Brian and I will be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary in April. Like most couples we registered for china, serve ware and glass ware that we love. Unfortunately, it took us these past five years to find a good place to store and display these items. Our kitchen is not huge… which is fine considering we rarely cook, but that does limit our storage space. Which means up until recently our wedding china was stored in our linen closet.

We moved into our home almost four years ago and have been taking our time decorating. We had the main pieces from our first place (a little townhome that we quickly outgrew). So because of that I haven’t felt rushed. I think it’s important to take your time when it comes to decorating your home. Your taste can change over time and after living in a space for a while you realize the best way to utilize it.

Our dining room is part of the family/kitchen/nook great room. It is a very open concept so everything has to feel cohesive but I still want each space to feel like it could stand alone. Since the room is so large with high ceilings, the scale of the furniture has to match. All of these factors have made it hard to find the right cabinet or buffet.

One of the first things we purchased for the dining room were these Chinoiserie panels. I knew I wanted a large scale diptych to be able to fill up the wall. The alternative was a large cabinet but that felt too heavy to me. So that left the shorter wall.

I have been eyeing this cabinet from Restoration Hardware for a couple of years. I love the French door style with the beautiful hardware. Restoration Hardware is pricy but I’ve always found it to be worth the price for the quality. It just meant saving up for the right size and style!

When it finally arrived last month I knew I made the right choice. We ordered the  49″W x 91″H which is the perfect size for the tall ceilings. I love that the white feels like an extension of our kitchen and also mimics the study French doors.

To me, it is well worth the wait to make sure you find the right piece. We still haven’t found a dining room table. My parents generously lent us this glass table to use until we find something we love. This glass one is the table I grew up eating on so it’s fun to have it in our home now. Right now I’m eyeing this one.

Next on the list will be changing out the lighting. I’m taking my time on this since my house is so open. I want all the fixtures to coordinate but not feel like a set.

I like to take my time when decorating for two reasons. The first being, I want to invest in quality pieces and that means working within a budget. The second is I enjoy it! I want my home to feel like it has been collected over time. It feels so much more satisfying when you finish a room if it’s been a labor of love. xo Bryn