Formal Isn't My Normal

Last week I shared the new open shelves in my kitchen.  It was part of a greater project that included other changes in the Dining Room.  I promised to show pictures and lots of em!

As my taste has evolved and I continue to create a cozy home for my family, I've learned that I am just not the formal type.  I pull out the good china MAYBE once a year at Christmas when I entertain.  Other than that it just collects dust in a China Cabinet that is a little too formal for my taste.

I decided to de-formalize, beginning with the buffet, which got a make-over a couple months ago.

Here it is before:

And after a coat of A.S.C.P. in Old Ochre.  You can read about that transformation here.

Better, but it still had a long way to go.  After much agonizing, I decided that the china cabinet just wasn't my taste.  Its factory finish and big box production-line quality just don't flow with the rest of my home, which is basically an eclectic blend of antiques and vintage furnishings.  AND, I had the perfect piece to put in its place!  So I boxed up all of my good china and took the plunge.

A few years ago I scored this bakers rack on Craig and it is still one of my all-time favorite pieces of furniture.

It is rustic and sweet, and even though it is a factory piece, it has all the charm of an antique.  It sat in my kitchen until I started de-formalizing my Dining Room and realized it would be perfect in there.  At the same time I was contemplating open shelves in the kitchen and the only logical place to put them was on this wall with the bakers rack.

The puzzle pieces started to come together and I put my formal china cabinet on Craig's List.  But quickly realized that it wasn't going to budge.  With so many people getting away from "formal" these days, Craig has become absolutely saturated with fine dining sets.

So I got the idea to use the base of the cabinet for underneath of my open shelving.  I removed the doors and painted it white to match the existing cabinets in my kitchen.

 I think this new look makes the kitchen seem larger.

We put the hutch in storage for now until I decide what to do with it.  But I really don't think it will be making its way back into this house.

So here is the bakers rack in its new home in the dining room.

Looks like it was made for this room.

I also took the advice of some savvy bloggers and removed the two arm chairs.  They are in the basement and I will pull them out when needed, but there really was no sense in taking up so much room.  New slipcovers from Target.com add to the informal look.

Basket below the buffet is from Pottery Barn.  I added some stripes just for fun.

This is no room for a baby - formal or not!

The base of the centerpiece is from Clover Market, and I picked up the huge glass dome at a yard sale.  So fun to fill it for the changing seasons!

The last thing on the list is to paint the base of the table Old Ochre, but that will have to wait.

I will continue to swoon at pictures of formal dining rooms on Pinterest and will always drool over the gorgeous tablescapes in blogland.  But this gal has decided that formal is just not my normal.

Have a fabulicious day!
xoxo,
Kim

Linking to:  Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays