I had such fun with this Dining Room Window refresh in my nook this week!  

The dining room windows are one of my very favorite things about our home.  The whole area is a sort of bay window area we affectionately call ‘The Nook’.  Changing out the decor here is always fun and inspiring.  I think this is my favorite yet.

The plants, the macrame, the concrete topped table, the tree stumps, the basket, the RUG!  Can I get an amen on that rug?  It’s from Rifle Paper Co. and I got it for Christmas.  I actually hung it on the wall in my living room in late winter – lots of heavy duty command strips worked like a charm.  Till I decided to take it down.  Command strips do NOT come off the wall without taking paint and drywall paper off with them.  My living room wall is a hot mess from all the command strips from different decor objects over the past few years.  At some point it will be time to repair and repaint, but for now I just make sure the newest decor covers the worst of it.

My fiddle leaf fig in the corner of my dining room windows is several years old now and it just keeps growing. 

It has grown past the ceiling height once already, and I cut it back.  I’d read somewhere, that where you cut a fiddle it will then branch out in more than one direction.  I was a bit hesitant to cut the plant because it was so gorgeous and tall.  However, I knew it would be best to cut it and so I did it.  And low and behold, it worked! I was so excited to see it grow new branches in 3 directions.  I’m convinced the south light from these dining room windows is a key ingredient to my success at growing this amazing fiddle.  Fun fact – the plant was a $5.98 clearance plant from Kroger – how cool is that?!

Styling Tip – Clear your space completely and start fresh!

Everything was cleared out of this space except the fiddle tree.  I knew it was staying but I wanted everything else gone so I could start with an empty space and add just what I wanted.  Simply trying to switch out this and that from a space works sometimes, for example, when adding a few seasonal tchotchkes for a holiday.  When you feel your space needs a complete overhaul, it is best to just remove it all and only add back as you feel happy with the results. Any leftover decor or plants that didn’t go back to this space found homes in other places around the house.  It’s ok to store a bit of decor! That’s one of the things that keeps redecorating fun, when you can shop your home and switch things up.

The Monstera plant in the right corner is part of a plant I have had for a few years.  I have taken it apart twice now to create new plants. 

I’ve given away dozens of pieces to friends to start their own and create happy spaces like this.  The plant here is just starting to grow its first new shoot since I separated the big plant in the spring.  Another one from the same original plant, lives in my living room, and is well on its way to becoming a large plant that needs separated again.

And now, just for fun, how about we take a trip down memory lane and see some of the styles this dining room windows space has sported.

Circ 2013, January

A minimalistic look for winter after the bling of the holidays.  I tend to go minimalist every year after Christmas, although it never last long.  See the stripes on my dinging room walls?  I actually painted them on – twice.  The first time I used flat paint and glossy paint in the same color.  A few years down the road when they needed repainting I painted the walls satin and went over the stripes with a faux finish product that created the glossy look.  The fun basket light was from IKEA.

circa 2013, June

circa 2013, September

This was one of the first years I had my hydrangea plants and I used their blooms all over the house.

circa 2014, April

I still love everything about this set up for my dining room nook.  I still have several of the things featured here, and I wish I still had a couple others.  The table and chair are both gone now, they moved on to new homes and are hopefully living their best lives gracing someone else’s home.

circa 2015, February

This white table I do still have, as well as that cool old school chair.  The old dining table and benches is a favorite constant that likely will never change!

circa 2015, October

Hydrangea and bushes with berries gave me the best fall decor ever back then.  This was before my table top got a repaint job – notice all the paint and marker spots on that table leaf.  My little girls used this table hard when they were growing up!

circa 2016, February

The year I housed my architectural drawers in the dining room nook, even though they were too big for the space, because I needed them for business storage.  These drawers are now languishing in my storage unit while waiting to be moved to their new space that has been under construction for over 2 years.

circa 2017, Easter

circa 2018, Christmas

Christmas is my favorite.  It’s fun to look back through these old photos and see what has changed and what has stayed.  That grey dresser has a fun story – it was white with gold handles in its original state, and my parents used it for a dressing table for me when I was a baby.  When I was needing a dressing table for my first baby, my mom handed this one down to me.  I used it like it was for a couple years and then I had a friend help me give it a makeover.  I still love those handles we chose.  The dresser has moved around from place to place in this house, but currently sits in that exact spot!

And there you have it.

My dining room nook over the years.  2019 and 2020 are missing as I was too busy to do much at home in 2019, and we all know 2020 is the lost year.  I’m so happy to have my dining room widows looking lovely again.

Refreshing this space also refreshed my soul.  I feel most happy when my home is clean and well styled.  Yes, life gets messy, and my home usually looks lived in!  I still strive to keep it somewhat organized and cleaned up as much as possible.  I find it is easier now that the girls are no longer toddlers.  Now I make piles for each person and they get to take care of their own messes 🙂

I would love to know what your favorite space in your home is, as well as your decorating style.  Share with me in the comments.

Be Blessed,

Jill