The dining room has been one of the last rooms to get attention around our house.

This was not because we did not want to, but more because we were searching for just the right pieces (and the right price).

If you can’t already tell from the title of this blog, I love hosting.

And more importantly, I love doing it on a budget.

As soon as we began our house hunt I started looking for tables that would fit 12 people, was sturdy, and was as cheap as possible.

The Table

We got this table from Wayfair back in May and I love it.

It seats up to 12 people, but comes with three leaves that can be taken out.

It was super affordable while also being very sturdy and classic.

We wanted a table that could seat 12 under $1,000 and this one is just perfect.

The more difficult part was finding chairs.

The Chairs

After months of searching, I decided on the HENRIKSDAL chair from Ikea.

There are a few reasons I like these chairs.

One, they were affordable. Two, the wood matched well with our table. And three, the chair covers are removable so they can easily be cleaned.

It is important to note, though, that the chair covers are sold separately (something I overlooked at first). But at $10 a cover they are well worth it.

They are so classic, and the different chair cover options offer so many design options.

The China Cabinet

I’ve wanted a china cabinet since I started collecting china. I could not wait to show everything off.

But finding a china cabinet that wasn’t super dated was difficult. I wanted to buy a cheap one from Facebook Marketplace, but don’t have a truck which was another thing stopping me from pulling the trigger on anything.

Then I found this vintage Stanley faux bamboo china cabinet and decided to go for it and figure it out later.

This is a project for sure (I mentioned it in my recent upcoming projects post) but when these are redone nicely they are worth it.

It fits my style perfectly, just needs to be repainted.

Curtains

I first read about the Ikea RITVA curtains from the Grandmillennial Facebook group.

I did more research and watched videos on how to hem them and add custom trim.

I purchased this trim because I thought it would be a nice pop of color without being overwhelming.

What is Missing

After finishing the china cabinet and the curtains, the one last thing I would like for our dining area is a buffet.

We have an awkward space between the dining room and the kitchen. Right now we have a kitchen table there as a little “breakfast nook” but we don’t use it and all the chairs around it look cluttered.

I do like having that space for serving food, so a nice buffet would be a great addition.

I want a nice wood piece, so I am on the lookout on Facebook Marketplace and estate sales.

Those are my plans for now

I’m really hoping things are better by Christmas time and I can “debut” all these design upgrades.

• 

• 

• 

•