Gather 'round...

Some dining room loveliness for you today...

Nate Berkus deisgn

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 Le Petit Bijou - Vicki Archer

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 Meyer Davis Lake House

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 Photo by Johan Sellen

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A few weeks ago, I mentioned that my partner and I were on the hunt for a new dining table and chairs. With our family expanding, we decided that now would be a good time to make more room at our table. We aimed to find a set which would comfortably seat at least eight people.

Our old dining set had a small round table, and sat four people. It was cozy, and it worked for us for the time we had it--other than at Christmas and Easter gatherings, when we had eight people to accommodate. On those occasions, we brought our outdoor dining set inside, and pushed the tables together. We made do.

While hunting for our new dining set, we looked at just about every furniture store in the area, only to wind up at Ikea. Honestly, we had hoped to avoid getting the set there, but they had the largest table, which was still within our budget. We decided upon the brown-black Stornas table, which has two extension leaves, and can seat eight to ten people, eight white Ingolf chairs, and matching white chair pads, for comfort's sake. We had been considering getting upholstered chairs, until we imagined tiny sticky fingers smearing across the fabric. Having a baby is definitely changing our perspective on things!

All in all, we are quite happy with our choice. The table is massive! The chairs are very solidly built. Since the table is a bit darker than we would like, we are considering painting it more of a chocolate colour, sometime. Also, down the road, we would like to upholster the seats on the chairs, which seems like an easy enough thing to do. The chair design would allow that to happen. We'll see how much time and energy we will have for such projects, once our little one is here. Bonus: yesterday, the new Ikea catalogue arrived in our mailbox, and we saw that our table has gone up in price by $40. How is that for good timing?

We are so happy to have plenty of room at our table, for family and friends to gather 'round. That's what really matters.

Sorry for the not-so-great photo, taken on my phone. Just thought you might like to see the finished result...

Rustic Romantic Auckland Wedding

To kick off Wedding Week, here is the beautiful country wedding of Jessica and Rowan, in Auckland, New Zealand. The bride, Jessica Sim, is a fashion and wedding photographer herself, so she knew how to visualize her dream wedding. Both the wedding ceremony and reception were held at a heritage-listed venue called Abbeville Estate, taking advantage of the site's charming gardens. 

A bohemian mood was what the couple had in mind for their wedding... set in the country, with flowers which look hand-picked from a garden, a romantic lace gown for the bride... all combined to create an incredibly lovely day.

As you can see, this rustic wedding was absolutely magical. I think the beautiful photos tell it all!

{ALL IMAGES found at Magnolia Rouge; PHOTOGRAPHY Danelle Bohane SECOND SHOOTER Joe Tiddy FLORIST Leaf & Honey CAKE Carol Hogg STATIONERY DIY VENUE Abbeville Estate BRIDE’S DRESS John Zimmermann BRIDE’S SHOES Pulp BRIDE’S HAIR & MAKE-UP Carolyn Haslett BRIDESMAIDS’ HAIR & MAKE-UP Stacy Lee Ghin GROOM’S ATTIRE Barkers CATERERS The Great Catering Company JEWELLERY Lovisa}

The Mill House

A serene home has been created in a renovated mill. The stone structure, with its neutral palette and wood elements, evoke a timeless feel, while the mix of vintage and classic furnishings add style and comfort. What a warm and elegant place to call home.

(Images found here & here)