they'd look great white.
Yes, sorry – I committed an accent wall! (Is that still the same thing as a crime in the blogging world?) It's Zinc, and I really think I will paint the other walls Zinc as well!
The chairs are going to be paired with the burl table – I think I'll paint the walls, add the table, and then feel out a color, but I love the idea of white with the burl as well!
I love the new set! I could see that with a dark walnut top and some ironstone paint on the lower and chairs. Beautiful!
Thanks Patricia! I'm loving all these suggestions!
OMG Brynne, yet again your home looks magazine ready!
I totally think you could rock a tree all year round. Just decorated it per season or throw random stuff on there. The glow is too comforting to only allow it for a month or so a year.
With the table I think you could totally rock something bold in that room either color or pattern- both could be a bit much. Whatever you do I'm sure it will be simply gorgeous!
Aw, thanks Trisha 😀 I can't wait to see how this room comes together – I'm going to be majorly fishing around for inspiration! This is the fun part!
I love the idea of lighting trees. Start the trend! As for the chairs, I really like them, but I would not keep them if they are not comfortable. It just is not worth keeping things just for their looks.
Thanks Jessica! I think I'll live with them for a little while and see how I feel about their comfort – I tend to be pretty bad about sacrificing comfort for appearance though, lol 🙂
I took my tree down on the 11th. I wanted to keep it up all year too!!
Haha, mine is still up! *sheepish grin* I wonder when it's finally going to come down…
What a great find! I would definitely keep the chairs and paint them. White would be great if you paint the room. A fun color could be nice if you like pops of color. I can't wait to see what you end up doing!
Thanks Melissa! I do love pops of color… still waffling on what to do! I'm going to paint the room first and feel it out 🙂