February 8, 2013

Dining Room at Our Cottage


Between recovering from my second cold of the winter season and all of our 2013 trip planning, I have been pulled this way and that. But now I have a slice of time to finally share some recent photos of our dining room at Grey Havens cottage.

Needless to say, a “cookie cutter” look of decorating doesn’t match our personalities. Our style is country eclectic, blending antiques and folk art together. The dining room furnishings announce a whimsical bent as soon as a visitor walks through the front door.


The dining room table and chairs are antiques that hail from the early years of Berea College’s student craft industries. (A history of the student crafts is provided HERE, along with an old photo of Mr. Jim’s mom, who was in charge of their weaving program during the 1940s.) This is the set that we will soon be replacing. Though the chairs have been repaired countless times, they are too unstable to stand up to use. A handsome Jackson press cabinet takes center stage along the far wall, flanked by a couple of my needlework samplers (antique reproductions). And the woodwork in the dining room provides a beautiful backdrop to anything we put in the room!

The Jackson press is a two-piece cabinet made out of butternut. When he was a lad, Mr. Jim found it in back of a gas station in rural Kentucky, and he painstakingly restored it. A collection of Rowe pottery resides behind the glass doors. A small copper weathervane from Maine is tucked in the corner. A weathered apple basket holds a pile of catalogs and magazines.


Did you notice the pot of primroses in the first photo? Below is a better look of the flowers that brighten up the table. I plan to replace the simple tablecloth with a handmade quilted one after the new table arrives. An out-of-focus Kevin is seen in the background (proving that he is fuzzy in more ways than one). Kevin, the giant artist teddy bear, has been featured in earlier posts.


Tucked in another corner of the room is an antique pie safe that we acquired many years ago in a jaunt up to southern Pennsylvania. Punched metal tins decorate the front and sides. And a tiny peek into my home office is seen in the distance.


I hope you enjoyed this little tour!

21 comments:

  1. i saw blah, blah, blah, WEATHER VANE!!!, blah, blah, blah. :)

    LOVE that! :)

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  2. What a pretty dining room you have. That Jackson press cabinet is gorgeous. That was certainly a great find.

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  3. I love those chairs, too bad they need replacing. A room filled with character.

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  4. Very nice inviting room. When's dinner?

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  5. Ooh, Donna! Love the whole room! You two did an awesome job putting everything together.

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  6. i agree - i'm ready for dinner please. i'll bring dessert. ( :

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  7. You know I love every inch of it. And re your comment on my blog (which made me laugh out loud) I believe that is EXACTLY what O was doing. Heads will roll for this!!!!

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  8. Donna
    I think your home has the look of a Colonial home.
    It's very warm and personally I think a home should reflect
    items that the owner loves.
    I bet your cross-stitch samplers took a while to finish!
    You'll have to give us a close-up of them someday.

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  9. Beautiful dining room, Donna... Guess what caught my attention? It's something you didn't mention.................. The beautiful samplers on the wall!!!! Did you do that? SO gorgeous. I'd love to see an up-close-and-personal photo of them.....

    Love the entire room--but that Jackson Press cabinet is awesome.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. The first comment cracks me up! Of course...I saw the teddy bears first! I sure love your big dining room. Most homes don't have them any more! It's lovely!

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  11. Your dining room is wonderful! Country eclectic? I love that description. The history behind your table and chairs is wonderful - it's too bad they need to be replaced! Every piece in your room captures my heart! If I were visiting you would have to drag me from room-to-room because I would stand and look at every single thing! I've loved seeing your home from the first photos you shared!
    ~Adrienne~

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  12. Oh Donna, that is lovely. Nicely done.

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  13. I certainly did and can't wait to see your new dining room table and chairs!

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  14. Your home is beautiful, Donna, and even more lovely when one sees it in person! Jess and I were just talking about you and Jim last week... When we go to Knoxville, we usually stop off at the (fairly new) Goodwill at the Hardin Valley exit. Hope you are feeling much better! :)

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  15. Very pretty, Donna! I especially love the pie safe. My grandmother had one in the big house, although it was taller, and was supposed to come to me. However, years later I saw it in one of my 2nd cousin's house. And, they had painted it. Wait for this: PINK!!!!!

    Glad you're feeling better.

    xoxo

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  16. It's beautiful. So simple and clean looking, I love it. :)

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  17. A cozy dining and full of light, these beautiful wooden furniture. I like the detail of flowers and dolls :))
    a kiss.

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  18. Of course I Spied the butter churn!!! I have one as well...my Moms. Love it!
    Beautiful home Miz Donna!!
    hughugs

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  19. I DID enjoy the tour. Another beautiful dining set! Glad the table can be used elsewhere now! I love a good wooden chair, and feel bad when they are beyond repair. My parents handed down their Hitchcock kitchen chairs to us, and though we used them well... perhaps it was too well, as they tell me they should last a lifetime, and we totally did them in!?!?!

    I LOVE your decorating style Donna! -- and all of the wood! Just beautiful! Thanks for another great link xo

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Marty, here! Donna loves comments, and I faithfully pass them on to her. Thank you so much for visiting!