Top 10: Dining Room Decorating Ideas

Your home is a reflection of your personality and serves as an inviting space for your family and friends. No room should ever have to be boring! Take a look at these ten easy steps to turn your dining room from bland to fabulous. 

Photo Source: HGTV

[1] Add Art: Multiple canvas paintings have become a popular home trend over the last ten years, with  no sign of stopping. Looking to buy artwork? Seek out paintings that come in a series and can be displayed together on one wall. Of course, we recommend our very own Alice McNeely! Looking to DIY? Stock image photography can be applied to canvas, much like the artwork seen above. Many document stores offer photo and image transfers to canvas. Interested in painting something yourself? Get inspired by abstract art.

Photo Source: HGTV

[2] Add Paint: Have leftover paint from the bedroom? Pattern your walls with a striped paint treatment. In addition to creating interest, the room will feel wider. We recommend lighter colors for smaller rooms, as dark colors can often make a room look tiny. 

Photo Source: HGTV

[3] Add Lighting: Modernize your dining room with industrial style lighting. Inexpensive, it creates a perfect balance against natural furnishings and rustic chairs. Looking to DIY? There are plenty of tutorials on the web for modern lighting you can create. Get to searching!

Photo Source: HGTV

[4] Personalize It: Tired of your chairs? Sick of your china? Dress it up! Adding personalized slip covers to tired chairs creates a chic, one-of-a-kind look for your home. Love your chairs? Add the personalization to cloth place mats or napkins instead! Your guests will feel like part of the family.

Photo Source: HGTV

[5] Display Collections: Stop hiding your china in the cabinet and start showing it off! Make a style statement by displaying a favorite collection of dishes. Instead of taking up space in your cabinets, they are now a work of art. The accent of the blue paint leading to the collection is also a nice touch.

Photo Source: HGTV

[6] Stunning Ceiling: In so many rooms of our homes we seem to forget the fifth wall - the ceiling! Start showing it off by adding architectural details such as molding or beams. Why stop there? Painting the ceiling a different color, or in this case a design, is an excellent way to add visual interest to your dining room.

Photo Source: HGTV

[7] Exquisite Lighting: Looking to really set your dining room apart from the masses? Go all out with lighting! Inset wall lighting and a gorgeous chandelier are the finishing touches on a well designed dining room.

Photo Source: HGTV

[8] Own It: Personalizing your home shouldn't end at the living room and bedroom. Find something that is uniquely you, place it in your dining room, and design around it. This homeowner hung a favorite painting of horses and let the inspiration begin. The chairs, lighting, and wall color all compliment the artwork. 

Photo Source: HGTV

[9] Wallpaper It: It's not your grandmother's wallpaper anymore! More homes are featuring rooms with accents of bold wallpaper, and it appears this trend isn't going anywhere anytime soon! Today's options range from vibrant graphics to updated florals. Choose a design and get inspired.

Photo Source: HGTV

[10] Eclectic Seating: Who said everything had to match anyway? Mix it up with interesting pieces! Turn a nook into a cozy, casual dining area with banquette style seating and even a wingback chair. The key to making this look work is choosing wood and colors that match or compliment one another.

Will you take on one of these challenges this weekend? We would love to see your room makeovers! Post your room re-do on our Facebook for a chance to make it on our blog. Happy Decorating!

Featured Properties!

We are so proud of our beautiful listings and our sales. Each week the blog will showcase featured properties in the area. If you are interested in more details on any of the listings, please call our office at (985) 892-1478. 

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Stunningly beautiful 5 bedroom home on a deep lot. Many upgrades and improvements including landscaping with lighting, carpet, replaced wood, plantation shutters, custom window treatments, fencing, patios, and more. Double sided fireplace, large gourmet kitchen, stainless appliances, custom cabinets, and granite. Convenient to the Causeway and great schools. Must see to appreciate!

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

NEW LOWER PRICE! Charming Acadian tucked away on 1.8 acres with authentic stucco exterior, serene stocked pond, and lush landscaping. Inside you'll discover an ingenious flowing floor plan with spacious rooms, high ceilings, wood floors, abundance of natural light, gourmet kitchen with brick enclosed oven, and private guest suite. Impeccably maintained.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Fabulous downtown condo with magnificent Old World architecture. Soaring ceilings and travertine and hardwood flooring throughout. Gourmet kitchen has top of the line appliances and granite counter tops. Spacious master bedroom with elegant bath and walk-in closet. Fireplace, elevator, antique doors, and wrap-around balconies are just a few of the many amenities in this beautiful home. Walking distance to restaurants, galleries, and shopping.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Spring Treats!

