Wednesday, June 4, 2014

ELEMENTS OF SUMMER~ CHIC BEACH IN THE DINING ROOM



When I think of summer the first thing that comes to my mind are shells.  I have always had an affinity for them since childhood... collecting sea shells from summer trips to the beach and displaying them in pretty bowls all summer long was a favorite thing to do. Some thing never change... I still like to pull my collections out each summer and show them off...




I'm thrilled to be a part of...







30 Bloggers sharing ELEMENTS OF SUMMER... diy's, recipes, decor and more! Make sure you see the list at the end of this post!!!










I don't live anywhere near the beach, but that doesn't mean I can't decorate with beachy elements! 

So, today I'm decorating "beach chic"... using natural things found at the beach but upscaling them to give my dining room sophisticated summer beach style!




 




The secret to keeping the beach theme from looking... well, too beachy... is to keep everything monochromatic and definitely not cutesy!



I started with a burlap runner down the center of the table. Just can't get enough burlap!

 Then I filled the table with an antique tool caddy that reminded me of drift wood, white dishes, glass candlesticks and shells... lots and lots of shells!














I filled a tall glass vase with balls that remind me of glass bouys... and then added shells!










Tea cups and shells... a perfect match!










Pitchers and shell work pretty well together too!










I love symmetry! So I flanked each side of the tool caddy with the same vignette of candles.












Look what I did with a cake stand!









These are the cutest starfish pillows. I got them from Pottery Barn Outlet last year on sale. I wish I had gotten a couple more!








More beach theme on the buffet...








A big shell...







Candles with starfish...








And just for a little whimsy...















Even the bar cart got caught up in the beach theme!

I found these cocktail skewers at the beach last year.










Goes to show... you don't have to live within walking distance from a beach to enjoy the beachy elements of summer at home!








Now, how are you decorating this summer?











Remember to







72 comments:

  1. Just lovely. Beachy is my favorite way to decorate and I live even further inland than you do, but my office is in a beach theme in blues and white. It is my favorite room in the house. I love your monotone displays - they are just gorgeous!
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bringing my towel and flip flops and coming over to sit at this gorgeous beach chic table. Your table will make anyone feel that they are just steps away from the beautiful waves of the ocean.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very, very pretty. I love the monochromatic look. It looks clean and fresh and it makes me think of sand. Makes me want to get a book and beach chair and lay back :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful touches....and I adore your tool caddy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yvonne your dining room is beautiful! I really love the neutrals with the serene beach accents sprinkled throughout the room. That barrel shaped chandy lampshade I don't think I ever noticed before, but now that I have I am completely in LOVE with it!!!
    Such a gorgeous dining room...it screams summer!
    Enjoy the rest of your week!
    XO Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, Yvonne - you've knocked it out of the park once again, my friend. Your beach chic dining room is just wonderful! I love, love, love everything about it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a gorgeous display! I, too, like to decorate for the summer with a beach theme but not nearly as elegant as you. My decorations are treasured found objects. I have a couple of large crockery bowls filled with enormous scallop shells that I gathered on the coast of Normandy. I also have clear containers, large and small filled with sea glass and small pieces of driftwood that I've collected from Maine, Nova Scotia and France. This year I will be making some glass fishing floats to put in a large glass bowl. Since I know I'll never find any . . . and I don't want to buy them . . . I'll be making them myself. In the meantime, I'll be happy to dine at your table and admire the eye candy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So serenely beautiful Yvonne!!! I just love it!!!! Thank you for inspiring me today!!! ~Hugs, Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  9. You always make everything beautiful. I love the beachy elements for summer. I have a beach feel in my living room and I have all white with just a hint of teal. xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. B&B ...beautiful and beachy. happy summer!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks fabulous, Yvonne! All of your touches are so summery, and I especially love the clear glass balls atop the candlesticks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love all of your summer and I really love those plates! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yvonne your dining room is just STUNNING! I can not wait to complete mine but it wont be nearly as wonderful as yours.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So beautiful - the neutrals make it feel calm and cool for the summer :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your dining room is stunning and your have created the most elegant and amazing beach theme. Gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the beach chic Yvonne. Your home is just divine! I wish I had your decorating skills. The seashell skewers caught my eye...they would be simple to make. May have to give those a try!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Summer to me means sea, sand and shells, shells and more shells !!! I love them and I use them all over and not just for summer.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! I just love your home and it is so beautiful with all the beach touches!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is lovely. Beautiful summer inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely! Funny, I live in a beach community by the Bay, and I don't have any beach decor inside my home. On the covered porch, yes.
    Your dining room looks delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am doing almost the exact same thing, shells are all over the house for Summer! I just wish I could SHARE mine but I have not been able to post in over a week, my pictures will NOT load?????????? I am so upset and frustrated. UGH. Your dining room looks exquisite with all your shells!!!!!! Hope to see it in person!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yvonne, this is my favorite room! What you've done in this room is absolute poetry- I loved it before you brought in the beach theme, but now it's just perfect for summer!

