Dining Room: Before and After

For a while, I believed that a large cowhide rug was the missing piece in our dining room. I scoured the internet for black and white salt and pepper cowhides that would be large enough to make an impact in the space, inspired by the below image. Yes, those are the same dining chairs, and the designer, Elizabeth Mollen of Slate Interiors in Nashville is a genius.

Source: Lonny Magazine

But when we ordered an XXL cowhide, it just felt too diminutive in the space, so I started to consider other options. After some online inspiration hunting, I realized I already knew what the perfect rug would be: the Ikea Stockholm black and white striped rug. This rug is a gem with a fabulous price tag ($300) for an 8×12 wool rug, which is pretty much unheard of. Some quick searching for how the rug worked in high-end spaces sold me immediately.

Source: Rebekah Gainsley 

Source: Unknown

So, here’s the thing, Ikea furniture and accessories are the top items on Craigslist, so while the rug is a steal new, I knew I could do better used. I didn’t have to wait long for the rug to pop up on Craigslist for $75, so as of last week, our dining room is looking much closer to ‘done’. The bold graphic stripes pack a huge punch in the room and play SO nicely with the David Hicks La Fiorentina fabric of our dining chairs. That pattern mix makes my heart so happy.

The finishing touches for this room are roman shades for the windows and reupholstering the Milo Baughman brass cantilever dining chairs.

And because everyone loves a good before and after, let’s throw it back to move-in day:

And to October, before we had painted the walls or hung the West Elm waterfall chandelier.

We’ve come a LONG way in a few short months, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how this room is shaping up.