It's that time of the year again! Every supermarket is ready for Easter and stocked with pastel colored marshmallow bunnies and chicks. This fluffy treat is more commonly known as a "Peep" and they have been brightening springtime for over half a century. Whether they end up in an Easter basket or in a desk drawer for snacking, they always seem to be very popular. 

To celebrate the short amount of time this treat is available, I wanted to share with you some creative solutions for your leftover Easter candy. 

Each year, The Washington Post hosts a contest to see who can create the most artistic Peep scene. The artwork showcases hundred of people inspired by this iconic seasonal candy. I've chosen some of the entries from past years to show you below. 

Photo Source: The Washington Post

This Peep creation was inspired by Edward Hoppers famous Nighthawks painting. 

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Another view of the Hopper inspired piece.

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Campfire Peeps!

Photo Source: The Washington Post 

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbuster Peeps!

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Peep scene inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds.

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Sesame Street turns into Sesame Peep!

Photo Source: The Washington Post

The Peeps take on the Beatles in this classic Abbey Road scene.

Photo Source: The Washington Post

The King lives on!

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Just a couple of Peeps Next Door at the Playpeep Mansion!

Photo Source: The Washington Post

The lion Peeps tonight!

Photo Source: The Washington Post

The Peeps go to Woodstock

Photo Source: The Washington Post

Project Peepway!

Not interested in creating your own Peep-tacular scene? Try making Peep sushi with your leftover Easter candy! Items such as Rice Krispie treats, Fruit Roll Ups, and  Twizzlers can be used to "roll" your own creation!

Photo Source: Serious Eats

Photo Source: Serious Eats

Photo Source: Serious Eats

Get creative with your family and friends. We wish you all a Happy Easter!

Featured Properties!

We are so proud of our beautiful listings and our sales. These are but a few of our featured properties.To see more featured properties, view our albums on Facebook or visit jenniferrice.net. If you are interested in more details on any of the listings, please call our office at (985) 892-1478.

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Beautiful country French brick home overlooking pool and pond. 6 stall barn with 1 bedroom apartment. Wash rack, feed, and tack room included. Fenced and cross fenced on 24 rolling acres with unbelievable huge oaks and gorgeous trees. Open floor plan with wood floors, high ceilings, and cypress panels in den.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

 Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Country living at its finest. Charming Acadian set on 30 acres of fenced and cross fenced property on prestigious Old Military Road. private gated electric entrance with 8 stall barn including tack room, office, and full bathroom. Home overlooks views of beautiful oak trees and ponds.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

We aren't just proud of our listings... we are proud of ours sales too! We have SOLD this charming cottage on 60 beautiful acres to a wonderful client!

Desk 911

Do you find yourself swimming in paperwork and a jumble of office supplies? For most of us, our workspaces are far from serene. These quick and easy projects may be just the trick to whip your desk into perfect working order!

Paint Can Cubbies

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Don't let your desktop disappear under piles of paperwork. Inexpensive, unused cans can be purchased at paint stores; lined up on a shelf and anchored in place with Velcro, they become organizing cubbyholes with a modern flair. Assign cans as storage spaces for bills, catalogs, and personal mail, or one for each member of the family. Label the shelf beneath to make sorting easy.

Cloth Covered Storage Boxes

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Storage boxes are essential in offices, but that doesn't mean they have to be dull! Use a little creativity to add a splash of color to your basic boxes. Cut a plus-sign shape out of book cloth, measuring fabric so each side panel covers box with an extra 1/2 inch on both sides and 2 inches on end. (Get the template.) Spread paste on center cloth panel; set box on top. Spread paste on side panels, and cover box, folding excess cloth over top edge, around corners, or under itself to hide seams. Hold in place with clothespins; let dry overnight. Cover lids if desired. And remember, you don't have to limit yourself to fabric - wallpaper and sturdy wrapping paper are also excellent solutions.

 Shared Office Space Strategies

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

It can be a challenge to create a desk that's roomy enough for one person, let alone two. This symmetrical setup is the perfect solution, unifying a pair of workstations in an open configuration that fits snugly against almost any stretch of wall without overwhelming the rest of the room.

Kitchen cabinets hung overhead are put to creative use, eliminating the need for bulky file cabinets and providing instant access to documents and miscellaneous items. With a simple design that fits seamlessly into this (or any) contemporary decor, they also provide discreet storage.

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

A functional backdrop crafted from alternating panels of bulletin and magnetic board is covered in unifying swaths of aqua linen. (An alternative to a magnetic board could be cork board squares covered with fabric.) The vivid fabric conceals the different materials and stands out from the room's graphic black-and-white color scheme. 

