Dining Room Nook

Jan 27, 20213 min read

Every year after year after all the Christmas decorations are taken down, my mood tanks. January and February are usually the hardest. No more holiday parties and festivities. No more Christmas trees. It's too early and cold to start working outside in the garden. It's like this weird in-between time that makes you want to eat all the carbs and just stay in your joggers all day. Do you ever feel that way?

Over the years, I've come to expect getting the winter blues after Christmas. It happens every year. But I've tried to work on doing things that ease or alleviate that blah feeling. Two things I've realized help tremendously are:

Bringing in lots of green! Houseplants are such a huge mood booster for me when it's so cold and gray outside!
Getting my house back in order. After pulling out all of the Christmas decor, doesn't it seem like our homes just feel blah? So, I like to try to create little moments of cozy, like this nook in my dining room. So far, this is the only space I've really tackled post-Christmas other than my Plant Propagation Station

Vintage Cozy Style

“I love vintage things that people have used and cherished. They have personality, character, and soul.” Anna Hillegass

It wasn't intentional, but after I pulled this nook together, I realized that most everything I used was vintage or antique.

From the Thonet Bentwood rocking chair, (more on that in a moment) to the antique pie safe that has been in my husband's family for many decades, or the vintage Trixie Belden books my mom gave my girls that I brought in for a pop of color, each item has so much character and a story to tell.

Speaking of a story to tell, the antique pie safe has a very unique history and amazing story and I wrote all about it on my other blog. Click HERE to read all about it. So interesting!

Thonet Bentwood Rockers

I found this Bentwood rocking chair on Facebook marketplace last summer for only $25 dollars! Obviously, it has been well-loved, but I absolutely love the curved shape of the legs and the caning on the seatback. Rattan and furniture pieces with caning have been having a major comeback! Some mint condition Bentwood rockers are selling on Ebay for hundreds or even thousands of dollars! But, don't worry if you haven't been able to score a vintage one. You can find beautiful, new versions of the rocker now. Shop the look below.

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I decided to add little pops of pink with the books and the blush pink pillow. I love adding touches of Valentine's Day to a space without it being over the top.

All three of the mirrors I have layered on top of this pies safe are antique or vintage that I've picked up over the years. I just love a good old mirror with patina on it. It gives it so much character! The gold frame was given to me by my grandmother. By the way, that photo of my hubby and I on our wedding day is one of my favorites! Our sixteenth anniversary is this weekend!