The Primitive Dining Room






 

 


Dining Room decorating should be inviting and a place to indulge in good conversation with family and friends.  Color choices can be whatever earth colors you choose.  From warm reds, mustard yellows, browns and greens or blues.  You can take outdoor shutters (you can find these a lot in salvage yards or local antique shops and yard sales.  Hand on the wall and decorate with primitive towels, hang your favorite dolls, taper candles or any of your primitive "essentials" to really make a strong focal point in the room. 


A Love of Coffee-Flavored Gourmet Coffee, Cappuccino, Cocoas, Gourmet Teas, Baking Mixes and more!
 

Wall color in your dining room can be anything from plain white (to better show all your primitive treasures) or apple reds, mustard yellow, green, or even brown.  If you paint your trim white against a dark colored wall this really stands out!  My walls are rough textured so I chose to paint them all one color - apple red.  If you have a flat surface wall to work with try painting the top a darker color and the bottom of the wall a lighter color and then run a molding halfway down the wall to give it a framed-in look.

Use simple lighting such as tin lanterns and primitive sconces or candles hung on the wall.  When using a tea light candle in a lantern (whether on a table or hung on the wall) remove the glass panels (this can usually be done easily by bending down the tin prongs on the inside).  The candle will burn better and you don't have to worry about cleaning splattered wax off the glass!  If you want to learn how to make your own candles try a book called How To Make Candles Step - by - Step.
   



If you have a chandelier in your dining room (mine was originally brass) paint it a flat black (make sure to prime it first).  It really is an inexpensive way to make your lighting fit in with your primitive decor.  I used candelabra bulbs in mine and chose to leave it without shades.  If you'd like you can use clip on shades and decorate to match your room decor.  The shades can be bought inexpensively at your local department or craft store.  Try buying white or beige shades and stenciling your favorite theme - stars, hearts, pineapples or whatever country theme you like!  You can also choose not to use shades and simply place berry rings around the base of each candelabra.  A large spray of berries can also be wound around the arms of the chandelier for a nice primitive look.


 Dining room chairs and tables have lots of possibilities as far as decorating them.  I chose to paint all my ladder back chairs a different country color!  I spray painted mine (again remember to prime first) but you could also paint them with a brush.  I left the seats the natural wood color, but again that is a personal preference.


The centerpiece for the table can be primitively decorated with just about anything old that appeals to you.  I found an old tool box in my basement that I chose to use on my table.  I filled it with wooden whole apples and apple pieces that I got at my local thrift store.  Anything can be put in this toolbox to make it an interesting piece of primitive decor.  Roll linen table napkins and place them in standing up or just fill with your favorite fruit.  Line first with a homespun piece of fabric or whatever fabric matches your curtains!



When using fabrics in your dining room try to keep a common theme or color.  You can mix stripes, plaids, and checks as long as the colors coordinate.
 

For window treatments you can easily make valances out of homespun fabric or toile with a check border.  It's much more economical to sew these than buy them!  Make a table runner out of the same fabric as your curtains to tie everything together! 


You can easily change your seasonal decor by creating small groupings on two short shelves instead of one long shelf as shown in "Country Sampler" magazine.  Hang each shelf on either side of a wall clock for an interesting grouping.


Hang favorite primitive pictures on the walls or just old mirrors with berries placed around the outer edge. 


Remember some of these ideas will work in other rooms of your primitive home.  Just remember to keep it simple and have fun!


 and remember ---