Dining Room Buffet Gallery Wall
We moved in August, and for several months, our dining room held just an open space, where dreams of a lovely buffet would settle. Facebook marketplace had so many leads, so many buffets that weren’t quite right, dressers that might work but really were not ideal, free items that were gone within a second. In desperation, I began looking up IKEA hacks on pinterest and nearly bought myself into a large project. It started to become an obsession, as it was one of the final furniture elements we needed to purchase to finally get things in order.
It’s a funny thing, this urge to be settled. I have explored this within myself, as we have moved frequently throughout our seven year marriage, from quirky 1920’s 1 bed apartment to our tiny rental house to finally purchasing our first home. We bought Martha (as we lovingly named her due to street location), a craftsman style home built around the year of the Titanic, when Theo was 1 and we had just found out we were blessed with another baby. She needed a little love, and we put in a labor of love, helped along with the very clear deadline of Grace’s birth. After two years, we moved again, keeping Martha to rent out. Then, this past August, we again traded our just finished home for another in order to start an Air bnb out of our little brick Cape Cod.
Choosing paint colors, furniture, tile, etc etc etc has been very fun, but of course we do yearn for some stability as well. A friend once labelled us, ‘project people,’ and I guess we are, although I am not sure how much I want to continue to be. Projects are fun at times, give a sense of accomplishment, add to the beauty of a space, etc, but Brian and I have spoken about how there can be a sense of restlessness that will never be satisfied, even if we finally get to the bottom of that large, long list of repairs and updates. There certainly is a balance to be found here, as I do believe in creating a beautiful environment for one’s family, a place that is fit for the dignity of the individuals that inhabit it. How can I live this beautifully— furnishing my home in a thoughtful, lovely, non-obsessive way and one that is not wasteful with excessive consumerism or vanity?
We finally found the buffet. Brian told me about the woman from whom he purchased it. Clearly, she cherished it as it deserved and as he went to pick it up she told him if it didn’t work for us she would buy it back. It was a slight bit like watching her part with, ‘her precious.’ She even told him the history of the piece and how it was in a historic hotel lobby for years prior to her acquiring it. Getting it in place was super satisfying— I mean, look at how it fits the space! And it matched without being too matchy, while adding its own unique element to the room. My gratitude was even more piqued by its history, much more so than if it had come to us in a box from Wayfair.
So glad I found this rather than trying to do some IKEA hack…
After obtaining the buffet, I had another providential encounter with a piece at a garage sale, an original watercolor painting which I liked when I saw it and then loved it more and more in the room.
Why are trees so perfect?
After finding this and getting it up above the buffet, it wasn’t quite large enough to anchor the space. So, I decided I would just put up a little gallery wall. AS IF THAT WERE SIMPLE. The next month became a more and more perplexing puzzle of how to utilize frames or items we already had in order to create something cohesive that was not cluttery looking. Easier said than done.
Our dining room looked like this for weeks. Which only added to the satisfaction at the end when I could look upon my entire floor with glee.
In the midst of this project, Brian and I were able to take a weekend getaway. The first since, well, actually I am not sure when, but for sure before Vincent was born 2 years ago. We were wellllll overdo for that. One of the odd requests I had for the weekend was that I wanted to actually walk into a Barnes and Noble and spend a gift card I had received for my birthday last year. I ended up with book on Van Gogh that I intended to cut up and frame.
This one for the dining room.
And perhaps a few for the nursery. But, I digress.
In looking at what I had, what I was hoping to create, I had an 8x10 print of St. Therese that was given to me from a dear friend who visited Lisieux. I wanted to add an 8x10 black and white print of Mother Teresa, which I cut out of another book I had bought on thriftbooks for that explicit purpose. Because we always need another Mother Teresa. So, that got me thinking I would like a wall of all of our patron Saints, although in reality, this was a little ambitious and I soon found it was too overwhelming. Where do you stop with patron saints? I can claim St. Cecilia and Therese, Mother Teresa and don’t forget about JPII, although no one in our family technically claims him as a patron. And many more…
Looking back to why this project took forever, particularly for me who is prone to indecision, it was that I was trying to do too much.
I reached out to a friend who came over to consult, which really helped to not only make things a little more fun, but also to move the project forward a bit. And it didn’t hurt that she let me borrow her laser level, which added a level of accountability, as we then actually had to put some holes in the wall and hang things.
Eventually, I landed on a fairly simple layout and just needed two more 8x10 black and white Saint prints in order to finish up. I finally found a couple that I was able to print and was super happy with.
JPII in the woods. Chef’s kiss. And why not the Fatima children? We have children around— Sainthood is for them as well.
I added a lamp and a taller plant on the other side for some good height and to add balance. And moved a few things around here and there until I liked how it looked.
Finished product!!! The vintage Madonna and Child. The plants. The tiny globe. Satisfaction.
Also, for those who don’t want to wash their baby’s hair for long after the Baptism because they are savoring the smell, here is the candle for you. It’s amazing.
And really proud of my linen and candle drawer. Don’t look in the top drawer. The sides aren’t very purposeful either at this point. But this got organized and I’ll take it.
Finally, I printed a quote which I have been hoping our family will someday embody. Someday. Until then, you will just find me shouting, “Because we serve each other in our family!” to my children who are resisting doing any of the things I ask them to do. Again, those Fatima children. Holiness is possible, even for my 4 year old who always finds it WAY TOO HOT whenever anyone asks her to pick up the toys. She becomes a furnace and must lie down on the ground flopping and flailing about, asking for a drink. If it wasn’t so frustrating at the time, it would be hilarious, as it is now that I think back on the last time it happened— approximately 6 hours ago. But again, I digress. Here is the quote:
I feel like this needs to be on a different color of paper, as from across the room it kind of appears to be an empty frame. But, perfection was never the goal here and it stays for now. Which will probably be for the next 2 years.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
How do I Decorate Beautifully without being Wasteful?
1) For larger items, buying used creates less waste and superfluous consumption, being both economical for you and giving older items a good home!
2) Be creative what you already have from sources such as old books or magazines— there is nothing like constraints to increase creativity.
3) Ask a friend to help— not only is this more fun, but can be seriously helpful for making decisions.
4) Make it meaningful— adding particular inspiring quotes, photos of saints or inspiring people, beautiful art or icons.
5) Check out some style blogs for tips on scale— how far to place items above buffet (ours may be just a touch too high I think, but then I was able to make it work with the plants and things), how large pictures should be, height, etc etc.
“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”