SFGate

Melody Grauman In case I wasn't clear, I need to redo the dining chair material:) Thanks!

joannpb I love the crewelwork pillow on the sofa. The walls in the dining room look like a shade of green, is that accurate? How about picking up a color or two from that pillow - maybe a darker shade of green than the walls and/or that lovely blue.

Melody Grauman I like this fabric, but it's out of stock as far as I can tell. I like kid friendly and bright, but not kiddish, if that makes sense

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=ae634b93-95fd-4e02-a4f5-c44e05a4291d

Melody Grauman thanks joann,

the walls are gray, close to martha stewart flagstone...they had a little taupe undertone on the swatch. I do really like the blue and gold from the pillow...

surfor What a beautiful room! Although I'm not a big fan of (corporate) JoAnn's Fabrics, if you have one in your area they do have a good selection of indoor/outdoor fabrics...you could probably find a contemporary floral that would incorporate both red and the wall color of the dining room. A cushion for the window seat of the same fabric with a red cording could tie it together.

harpjoy92k What a nice combination of colors. I too like the crewelwork pillow. What about a stripe for those chair cushions, picking up the colors form the pillow, including that pink, for a little fun and pop!

Melody Grauman thanks all,
I love the pillow too...it was one of those $3 clearance finds that I enjoy daily:)

Would this be too much red?
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=3ecc26ec-c02f-478a-896e-9c569b327ebe

I was thinking maybe a yellow chevron for the window seat. What do you think?

Here's the other side of our living room, to give more of an idea:

Melody Grauman and we don't always have paper chains or hearts to coordinate with, but usually some sort of special art:)

thelmalouisemom I love the fabric sample, however it may fight with your beautiful slipper chair fabric.

Melody Grauman what do you think of this?

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=5626f3b0-f7dc-40f5-9adf-82b1f733376b&CategoryID=977faa25-8f56-4e8d-bbc3-d972eccf25f3

joannpb That Farrington Grenadine is a fun fabric, but you would be really extending the red. That's not a bad thing if you like it - I don't think it would knock anyone's eye out.

Ash Rav my ideas :)

ann I like a black and white plaid

joannpb Thanks for inspiring a fun search through the fabric vendors! I found some intresting things on this site.
http://shop.thefabricfinder.com/index.aspx

ccmagistra101 That pillow on your sofa looks just like one I have from IKEA. Here's a picture of the fabric that's on the back of mine which would compliment your dining chairs nicely.

ccmagistra101 Oh and good for a window seat cushion as well.

standinginline I would go with a vintage-y fabric in blues, example... http://modernhouseinsight.com/girly-vintage-chair-from-recycled-furniture-2012-01-16/blue-vintage-chair-with-floral-pattern

standinginline Or vintage fabric here...
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/somethingfine/1403868498/

Eileen Your home is beautiful! Have you seen Anna Maria Horner fabrics?

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=78d05b40-04d7-4aa8-9a6b-9e441b1df7b5
This link shows a coordinating yellow chevron, but I think the next link would be a nice alternative.

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=e0a105d8-9d74-4e76-9869-6181039aadc9


darker
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=07993cc4-8036-4878-acf5-0e58bc4a6577&CategoryID=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&cm_vc=756b1813-cbc1-43b3-84bd-29889bf8fb7b

Melody Grauman So many good ideas--thanks!

Ash, Do you know the names of those fabrics...I really like those!

Those vintage ones are great too...I find I'm really drawn to large florals.

Eileen, those anna maria ones are beautiful! I especially like this one:

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=d455ee92-40cd-4903-90a1-5a5bc6d7791c

I"m unsure about the durability though...we have kids up and down on those chairs all day. How do I know if a fabric is the right type for the high use our chairs will get? There's a lot I don't know about fabric yet!

Thanks everyone!

Eileen ohh I guess home decor weight would be the best. I know AMH has decor weight, but maybe not at that site. I've only used cotton quilting weight fabrics for pillow cushions. Maybe if you treated it with scotchgard? Or used a fusible interfacing for more stability?

Maren Williams Red & white ikat fabric would be nice & spot on trend.

Maren Williams You will want to use an upholstery grade fabric. Make sure that it also has a heavy duty rating for residential. This indicates it exceeds 15,000.00 double-rubs in the test. If the fabric swatches or tags are not clear, make sure to ask. If you have a store that sells custom designed furniture near you, ask them if they can sell you cut yardage.
Also, ask if the fabric already contains a protectant. Many do at this time. If not, ask the designer if they can hit it with a spray like Scotch Guard, or Guardian. Both work well.

