Weldon Loft: Kitchen & Dining Room

Moving on from the entryway, living room, and guest bedroom &bathroom...we check out the kitchen and dining room at the Weldon's.  The dining room in their loft opens to the kitchen, which allowed for our host and hostess to remain engaged with their guests (us!) while finishing brunch preparations.  I am a big fan of open floor plans -- especially in the kitchen -- so that those of us who like to cook are able to feel a part of the action while trying out (or cleaning up from!) new recipes.

When first moving in, Leigh wasn't crazy about the green cabinetry in the kitchen.  However, once the rest of the decor was in place -- she loved the warm, comfortable feel that the non-traditional cabinets gave the space.  (To my dismay, I just realized that none of my photos show Ryan 2's beautiful stuffed turkey(?) that rests on top of the far right cabinet.  The turkey(?) keeps the deer in good company.)

Leigh's mom and Aunt Susan found this dining room set at a local estate sale.  The china cabinet proudly displays their gorgeous wedding china, while also providing storage for their many serving pieces.  (Don't you love when things are aesthetic and functional?)  Leigh felt that the dining room set was very traditional and formal when compared to the rest of her decor -- so she worked with her decorator to tone down the traditional.  To do this, they recovered the seats of the side chairs with a coordinating fabric from the living room throw pillows and added simple monogrammed linen parsons chairs to the ends.  Leigh also ordered long window panels from West Elm for her exceptionally high windows to add softness to the room.

Of course, I can't finish up this post without talking about Leigh's seasonal decor.  (Seasonal decor -- my favorite!)  She started with Pottery Barn's Linen Hemstitch Table Runner and an apothecary jar (given to her by Your's Truly).  I personally love apothecary jars because they are so versatile. You can change their look from season-to-season (or in my case, mood-to-mood).  I love how she lined the center with fall foliage and candles in the colors of autumn.  Take special note of the cork tray.  This was a little DIY project that Leigh took on using saved wine corks and a shadow box.  It was perfect for holding our mimosa mixings!

We'll finish up the tour tomorrow with the grand finale -- the Master Bedroom!