A Nifty, Thrifty Room . . .

Welcome to my dining room! This room is also known as 'The Room of Thrifty Finds', 'The Dang Cheap Room' and 'That Room With The Table Where We Never Eat'. It is probably my second favorite room in the house after the kitchen. I think it has something to do with it being the room that required the least amount of work when we moved into the house and it being the room that doesn't get used and therefore rarely needs to be cleaned.

Why am I posting about this room? I guess it's to prove a little point. Get ready - here it comes and it's gonna be small because this is my dirty little secret- there are only two things in this room that I paid full price for. The rest of it was so inexpensive I'm almost embarrassed to tell you about it. There. I said it. And actually, I'm quite proud of it, even though I put it in little tiny writing (just going for the drama - after all I am a Carlson by birth). I just wanted to remind myself, and all of you that decorating doesn't have to be expensive. There are lots of ways to cut costs and make your nest cute.

One of the things I love about this room is that it's the first thing you see when you come into my house and though it's a shame we hardly use the room, it does help it stay clean. The plates on the wall are a great conversation starter. People wonder about that collection and where it came from. It is very hard for me to pass a great white plate at a thrift store. I wish my photography were better and you could see the sweet and delicate patterns that differentiate one plate from the next.

I also love the paint color in this room. It's Benajamin Moore's Quincy Tan. I painted right over the chair rail. Originally I'd left it white, but it was a glaring division in the middle of the room and drew negative attention. I like it better now. (My mama made the suggestion to paint it - thanks ma, you were right!)

I'm looking for some advice on what to do with the table. If I had a million bucks I'd buy a new table and chairs. But I don't even have five hundred bucks, so that's not a realistic option. Should I paint the table or leave it? Maybe if I got a nice lighter colored rug the table and floor wouldn't blend into each other so much. I'll have to try that approach with The Hubby!

I hope you'll enjoy these pictures of my dining room. I will make a promise to any reader who pays me a visit . . . I WILL FEED YOU A DELICIOUS MEAL IN THIS VERY ROOM IF YOU COME SEE ME! Happy Thrifting Readers. Let me know what your best thrift store find has been.