Andrea Prasch I would do a deep blue maybe like a navy and it would be very forgiving with the kids.

househaunted

Dee Hession I would suggest an area rug under the table to warm up the room. i love the colr of the walls.

Dianne Olsen How about something like Ultrasuede or similar? I think you could do it in a sand or taupe or even a warm yellow

jshariff You have a lovely home; you are not short of ideas any more. Endorsing Joann's recommendation i would go for colours from the cushion on the sofa.

susan609 Melody, for the dining room chairs, I like the funky florals you've picked that echo the living room palette to balance out the energy of the LR. When you decide on one, I would use a stripe with the same colors on the window seat. Is the sofa by the dining room really that bright pink or more red? Either way, excellent.

sandra1942 Rethink red. Dining rooms in red, with candles, are very cozy. Plus, women look beautiful in that environment. Maybe one wall? Fabric for cushion could be red, with pillows of floral. Same floral on chairs. Florals hide little spots you can't get out. It's hard to tell, but it looks like the chair seats pop out. If so, there are ways to make the covers easy to take off to launder. Holiday green in the floral and your room is a Christmas joy!

pattm patsince this is kid friendly - and you want to tie in with the red (potentially) why not try to do a patterned seat cushion... with different shades of gray and red... that way you pick up the wall color and tie into
the red. if you make it a smaller pattern it won't be overwhelming. Additionally, you could do a different pattern for each chair which would add some "fun". and if you had a window cushion made
you could make that in gray and use some of the seat cushion fabric as pillows.

your other alternative is to add a 3rd color which goes with red and gray

I hope this helps
pat

Melody Grauman Thank you all so much for for your help...it's so nice having people to bounce ideas around with!

The couch is definitely red:)

what do you all think of this fabric?

http://echolandbags.storenvy.com/products/625332-the-laura-large-tote-in-floral-calypso

I really love this one, and I saw some people use it for upholstery, but It's a linen/rayon blend...that wouldn't be very durable, would it?

http://www.hollymathisinteriors.com/portfolio/childrens-spaces/?pid=161

Sandra, The chairs have a wooden square that screws into the frame...is that what you mean by pop out? I'd love more info on making them washable!

standinginline Why not add thin clear vinyl (like a table cloth clear cover but find one as thin as you can but still durable) over the fabric of your choice? It is very kid friendly and you still get the fabric of your choice.

Susanna Three outdoor fabrics that work together for the window seat, pillows and chair seats....and a "ballet chicken in a production of the Cluckquacker"
(Chicken is just for fun--a painting, not fabric--Jennifer Carrasco at Nightingale street on etsy)

meatpie That dancing chicken fabric is wonderful!! Also, I would do the same fabric on the window seat but that is just me...

joannpb Here's a different one - Mill Creek Crazy Old Bird - Midnight

41% poly & 59% Rayon, 54" wide, Crazy cuckoo bird, Repeats: 28.25" vert & 27" horz

$29.99yd

sandra1942 I don't remember where I saw the pop outs done to easily remove. DIY might have some ideas. It would be how you attached the fabric. Stapling would not be good, but something that attaches. Snaps, slides, hook-and-eye, etc., no one sees the bottom. Velcro? Needs tightness. Velcro edges for the material cover on the bottom (usually black) could hide your solution. Is this helping?

Jane Antonacci Interior Design A great black and white wide stripe would look chic and wouldn't clash with the red. In fact, I would paint the chairs white for a more updated look and then go with the stripe. Very cool....

spiceclan05 Hi Melody, You have lots of great input! I would use the large fun print you love from the holly mathias website for curtain panels.... the scale is perfect and you will appreciate a large print in drapes as opposed to seat cushion... this will also draw your eye around the room as opposed to the seat of the chair. Your table and chairs are beautiful; think about complementing the chairs features. I would use a large scale stripe centered with the chairs back....even think about sewing your own with a bold color in center and neutral on side. Add a large square canvas print by your children on the wall to left of kitchen (by hi chair).... paint the canvas in a solid (maybe left over wall color) and then let your children paint freestyle in colors pulled from your drapery fabric... fun project and conversation piece. For lighting, I would add a bowl pendant over table for great downlight for game/crafts etc.... get the most wattage you can and add a dimmer. Enjoy your family times!

