Where I Live Friday...Our Dining Room

Ok, so I've been a total slacker over the past three weeks and not posted a Where I Live post since the kitchens!  I finally had some time to get caught up and here is my dining room post.  I will work on my living room and guest room this weekend.  

I LOVE my dining room.  As you will see with the living room post, our floorplan is VERY open.  It is the reason we purchased the house, it was a great house to entertain in!  I was very hung up on having a formal dining room (which we don't), but now I love having just one big open room.  It is where we host many dinner parties, holidays, and special occasions. 

Keeping with the original theme of my blog, to update our renovation following our house fire, I am post a few BEFORE pics.

My dining room BEFORE December 10, 2008.

I chose to put this picture in so you can see my MIA bridal portrait.  Thanks for all of your help selecting the replacement.  I am going in the morning to order it!

This is my dining room on December 10, 2008.  The AWESOME Catoosa Co Fire Dept covered all of my furniture (I give them all the credit to the fact that my beloved dining room suite survived with just a couple scratches!  They were amazing!!!!!)  There was water, sheetrock, and insulation EVERYWHERE!  You might also notice that I was able to salvage my favorite light fixture!

And now...THE AFTER...

This is the NOW.  My dining room furniture is the only furniture we have purchased since we bought our house and it is EXACTLY what I had in mind.  Clean, crisp, and contemporary, but not too casual.

This is my dining room from the kitchen/living room bar area.  When I chose my milk chocolate paint it was with the thought of my red valences!  I LOVE red and brown together and I knew it would look awesome!  My next major purchase (when we actually have some extra money again!) will be a rug for under the table.

My china cabinet is my very most favorite piece of furniture that I own.  I LOVE the way my china and crystal look on display in it.

I have never been one to leave placemats on my table if I was not using them, but my aunt gave me these Vera Bradley for my birthday and I loved them too much to put them away!  I also LOVE my lemons that I have as my centerpiece.  Another holdover from before.

I found this canvas at Steinmart last year.  It also survived the water and ceilings crashing in around it.  I LOVE how it picks up the brown in the walls!

I thought it would be fun and different to show you some of my favorite pieces out of my china cabinet.  Since I've already confessed my love for glassware and shown you my formal china and crystal, here are my favorite glassware pieces...

My miracle china!  Funny story time!  When I set out my Christmas decorations (10 days before the fire) I decided that I would place my Christmas china on the table and thought, seriously, what was the worst that could happen, Spencer doesn't get near the table and we don't have kids!  Ha!  Well, a few weeks went by and I was looking at pics of my Christmas decorations and realized they were on my table...that the ceiling fell on!  Since the insurance company packed our house, I didn't know if they made it our not.  When I unpacked, I had all 12 in perfect condition!  So, they are my miracle china!  Ha!

My Favorite Glass Bow, I love it!  It is almost the same pattern as my crystal and It makes a beautiful centerpiece or even a punch bowl!

I received this vase as a shower gift and it looks awesome as 

the centerpiece of my china cabinet