Last month, I shared a plan for a dining area refresh, thanks to a sponsored partnership with AllModern. As I mentioned in that post, nothing in our home is ever truly done. I like to think design is a fluid process where you’re always making adjustments and accounting for lifestyle changes or new pieces that you absolutely fall in love with (but I also totally get that lots of people don’t love the process so I always make sure things are done when I work with e-design clients!).
AllModern Dining Area Refresh
In my last post, I was considering both a new chandelier and a new sconce. However, I also wanted to work on the details. We have great dishware but we were lacking a bit when it came to entertaining pieces. So we bypassed the chandelier because #budget and, while we’re still getting the sconce, the one we want hasn’t been in stock.
But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t still make an impact…
Entertaining for Two at Home
Side note: I’ll be 100% honest, we eat most of our weekday meals in the living room. If there was one piece of advice I could give anyone looking to buy, it’s make sure that your dining area is next to your kitchen. The way ours flows, it has to go from kitchen to living area to dining area. And, while it’s only a few steps, it does present an obstacle to actually sitting at the table everyday. Our dining table looks beautiful in the front bay window but it’s simply not functional for eating most evenings.
However, on the weekends, we always make an effort to set the table and eat at least breakfast and dinner in our dining area. It may just be the two of us (especially now, during pandemic times!) but I like to pull out the placemats, the cloth napkins, the fancy plates, the serving dishes, and, of course, candles.
It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort, all it requires is having the right pieces to whip out in a jiffy.
Dining Pieces From AllModern
When I think of AllModern, I think of furniture and large home goods. It’s where we’ve gotten rugs and runners, outdoor furniture, lighting fixtures, and more. But they actually have an incredible variety of super high quality dining items.
For this tablescape, I chose a black ceramic candelabra. I’ve always loved the look of black candlesticks but I felt like this dressed it up even a step further…plus it’s all in one piece. It’s straight out of a formal dining room but, in black ceramic, it’s something you can use on a casual Friday night.
Then I chose an acacia wooden tray that’s uber-versatile. I actually used this to hold holiday cards last month and, at this very moment, it’s holding two candle holders and a potted succulent as the centerpiece to our table. However, it also works for presenting fancy glasses when you’re serving a bottle of wine.
Lastly, I was still using champagne glasses I’d bought years ago. They were cute but we really should have upgraded when we got married. Thankfully, AllModern came through and I splurged on mod Schott Zwiesel champagne flutes.They’re perfect for a bubbly cocktail.
So, with just a few changes, our weekend dinners have been upgraded because, even when you’re just entertaining for two, it’s still worth dressing up your space (and, y’all, I have four champagne flutes so I’m ready to at least have a small group over soon hopefully!).
