the evolution of the dish room

 

Here’s another look at the new area in the house that I'm calling the “dish room”. 

Throughout the seasons, it’s really proven to be quite useful and popular for photo shoots, as well as housing all my extra plates, home accessories and vintage colored glassware.

Last year I decided to take an unused bedroom and use it as the main hub for a lot of my styling props. 

Here it is styled for the autumn months. Brown and white transferware, copper accessories and lots of natural textures five this space a fall vibe.

 

A cottage farmhouse display was set up against the big wall with furniture that was already in the room. I just added a peg rack to the shelves that were already in the room. 

I did have to paint the shelves white and move them to the center of the wall, but all in all, this was all very budget friendly.

 

A dark brown-black Ikea desk and the two shelves were transformed with a few coats of white chalk paint. I papered the wall with a fun beadboard textured wallpaper which saved me quite a bit of money on using actual beadboard.

 

All I bought, besides the wallpaper, was a custom-made peg rack to fit right under the bottom shelf and a cute gingham curtain for the desk opening.

 

I also found the most adorable vintage chandelier to finish off the room. This is now a great spot for my early morning photo shoots and also fulfills my organizational tendencies! 😜

My good friend and contractor George found this vintage corner cabinet around the corner from my home, on the curb!! It was free, and he knows my taste so well, that he immediately called me to give me the heads up on this free cabinet.

 

When we found this piece, it was painted with a very shiny and bright enamel paint that was just starting to peel off.

 

A lot of elbow grease, sanding, scraping and now this piece was ready for a new coat of paint.

 

I painted it a neutral grey-green color. In this photo, it looks greener than it does in real life. It’s a great farmhouse style neutral color.

 

With all the pretty dishes and plates I’ve collected over the years, I decided floor to ceiling dishes on the wall was a fun surprise for this main accent wall.

 

The stage is now set. There’s still time to fill in all the plates, but projects got in the way of it all. I love the evolution of it, so time is on my side.

 

Some of my favorite farmhouse and cottage style pieces are now on full display here in my new dish room.

 

And best of all, when Christmas projects came along, this was now the perfect backdrop for some very special stylings…

 

You may recognize this shot from the winter 2024 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine. Yes, my new little dish room now has proudly graced the cover of a magazine!   

 

Don’t ask me how this happened! It was a complete and utter surprise, but wow!!! A very special one!  

Here' how the cover shot turned out... 

This dish room is like a dream come true! I love how you've made use of an unused space and turned it into something so functional and aesthetically pleasing.

It's always inspiring to know a little creativity and some resourceful design can completely transform a space.

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on Instagram!

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

home: must have spring flowers

Not only is Valentine’s Day a day for celebrating love, it’s also the day to start celebrating the return of Spring flowers!

 

🌷Today, I’m sharing my absolute favorite go-to flowers for Spring…

 

This arrangement was made entirely from flowers from my garden, a are so many of the florals I’m sharing with you today.

 

Hydrangeas, Daisies and Roses! They're all so reliable, and I adore the fact that they’re always soooo pretty, easy to style and long lasting.

 

Hydrangeas on their own. A truly classic look that always looks good.   I’d say they even have a classic cottage charm that can’t be replicated!

 

 

Edible pansies are one of my favorite ways to dress up a dessert. From  store-bought cupcakes, toa homemade cake, these little violas always bring a smile!

 

Cottage garden flowers are a thing of wonder and joy! You can basically just pop them into a vase or pitcher, and they do their thing.

I’d love to know, what are your favorite springtime blooms?

 

Roses from any home garden have a unique way of swooning and swaying with grace in any container.

 

The one word that keeps creeping up this season is BUNNIES! 

And I just found the cutest hand painted blue and white bunny rabbit pitcher on Amazon that’s so perfect for holding lots and lots of flowers! 🐇

It’s also a really nice large size, as you can see here holding 3 dozen roses from Trader Joe’s. 💐

Here’s the link for the pitcher: Blue Transferware Bunny Rabbit Pitcher.

This was our breakfast room last spring. The geraniums, foxglove, and hydrangeas have now been planted in the cottage garden in the backyard.

 

That’s what I love so much about using live plants for décor in the house…

 

I can continue to love these flowers outside for years to come, and not only that, but next year I’ll be able to snip their blooms and use them again in the house!

The pink kalanchoes in the wicker baskets have fast become one of my favorite plants!

 

They’ve looked like this since Easter and just keep getting better and better, so I keep them in the house!

Blue Gayatri Buti print is one of the newest prints from Pacific and Rose, and I love how this tablecloth looks with all the cottage flowers.

 

Blue and white is always a favorite look for me, and a little pink compliments these linens perfectly.

We had quite a rainstorm all day yesterday, especially last night, and I’m so looking forward to a little sunshine today.

 

I don't know about you, but I think rainy days can quickly be chased away with fun spring floral arrangements like this.

"I must have flowers, always, and always." ―Claude Monet 💐 I feel the same exact way!

These late spring florals (above) in my living room are all entirely picked from my garden.

A tablecloth made from vintage fabric plays up the colors of the flowers so perfectly. Both the pink and blue hydrangeas, along with the deep pink ranunculus are from my cottage garden.

 

Entering this season with this as my mantra...