    ReplyDelete
  23. As always,just BEAUTIFUL!!!! I also added some beachy items in my living room,love starfish!!! Quick question?If you don't mind sharing,I would love to know the fabric manufacturer and fabric name of the bench and side chairs in your dining room.I just love the look.Thank you if you don't mind sharing all the way to Gergia,LOL!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Just love to see your vignette ideas! I very often have many similar items, but your tweaks are more creative than mine! I'm getting my shells out! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Straight out of a magazine! I don't think I could do this if I tried. Absolutely stunning, Yvonne. Pinning away!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yvonne - I have beach in my blood! Oh how I miss the East Coast! This room just sings to me!! Simply stunning ...

    :) Linda

    ReplyDelete
  27. So pretty, I love it! But of course I love everything you do. Wish I had creative vision; well, I'll just have to enjoy yours! Thanks for sharing~

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yvonne- I just want to come live in your house! It is always so bright, fresh and beautiful! I love you beach chic pieces. Beautiful job as always!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yvonne your summer dining room looks absolutely beautiful!! The display you created on your table is stunning!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love this, Yvonne! Beachy themes can be very casual and now, as you've shown, very elegant!! I LOVE the idea of using a cake stand and cloche, I'm sitting here looking at a cake stand that I need to put away. Not any more! :)

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  31. Just gorgeous, Yvonne! Every detail, every picture, is stunning! You're the queen of hospitality! Thanks for joining us again on the tour!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marty, I am so pleased to be a part of this wonderful tour!!!! Thanks for having me!

      Delete
  32. I love the subtle beach touches you added! Very pretty....pinned. Have a wonderful week Yvonne:)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Very classy use of sea shells! I think I'm drawing inspiration from your pics, and I have most of the elements to do something similar- even the old tool caddy and white dishes! Thank you for sharing your beautiful sea themed table~
    judypimperl.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. In an earlier post you told us about your floors - gunstock, but can you tell us the manufacturer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, they are Casa De Color. We got them at Lumber Liquidators and installed them ourselves.

      Delete
  35. Mmmm... neutral beach. My favourite summer way to decorate. I am an hour from the nearest beach (ocean) just a little away from a lake beach... But I get so happy to drag out my shell collection every year. It's the beginning of summer for me when it gets warm enough to get them out.
    LUV tour beach dining room Yvonne. So beautiful.
    Hugs, Gee

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi Yvonne, your dining room is STUNNING! My husband and I love the color of your walls, do you mind sharing the manufacturer and color name? We would so appreciate it. BTW I don't believe we live very far from you as we are fellow Lancaster Countians who live just off Old Philadelphia Pike. I am so glad I found your blog ... It is so inspirational to me as I decorate our home. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susan, Yes, we live very near each other! We live on the outskirts of Willow Street. Small world. The wall color is the pictures in this post are a pretty good representation of the true color... other posts show them almost yellow... they are not yellow at all. They are Benjamin Moore Sonnet. We love them! Almost our whole downstairs is now that color. It's so easy to live with. BTW... have you heard of AMy's Vintage in Strasburg? It's a darling shop! So worth a visit!

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much! Definitely going to change our LR, its way too dark for my tastes now, especially since I have seen your gorgeous dining room! Love the way the color looks with your woodwork. I haven't heard of Amy's Vintage but thanks for the info...i have a wonderful friend who is always on the lookout for new places to shop so we will be headed to Strasburg soon...thank you again!