Ellan Maynard Start with a rug! I would use a patterned rug, perhaps an ikat by Safavieh-http://safavieh.com/product-of-the-week/tribal-rugs-go-glam
Notice the touch of sage/grey in here it would look great with the walls. Then keep all the rest of the stuff more neutral, with perhaps the yellow in the window seat/ I would paint the chairs this great color by Ben Moore called Silver Fox. It is a lovely silvered beige. Cover the chairs with an indoor/outdoor fabric, but keep it neutral. You can add color on the table with placemats, flowers, etc, but get your room pow from the rug. I personally think you will tire of all that floral on the chairs or on draperies. Also, avoid a kiddie fabric, as you will want to use the dining room to entertain, also, and too much kiddie can get old.

spiceclan05 From years of experience.....I would not invest in a rug unless your kids don't spill milk, cranberry juice etc.... even the indoor/outdoor ones can stain and are a hassle for little ones (and adults) to pull chairs in and out of table independently.

Color Zen I would choose a fun fabric for the chairs... You will need to work the look a little with accessories afterward. If the chair fabric is busy I would go solid with the rest (window cushion, etc.) so things don't get too crazy :) I like your touch of Bohemian style, very cute. Here are a few fabric ideas (from Tonic Living) and check out Caitlin Wilson's Philadelphia Penthouse (on Houzz)- great inspiration! Good luck.

susan609 Did someone mention curtains? If you do a window treatment in the dining room, it should be the same as in the living room, in order to tie the rooms together. This is also why I wouldn't recommend introducing a new concept like black and white stripes. Since you are probably not doing the rug, patterned or striped DR chairs will add the pop. Indoor/out fabric is a great idea, lots of choices; or you could design a slipcover for over the chair seats, perhaps with a tailored "peplum" that you could tie or snap or velcro on. Personally, I still like the funky flower patterns that incorporate the LR color scheme, with a stripe for the window seat. That would keep the fun, eclectic vibe of your LR.

LOVED the chicken, but agree that it might be too kid-centric.

sandra1942 A valance of dancing chickens! Talk about whimsy, my favorite term in decorating. Would that do in both rooms? I'm actually walking around my house begging for a "dancing chicken" place. The great thing about pop outs in dining chairs is you can change them easily. A dancing chicken runner? But, I digress. Use easy-to-clean now. Something different later. I'm no kid and I love the dancing chicken! Oh no, I just checked ETSY. The chicken is a greeting card! Back to the drawing board.

Stowers Furniture Interior Design I suggest a Sunbrella or such for durability and easy cleaning. You never have to yell at your kids!

Kimberly Vivanco Grey with that pink for a stripe.

mrfurn Sunbrella or other acrylic fabric would be awesome: it limits your choices but with kids and heavy use you will not regret that limitation. The first thing I think when I see you beautiful room is that the dining space would benefit by an area rug under the table. I believe the area rug in front of your sofa and the one under your dining table are the two most important accessories in your home. They focus your attention to where it should go. I wouldn't get too flashy and on a budget would suggest an outdoor patio type rug with the look of rattan but composition of polyethylene. Adding a rug, of course, will affect everything else. The window seat area is a striking feature of the room. How about painting those walls only in a pastel to medium shade of lipstick pink: sort of make it it's own room? With this extra pop in the room, I see the window seat cushion and the chairs with a little less drama: some sort of geometric would balance nicely with your solid sofa and patterened pillow: maybe a trellis or interlocking key pattern. Reds keep it warm and monochromatic: blues a bit more busy. Have fun--keep the room fun too!

dsma I would stick with a neutral print. The reason for this is you can use anything for each holiday. The neurtal print can have different colors. For ex. black,white , gray, . Look for contemporary print with the neurtral colors. Accent in the pink. Just did this myself in my dining room. Gray chairs and bold print in curtains. They have black, white , gray , and some plum. It looks clean and airy.

mamlekit http://modernhouseinsight.com/girly-vintage-chair-from-recycled-furniture-2012-01-16/girly-flower-and-vines-vintage-chair

this one also looks good

rthibode I like picking up the blue from your crewel pillow if you are keeping it. I think the fabrics you've been drawn to are more modern/retro than the crewel though. That's fine as long as you're into eclectic and not going for a really unified style or era. Also think about the scale of your patterns so the pillow, curtains, chair seats and window seat don't all have patterns of the same size or they will compete. If you're getting a rug/curtains, choose those before you choose your chair fabrics because they will have more impact in the room. I agree the living an dining curtains should be the same fabric. Your home is already beautiful, let us know how it turns out!

handymam melody, I love the fabric you picked three days ago, the red print. If you are going the keep the dining room the color it is, I think this would be beautiful. The colors go with the other end of the room, but are not right next to it, so the print is not going to clash with anything.

Remember that you can scotchguard the fabric before putting it on the seats too.

