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13 July, 2014

Creating a French Country Dining Room on a Budget

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT How to Create a French Country Dining Room on a Budget I have a little tour of my home to show you that I have been saving! I was excited when Kim at Savvy Southern Style asked me to share my favorite room a while back for her regular Friday feature and, if you know me, I'll bet you can guess which room it is. Yep...my French Country dining room! And...I managed to create my own little corner of France on a budget! I hope you enjoy this up-close-and-personal look at my favorite space!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT French FarmhouseBut first, let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I found my style. As a French teacher, I have had the wonderful opportunity to live and travel in France over the years and to visit and be a guest in beautiful homes, like this farmhouse in Provence. How could I help but fall in love with French Country style! But eventually the birth of my first grandchild drew me back home to Georgia. And I knew what I wanted to do…create a little bit of France in my own home! So I began to look for pieces that reflected what I had seen in France.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Dining RoomMy hutch was the very first piece that I found…and I still love it! It has the French Country look that I love and was a blank canvas for me to display my plates! Those are my favorite plates on the wall…

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Quimper Plates …vintage Quimper faïence found at the Sunday antique market in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France, depicting a couple in the traditional dress of Brittany. I love the way Quimper comes in pairs…and I find that I have to have them both! I can’t separate the little couple, after all!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Double Happiness Jars On top of the hutch is my collection of double happiness jars…named for the Chinese symbol pictured on the face of the jars. They have all come from thrift stores and flea markets except for my original jar purchased 40 years ago.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Pumpkin-shaped TureenAlthough the centerpiece on the table may change with the seasons, this is my favorite…a pumpkin-shaped tureen that I found for a song in slightly funky Grayton Beach, Florida! It was sitting on a shelf looking over my shoulder and calling my name while I was eating breakfast in a little café! I love blue and white…can you tell?

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Red Cliff Ironstone TureenAlways present somewhere in the dining room is my mom's vintage Red Cliff ironstone tureen. I love the grape motif...my favorite! I have since been lucky enough to find a few more pieces in the Red Cliff grape pattern in thrift stores, such as the sugar and creamer that you see on the table.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Dining RoomOn the opposite side of the room is the matching buffet with a few more pieces of my Quimper collection…a poster topped by another pair of plates and a double wall sconce filled with lavender. And on the buffet…

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Antique Castor Set ...is my Victorian silverplate castor set! It is one of my favorite flea market finds! I seem to have a thing about antique silverplate and this one was a steal…a real “start the car” moment!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Dining Room One of the things I like best about this room is the fact that I can change the look with just a tablescape! Here, we are having a French Country supper with layers of linens. The tablecloth is actually a drop cloth topped with my faux grain sack table runner.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT DIY French LinensIn fact, many of the linens that I use on my table are not French at all, but my much less expensive copy-cat versions of vintage French linens.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Thanksgiving TablescapeAnd I love decorating my dining room for the holidays! Here it is all dressed in a Thanksgiving tablescape using a ruffled burlap table runner to anchor it.

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Christmas Tablescape And here it is ready for the holidays with a Christmas tablescape of more burlap, plaid and glittery stars. That’s my shabby tool box in the background…

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Shabby Tool Box …wearing its Christmas garb and stealing the show on my hutch!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Shabby Tool Box But I can also dress it down for every day with favorite pieces from my blue and white collection. In fact, this little tool box has proven itself to be quite versatile and a fun addition to my dining room!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Dining RoomI think this room is my favorite, not only because it is filled with things that I love, but because this is the room that feels more French to me. It gives me a little chance to escape and dream about past adventures in France and hope for more to come!

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT My Home Thanks so much  for allowing me to show you my favorite room! If you would like to have a look at the rest of my home, you will find a complete tour here.

Remember to pin it! 


Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my favorite room! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays   French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday
See you next time! À la prochaine!

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17 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, Debbie. Thanks so much for the house tour. Great inspiration for a Sunday morning. J

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  2. Debbie,
    C`est Magnifique!
    I adore your French Country Dining Room, dear friend, and can clearly see why it is your favorite!!!
    (Of course, I spied that handsome Baby Kitty in the first photo. . .perhaps it's his favorite room, too!)
    You have many amazing "finds" from your Thrift Shop & Flea Market Shopping Trips!
    Thank you for reminding us that we can provide gorgeous accessories for our homes on a budget!!!
    I enjoyed seeing the heirloom tureen. . .truly, the items that give us comfort for our souls.
    One of your rooms I'd care to see more of, is your elegantly styled Living Room.
    Going now to take the tour!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  3. You have so many lovely elements!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  4. I love your warm and pretty home and yes, I too agree on your charming French country dining room and ALL your blue and white, I so adore the combo!
    Have a great week ahead.
    FABBY

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  5. You've outfitted the dining room perfectly, Shelia. When we moved from our old house to our condo I used our round table from our kitchen in our new dining area. It works out perfectly. Our dining set would never have fit in the condo's dining space. My daughter got my old dining set because she was moving into a house with a dining room and needed one. So that worked out.Dining Room

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  6. I loved seeing all the beautiful items in your dining room. So French and the Quimper is so pretty.

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  7. I love your dining room, with all that gorgeous blue and white. I have the same blue and white tureen as well and also got it for a song ($10!). Love your blog!

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  8. Love it all my dear friend..You have many beautiful things..from my mountain to yours hugs and love, gloria

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  9. What a lovely dining room! I absolutely love he hutch! Now I am in the mood to totally redo mine! I'll have to wait a few more weeks for my youngest to go back to college. He takes over the dining room in the summer. Long story. Your whole house is stunning! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Debbie, it's always a treat to see any room in your home. I'm constantly amazed at the lovely details you add through thrifty finds or your creative ideas. Thanks for the tour.

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  11. I can see why your dining room is your favorite, Debbie. I love all your blue and white dishes, and the way you have given the room French flair. It has been one of my favorites, too. :)

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  12. It's such a pleasure for me to see that there are still people enamored with French country. I have been so disappointed at recent house tours to see that so many people have redone their homes top-to-bottom in a more modern and colder look. It really is a delight to find like-minded creatives in the blogosphere - I sometimes wonder what took me so look to find this community! Your dining room is quite lovely and I particularly love when your table is set with light linens to balance the beautiful dark woods. So many beautiful details, as well.

    Lory
    Designthusiasm.com

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  13. I really like your dining room- the style of your furniture and the blue and white pieces all look perfect together. You have a wonderful collection of dishes and accent pieces. I really love the grain sack runner- especially that big ruffle!

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  14. WOW what a great room I love all the dishes and the patterns you have mixed together.

    Cathy <;)

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  15. I have always loved your dining room Debbie!

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  16. The French have a VERY different idea of a "farmhouse" than we do here in the Midwest!!! I LOVE IT! What a gorgeous respite! I clicked over to the 2008 post, and man....what a fabulous way to vacation! If that's what farm livin' is, I have no idea what Lisa Douglas had against it!!! :-) (That's a reference to a TV show from the 60's called "Green Acres" just in case you aren't much of a TV watcher!) Just lush and opulent in a very coy way...beautiful!!!

    Your dining room captures much of the essence of that farmhouse, and I know it must bring a lot of pleasure every time you pass it and are able to think back on your vacation time. Thanks for the tips!

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    1. Hi Debbie! I so enjoyed the tour of your dining room through the seasons and hearing why certain pieces are your favorites. Hey, is a "start the car" moment when you get such a good deal on an item that you just want to pay and get out of the store 'cause they might realize they made a mistake on the price? I saw your post over at Under the Table and Dreaming's blog party.

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Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment! I appreciate my wonderful readers!... Debbie