"You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." --A.A. Mine

Be strong for yourself and treat yourself with kindness! The white hydrangeas from my garden bloom very early in spring and are almost evergreen all winter. 

Above... a little homemade apple jelly is another real treat. Little acts of kindness are important for everyone! Start your day with a few little things that bring a smile to your face. 

 

Even a little group of Erigeron karvinskianus, or as we call them here in California, Santa Barbara daisies are dainty little reminders of spring. It’s fun to plant them up in the most unexpected sorts of containers!

Here are a few links to some of my favorite accessories that are featured in this post with the lovely Spring flowers we’ve talked about…

 

Bee Napkin Rings

Songbird Candelabra

Apple Jam Jar

Apple Glass Pitcher

Songbird Wood Tidbit Bowl

Blue Transferware Bunny Rabbit Pitcher

 

Happy Valentine's day!!

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for 

all the latest projects and décor I will be sharing in 2025.

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

new from Pacific & Rose plus 30% off!

         

I’d like to share with you news that one of my favorite home linen companies, Pacific & Rose is offering 30% off all items on their website and in store at Seaside Gallery during a fabulous weekend sale that starts on FRIDAY.

 

The sale is effective June 16 - June 19, 2023, just use the code SUMMER30 at checkout.

Kitchen Towels

This includes brand new patterns and products that I recently photographed, like the brand new Seville pattern seen at the top in blue and marigold, and the always beautiful Gayatri Buti print now in new colorways of olive and blue. 

While you’re here, I’d love to show you the new summer table linens, aprons and accessories. Let's start with a few tablescapes that we recently set using these lovely patterns.

First up is Gayatri Buti Olive, seen here in my new veg garden. One of my favorite color combinations is green with a bright pop of magenta.

 

I used foxglove, petunias and other pretty flowering plants from Armstrong’s to accent the gorgeous pattern of the Gayatri, while also using some natural textures, like baskets to really bring a vintage vibe to the table.

Above you can see the coordinating Gayatri napkin which features a larger print. The matching Gayatri Buti napkins are also available. It's so fun to mix and match these lovely patterns.

Indoors in the breakfast room, you can really see how beautiful the colors and pattern of Gayatri Buti are. This tablecloth comes in three different sizes, so there’s certainly one that will fit your needs.

 

Here you get an up close and personal look at the two different napkin options. Gayatri Buti Olive is on top and Gayatri Olive is below.

Now let's take a peek at Gayatri Buti Blue...

 

I brought in some of my garden flowers to show you how pretty these colors also look with the blue colorway of this Gayatri Buti pattern.

The geraniums, foxglove, and hydrangeas have now been planted in the cottage garden in the backyard. That’s what I love so much about using live plants for décor in the house…

 

I can continue to love these flowers outside for years to come, and not only that, but next year I’ll be able to snip their blooms and use them again in the house!

The pink kalanchoes in the wicker baskets have fast become one of my favorite plants! They’ve looked like this since Easter and just keep getting better and better, so I keep them in the house!

 

Blue and white is always a favorite look for me, and a little pink compliment these Gayatri linens perfectly.

 

Switching over now to the brand-new Seville print… Check out these beautiful aprons!

These aprons are ideal for working in the kitchen, the garden or the studio. Hand block-printed by artisans at our fair-trade workshop in Jaipur, India.

Elizabeth’s travels through Andalusia, Spain inspired the new Seville pattern. The Azulejo ceramic tile smothering the walls and floors of houses and buildings is swoon worthy. 

This colorway is block-printed in a happy palette of marigolds and midway blues with a navy border.

This is one elegant looking tablecloth, and one thing I really love about it…

 

is that the marigold and the blue work so beautifully together, if you’re inclined to mix it up a bit!

 

The Seville pattern also comes in a fabulous table runner and placemats. The fabric is a little thicker on these two items, and they just add great appeal to any table. 

Roll out that runner, and you’ve instantly added loads of charm to your dining space, indoors or out!

 

And speaking of outdoors, here’s the gorgeous Seville Blue tablecloth and napkins set in the backyard for a little evening soiree.

 

This is the time of year that the red trumpet vine blooms, and I love how it looks with all the blue and white décor out here.

 

Blue hydrangeas just shout SUMMER! And they’re a match made in heaven with the Seville Blue tablecloth and napkins.

 

Recently I collaborated with Corelle dishware, and I was happily surprised at how perfectly these plates look with the Seville Blue linens.

 

Summer travels will be much brighter when our makeup bag is upgraded to one of these quilted beauties! Which cosmetic pouch would you chose?

 

I love these Pacific and Rose linens so much. They’re always a hit at a dinner party and tend to make my home feel special too.

 

Here’s a little look at the Mother’s Day place setting for this year. Just a little cookie to make everything around it pop!

Keep in mind that Pacific & Rose is offering 30% off all items on their website and in store at Seaside Gallery during a fabulous weekend sale that starts this FRIDAY.

 

The sale is effective June 16 - June 19, 2023, just use the code SUMMER30 at checkout.

 

ciao fabiana

 

Visit PacificandRose.com to shop online now.

Or visit

Pacific & Rose at Seaside Gallery
124 Tustin Avenue Suite 100  Newport Beach, California 92663
Phone: 949-438-7277