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Before and After: How To Style a Nook in Your Dining Room

by on Jan 30, 2014

Brittni Mehlhoff

Our dining room area is probably one of the most neglected rooms of the house. I don’t do a ton of entertaining, or cooking for that matter, so that’s probably why it’s gone undecorated for so long. The wall that the buffet is on was basically barren, so I gathered some leftover pieces from around the house and brought this little nook together. It’s an easy mini makeover that you can recreate at home, using pieces you already have. Want to see how it turned out?   

Storage cabinet with a large canvas painting behind it.Brittni Mehlhoff

Here’s how you can style an empty buffet nook or wall in your dining room…

1. Hide blemishes: We are in the process of choosing paint colors for the dining room, so I had two big paint swatches that I had to cover up. So, I used a large painting that we had in storage and hung it so the bottom of the painting would be 6-8 inches from the top of the buffet. *Art Tip: Always try to hang artwork so that the center of the piece is at eye level.

Top of a dresses with pictures, an old radio, and other decor.Brittni Mehlhoff

2. Bring in artwork at varying heights: After hanging the larger piece, I added two additional framed pieces of art that were in the same color family, to break things up and make the area feel more casual. *Don’t be afraid to mix and match frames. They don’t have to match.

Two books, one kettle, one vase and a pot lying on a shelf near a painting.Brittni Mehlhoff

3. Use serving pieces as decor: I had this great teapot that I really wanted to display because it acts almost as a sculptural piece, but I could also pop off the lid and use it as a vase for fresh flowers if I want.

4. Bring in a stack of books for decoration: I stacked a couple of books to give the teapot and matching container a little extra height and added an ombre vessel for a fun and casual touch.

A white dresser has picture frames on it, and a white canvas with splotches and circles on it above.Brittni Mehlhoff

5. Balance lights and darks: There is a lot of white and light color in the pieces that I brought in, but I was also careful not to go crazy with it. Some of the darker colors in the book spines and small radio mimic the dark legs of the buffet and ground everything, so it doesn’t look ‘floaty’ (for lack of a better word).

Before and after phots of a white wooden chest decorated with various items like paintings, radio and vase.Brittni Mehlhoff

Organized storage unit with art pieces on it.Brittni Mehlhoff

One kettle, radio, vase and two painting lying on a cabinet near wall.Brittni Mehlhoff

Have your own tips for styling a dining room buffet? Feel free to share your tips and tricks in the comments section below.

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