Mood Board Monday Party: Dinnerware and Dining Rooms

Hi, there! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Welcome to the 11th Mood Board Monday McLinky Party. Glad you could make it:)

This blog party is all about seeing how different people are inspired differently by the same things. This time we're celebrating Thanksgiving and all the other upcoming holidays during which gathering around the table with family and friends is so important. Your task was to design a dining room inspired by one of the four dinnerware sets below. And even though we're all creating the same kind of room, I know they're still going to be very different. So fun!


1. David Stark Wood Slices-Organic Dinnerware from West Elm

{Designed by David Stark, loosely sketched tree rings printed on Wood Slices Organic Dinnerware bring the natural world to your table in gleaming gold metallic}

2. Penumbral Doily Dinnerware from Anthropologie

{Delicate lines of dainty crochet work are impressed upon glazed terracotta.}

3. Chirp Collection, from Lenox Simply Fine Dinnerware, available at Macy's

{A splash of bright watercolor-inspired birds and florals adorn each plate and the interiors as well as exteriors of bowls and mugs.}

4. Philippe Deshoulieres' "Dhara" collection, available at Bloomingdales

{Dhara is inspired by the side designs of a poetry manuscript from Saadi. The colors are inspired by the traditional saris from Penjab and Cachemire. Philippe Deshoulieres has been producing porcelain in the Limoges region of France for six generations.}

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Here's my mood board for the week. I knew I wanted to use the West Elm Wood Slices dinnerware right away. In addition, I was inspired by some other things going on around blogland recently. Mainly, the beautiful, organic new textiles by Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home. I decided I wanted to use one of her fabrics for the drapes and when I saw the Magnolia in Orange, the rest of my mood board took shape. (And went in a totally different direction than what I set out to do.) I knew I was after a mix of industrial, rustic, traditional, elegant (while still being cozy) space, I just hadn't planned on it looking like this:) This room is very dark and moody when I'm usually drawn to lighter, more airy spaces. I hadn't planned on using so many warm tones (I'm kind of in a cool stage now), but when I chose the magnolia print I decided to just go for the whole holiday, warm, fall thing.


1. The palette: I'd paint the walls a dark warm grey, to help offset all the golds, chocolates, oranges and other warm tones in here. I was also inspired recently by the painted ceiling and wide crown molding and baseboards in Carrie's family room makeover, so I thought here I'd paint the ceiling a soft beige/gold to reflect the rug and use thick white crown, trim and baseboards.
2. The inspiration: the David Stark Wood Slices-Organic Dinnerware from West Elm
3. On the floor, this Taara Rug from Pottery Barn. I really like the pattern (inspired by Rajasthan block prints) and how there's not a lot of contrast. And just realized they no longer carry this rug in either 8 x 10 or 9 x 12...oops. Whatever, this is all in our imaginations anyways, right?
4. I knew right away I wanted sort of a rough, rustic, natural, old feel for the table. I like the idea of honoring wood in a different than the very metallic, modern, clean way the dishes celebrate wood. The Gun Barrel Salvaged Wood Dining Table from Restoration Hardware does the trick nicely.
5. At the two heads of the table, I like the idea of using these Belfort Wingback Leather Chairs (also from Restoration Hardware). They add a softness to the room and a lovely warmth (both in color and feel, at least I hope they would!). They make the room both cozier and more formal all at the same time.
6. To contrast this, I'd use these Marias A Side Chairs from Industry West (thanks for posting about these this week, Layla!) in gunmetal along the sides of the table. I didn't want the room to get too formal, plus they add a bit more of that industrial vibe. I like the cool tones they bring to the room, help tie in the wall color.
7. Been loving this Lourdes Chandelier every time I flip through the latest Ballard Design catalogs. Why not use it here?!
8. For storage and as a serving area, I'd use the Benchwright Buffet from Pottery Barn. The rustic mahogany stain will bring that dark warm chocolate color from the leather chairs to another part of the room.
9. and 10. I love mercury glass, especially at the holidays. This 1800s Rare Antique Mercury Glass Apothecary Jar and Large Estate 13 Piece Mercury Glass Collection (both from etsy seller ParisCoutureAntiques) would look beautiful on the buffet (or on the table or elsewhere in the room). Their reflectiveness would hopefully add some light and sparkle to the room and since they're silver, bring in more of those cool tones to balance out all the browns and golds in here.
11. I've realized that I love symmetrical series of things framed on the wall. I'd frame a bunch of pages from this 2012 Calendar Flowers and Feathers (from the Wild Unknown) in Pottery Barn Gilt Frames (add some of that gold tone onto the dark gray walls) and hang them in a grid...here I've only shown two, but I'm thinking like 6 or 8 depending on the actual size of the space.
12. For the floor-length drapes and to pack a big punch, plus add that softness/layering to the room, Magnolia in Orange from Pure Style Home by Lauren Liess.
13. and 14. Didn't want the room to become too stuffy and formal, so to add some fun, I'd hang these prints somewhere (not together) - Golden Rules Letterpress Poster and Large Owl Linocut in Orange, both by etsy seller PRINTforLOVEofWOOD.
15. I've always liked the idea of a huge floor-length mirror in the dining room (probably out for now in our house because of the whole toddler thing, maybe down the road), so I'm using the lovely Amiel Arched Antiqued Mirror from Ballard Designs here.
16. To a bit more patina and age, this Antique Copper Boiler (American circa 1880s) from etsy seller ParisCoutureAntiques would work well as a cooler/ice bucket for beverages. It can also hold firewood at the foot of the fireplace I just decided would also be in this room:)

I had intentions of adding some bits of a table setting and maybe some specific holiday decor, but then I ran out of time. And space on the mood board itself. Ooops.

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Now its your turn! Here's what you do to join the party:

1. Create a mood board for a dining room using one of the four dinnerware patterns above.
2. Write a post about it, including sources (with a link back to this post so others can come look).
3. Add your name, project and thumbnail image to the Linky here on this post.
4. Then add the link to your SPECIFIC Mood Board Monday POST, not your general blog address.
5. Have fun checking out all the other wonderful rooms!

Thanks so much for taking the time to join the party!!! And even though its a bit early, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving:)