      Delete
  37. Very gorgeous Yvonne, beachy goes elegant! I wish you would stop by and paint my china cabinet and dining room chairs :) I have serious dining room envy, yours turned out so incredibly, you could put anything on your table and it would look smashing!
    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll let you in on a secret! There is something in my dining room that I am so disappointed in... and I'm going to change it.

      Delete
  38. Hi Yvonne - this looks beautiful! Love all of the summertime accents you've added. What a gorgeous space!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Everything just shines here!!! Love anything that has to do with shells and have them ALL over my home. ;) Some things are best left year round. Hugs and thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Everything looks so pretty, Yvonne! I'm ready to go to the beach after looking at your pretty decorations.

    ReplyDelete
  41. What a gorgeous room. While all the beach-ness ;-) looks beautiful, you know what catches my eye the most? Those lovely lids on the wall flanking the mirror. I think that is so unique, and so incredibly pretty. You have such great taste.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Beautiful as always Yvonne, thanks so much for sharing, gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  43. You know your stuff girl this is amazing! !!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Your room is beautiful! I love shells, too, so I appreciate all your lovely creative touches. I'm working on shells in my dining room, too-- I hope mine turns out to be as pretty as yours. Did you pick up the shells that you used?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some yes, some no. I have a bag of shells from Clearwater beach that I love!

      Delete
  45. Yvonne your dining room is absolutely stunning. It's so elegant, serene and beautifully beachy! I'm smitten with your styling.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I live 10 minutes from the beach and after seeing these gorgeous photos of your home, well...I want to burn my house down and start over. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Just stunning, I love, love your style.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I knew I would see plenty of gorgeousness from you, Yvonne! WOW! Love the white and neutral color scheme ... so refreshing for summer!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Yvonne, I love the feel of your dining room and how the neutrals work together! Beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Oh, Yvonne, it's just beautiful! You've done a marvelous job of creating a light, summery look without one bit of cutesy. Simple and sophisticated--just right! :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. Yvonne your dining room is absolutely STUNNING!! I always say that my house wants to be your house when it grows up and never have I felt that more! :-)
    Love to you sweet friend,
    Vanessa

    ReplyDelete
  52. "Today is a smooth white seashell,
    hold it close and listen to the beauty of the hours."
    ~Anonymous~
    Beautiful summer setting.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Wow! Your dining room is absolutely gorgeous! So elegant!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Everything is gorgeous! Love the clear balls....where did you find those?

    ReplyDelete
  55. I've been reading your blog for a long time but don't know if I've ever commented before. You are an exceptionally talented woman! Your home is beautiful and your menus are gourmet! I just love everything your hand touches! I adore the ironstone lids hanging on the wall! I have been wanting to do the same but plate holders don't work. How did you hang yours?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Yvonne your eye for decor and design blows me away! Every detail you chose for your dining room is stunning! It's funny - one of my friends remarked how I decorate with lots of layers and texture and I can see that in your dining room too! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity and style at the Monday Funday Link Party!! I've pinned and shared on twitter, Facebook and Google plus! xo Heather

    ReplyDelete
  57. Stunning! What a feast for the senses!! Where oh where did you find that chandelier? I must have it!
    Andrea

    ReplyDelete
  58. Everything is so beautiful, Yvonne. It's hard to know what to pin. I may just flood my stream with one of each picture! It was wonderful partying with you ~ have a blessed week.

    ReplyDelete
  59. LOVE everything...so soothing. A real feast for the senses! Where oh where did you find that chandelier? I must have it!
    Andrea

    ReplyDelete
  60. Yvonne, Love your room, even more so with all of the beach accents. Could you share where you purchased the chandelier? It's lovely. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much!!! Here's a link with the chandy info!

      Delete
    2. http://www.stonegableblog.com/2014/03/top-5-questions-stonegable-reader-ask.html

      Delete
  61. Mountain girl here but I have to say that your stylish & sophisticated beach theme pulled me right in. It's beautiful & welcoming. Beginning to collect some white dinnerware & love your plates. Would you share the manufacturer, collection name, & where they might be found? Are the smaller ruffle edge plates from the same collection. Thank you! Grandmom (no URL)

    ReplyDelete