Welcome to Tumbleweed Tidings!  I have been working my way through the house putting up holiday decor and today I am so happy to share our dining room, all decked out for the Christmas season.  In many newer homes these days, the trend is for an open concept with few walls separating the kitchen, living and dining areas.  Our home, built in 1999, is more compartmentalized, and in the case of our dining room, this is a good thing.  While it has two entrances and is visible from several areas, the dining room is still a stand-alone space that can hold a slightly different décor than the rest of the house. So while it blends with the entry and living room, it makes a bolder statement than its quiet neighbors.

For the past 10 years, the holiday décor in this room has remained pretty much the same, with tones of gold, copper and greenery. Some years I have added fruit and birds to the mixture, which was actually very pretty.  Ready for a little upgrade, I found my inspiration at a local discount store in the stationary aisle. (As an aside, you just never know where you will find a decorating jumping off point!)  There was a package of party fans in gold, silver and copper, with glitter, metallic, stripes and polka dots.  At $9.99, they had my name written all over them.

Then I turned the corner and found a metallic nutcracker in subtle shades of silver and gold, and my scheme was established. I went through my old supply of dining room decorations and picked out all of the items that would go with this palette.  Pinecones in natural, gold, and silver glittered, nature inspired ornaments in all metallic shades, and a few DIY upgrades using spray paint and garage sale finds completed the look.

Our newly purchased dining light fixture created an opportunity to add some holiday glitz, as well. My sister Loralee and niece Audrey were here for a few days over Thanksgiving, so I did what any self-respecting hostess would do and put them to work!  They took over the light fixture decoration by adding some airy greenery boughs and hanging some large gold pinecones.  The effect is so unique and beautiful, and I love the job they did.

They also helped me hang those amazing jumping-off-point fans on the wall. They might be a little over the top for some, but once they went up, the room totally came together.  Below the fan collections, are signs hung from ribbon that say Believe and O Come Let us Adore Him in gold lettering.

The top of the hutch contains the DIY trees I painted, some birch logs my husband cut up, and a winter Santa.

On the glass credenza, there is an antique copper tray filled with more of the greenery and a collection of brass, bronze and silver candlestick holders filled with candles with a metallic flair.  I am a little obsessed with the striped and polka dot candles I found at Hobby Lobby this year, I’m not going to lie.

One the other end, the nutcracker and some humble spray painted garage sale trees complete the look.

On the table itself, there is a cream runner with a metallic overlay; items I’ve had for years. They serve as the base for some greenery, two deer, a hurricane lamp and two brass candlestick holders.  The rest is filled in with large pinecones and other accents that reinforce the metallic theme.

The small tabletop tree sits in the corner, and is decorated in a collection of silver, gold and copper ornaments, as well as some natural pinecone elements.  We used to have a little larger tree in there, but it has gone MIA, so this year it is this tiny thing.

For our upcoming holiday open house and later our Christmas eve family buffet, the table will be covered with silver and gold chargers full of yummy appetizers and sweets. In the evening with the lights dimmed, candles lit and the tree on, the room glistens like a metallic jewel box.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of our 2017 holiday dining room. You never know when finding the simplest, inexpensive item can become the springboard for adding new touches to your existing Christmas décor.  Wishing you the joy in finding ways to upcycle and update your rooms in inexpensive yet impactful ways, and I would love for you to share your ideas with me in the comment section below!.

Good tidings,

Diane