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Magnetic hooks, caddies, and tins provide hanging storage for small items. Many varieties of caddies and hooks are available at local office supply stores.

Framed Bulletin Board

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

A hardworking bulletin board is, quite literally, pretty as a picture when covered with cheerful fabric, then placed in a frame and hung from a wide ribbon. The frame is painted to complement the fabric, which makes a perfect background for favorite photographs and letters, along with the more prosaic matters of life such as the phone bill and the grocery list. Have a lumber yard cut 3/4-inch-thick Homasote fiberboard to fit a large frame. Cut a piece of fabric 2 inches larger all around; place facedown on work surface. Center fiberboard over fabric. Wrap one side of fabric to the back. Using a staple gun, attach fabric to board, beginning with one staple in the middle of the side, 1 1/2 inches in from the edge. Wrap fabric over opposite side, and secure to board with a staple directly opposite the first. Repeat with other two sides. Continue stapling fabric, working out toward the corners, always adding staples in pairs on opposite sides of the board, ensuring fabric stretches evenly. Place board in frame; secure in place with angle brackets at each corner. Attach D-rings to back of top corners of the frame. Loop ribbon through D-rings, and hang.

Office Wire Organizer

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Eliminate tangles under your work area by feeding all cords through a hole drilled in the desktop. Then plug the wires into a power-surge protector strip, which is mounted on the underside of the desk. Keep cords in a coated wire basket (available at housewares stores) suspended under the desk with wire hooks. Tags identify where each machine wire comes from. 

Wallpaper Shelves

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Add a splash of personality to a lackluster work space by covering plain floating bookshelves with wallpaper. Measure the shelf, and cut the wallpaper slightly longer than shelf and wide enough to wrap around it with an overlap. Use wallpaper paste to affix the wallpaper to the shelf, pasting one side at a time. Cut slits into excess paper at ends, forming flaps; fold down, and affix with paste. Let dry completely, and hang shelves as usual.

Clipboard Artistry

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Use decorative paper (or wallpaper leftovers or samples) to brighten basic clipboards.

Start by making a template: Trace the shape of the board onto card stock, making a notch for the clamp (use a zip tie to hold clamp open while working). Place template on the back of paper; cut out with a craft knife. Brush a thin, even layer of decoupage glue onto clipboard with a craft brush. Affix paper, and smooth out air bubbles with a craft scraper. Brush with decoupage glue. Hang several in place of a bulletin board.

Personalized Tins and Paperweights

Photo Source: Martha Stewart

Brighten your desktop by slipping a picture of a familiar face into the lid of a round tin. Here, a black-and-white photograph was added to a small metal tin with a glass lid (available at crafts stores in assorted sizes). It can hold pins, paper clips, and the like. Or fill it with pebbles, and use it as a paperweight. Round tins can also function as magnets.

To make the tins, print black-and-white photos onto ink-jet paper. Center lid on photo, and trace with pencil. Using scissors, cut along the inside of the traced line. Place photo in lid, and tape it to the lid's inner rim. To magnetize, glue a magnet to the bottom of an empty container, and stick to a metal surface

Let us know how you got crafty this weekend! Post all your creative endeavors on our Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JenniferRiceAndTeam

Featured Properties!

We are so proud of our beautiful listings and our sales. These are but a few of our featured properties.To see more featured properties, view our albums on Facebook or visit jenniferrice.net. If you are interested in more details on any of the listings, please call our office at (985) 892-1478. 

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Fabulous raised Acadian with huge front porch on oversized corner lot with pool one block from Tchefuncte River in the heart of Madisonville.  Mother-in-law apartment with balcony overlooking the pool.  Wood floors, old Chicago brick floors in kitchen, den and utility.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Charming Acadian tucked away on 1.8 acres with authentic stucco exterior, serene stocked pond, and lush landscaping. Inside you'll discover ingenious flowing floor plan with spacious rooms, high ceilings, wood floors, abundance of natural light, gourmet kitchen with brick enclosed oven, and private guest suite.  Impeccably maintained.

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net

Photo Source: Jennifer Rice and Team

Landmark Madisonville Home on Historic Register, completely remodeled for today's lifestyle.  Spectacular bead board walls, old wood floors, soaring ceilings, expansive porches and balconies.  Magnificent master suite with fireplace, sitting room, custom closet and spa-like bath.  1500 sf converted barn easily accommodates 4 cars and could be awesome party pavilliion, not included in square footage. Call for complete list of amenities. 

Want more details? See the listing at: jenniferrice.net