Anyway, another thing to consider...By the time your kids wear out this fabric, you will probably be ready for a change anyway. Otherwise, we would all be living with the same fabric for far too long. But do order some extra in case something happens to one seat while the rest are still good!

You have a beautiful home!

bevballew I love the girly flower best. Remember color plays on moods. Red does excite and red also supposedly increases appetite. Blue soothes. With kids in that area quite a bit I thought to offer the effect colors have on people. I would be cautious with too much red all over but a splash of it is pretty.

Susanna LOL ladies...sorry to confuse everyone about the dancing chicken. As I mentioned in the earlier post, it is a painting and not a fabric. She sells them as prints or on greeting cards. I just thought it would be cute for the kids, framed somewhere in the room because it goes so well with the fabrics I chose. You can contact the artist and ask about getting a print to frame.

Actually, I just contacted her to see if it is available as a fabric or if she would do that. I am waiting for her reply and will report back.

joannpb I think I'll weigh in on my choice, then withhold further comment. 8-)

I vote for the red with circles and hexagons, next to the dancing chickens - After staring at your room and looking at the ideas, I think the small print is lively enough to carry the chairs and window seat cushion without taking over the room.

Then make two puffy cushions, to accent the window seat, with the dancing chickens. You could make a table runner of the chickens and edge it with the the red fabric. I think you'd have the warmth you want, whimsy, and the tie-in to the adjoining room.

I don't think it would be too much red, because the room is cool enough, with the gray walls to absorb it.

joannpb Oh, rats! I just saw the previous post.

Susanna Sorry, JoAnn,
Just contacted the artist and am waiting for her reply. I asked if she would make it available as fabric. :-) I will report back.

kbardel I Love Color Zen's Blue and white print for the chairs. looks amazing with grey walls, and looks amazing with anything red and ties everything in beautifully!!!! You could combine everything in that window seat cushion, which will be a vision of contemporary, modern and a flair of fashion but also very kid friendly!!!! You have a gorgeous home, please post photo after you decide!!!! would love to see!!!!

sandra1942 Let me know if dancing chicken becomes a fabric, please.

cherylcrough How about a chevron or honeycomb pattern in a bold color like red or yellow?

Stacy Lane I love the choices of Ash's fabrics and also the Anna Maria Horner LouLou Thi Summer Totem fabric. They're both fresh and modern and really nod to everything else in your rooms.

This may sound old - but remember when people used to cover their chairs in vinyl to protect the fabrics? Well, there is such a thing as matte vinyl... it really doesn't look like anything over the chairs, and it doesn't feel like vinyl (on bare summer legs or chubby toddler knees). I know someone who had it on her chairs when her children were young, then when they grew, she took off the seat, removed just the vinyl and kept the fabric, which after all those years looked like new. Just a thought. :)

ideahuntress Hi
You have had lots of great ideas from other users here so here is my two-cents.
firstly may I say I do love your rooms. I think you would be better off co-ordinating the rooms through soft furnishings rather than painting any of the walls in the dinning room red .

I do love the very first pattern that you yourself put up . As you would be using only a small amount on the chairs you can do a busy pattern but I would be careful with curtains and window seat.
If using a bold pattern why not do a border of that fabric on plain curtains? (I would prefer roman blinds )
I think that from the bit of your personality I can see coming through from your comments etc that a mix of stripes and patterned fabric would appeal to your whimsy nature but would also be practical . For the chairs and the window seat you could do a patterned fabric, accessorised with plain and striped cushions.Then for the curtains do a plain stripe or again a mix of the 2 fabrics . Think of a fat 8 fabric samples that you often see to buy with a mix of patterns plains etc but an all over co-ordination to them .

Have fun !

Susanna these are closer to your samples than my earlier suggestion, I think...

bevballew I like the floralby the dancing chicken. It will cover up spots better should that happen..haha.. With the kids. It is very pretty. The dancing chicken would be cute...it is darling and whimsical. I think your idea of florals is great. Complements just enough.

Susanna Yes, my favorite too but I think she likes bolder, more graphic prints. Did you ask me about plates on the other thread, Bev?

bevballew Yes did so Susanna. They were stunning. Amazing the beautiful fabrics out there. Yes, I thought she liked a bit more bold. I thought she chose the one I said I liked but maybe I misunderstood.

Susanna The plates were all found on Etsy, Replacements, and Ruby Lane. Sometimes these posts make me want the same thing. Now I'm looking at plates! Ha!

vinifera Hi. I can see by the far room that you've carried your colours through and that is what you need to do in the living room. Your eye skips the dining room and goes straight to the red in the far room.

I would "strongly"recommend finding a small stripe with all the colours in the crewel work pillow.

Stripes are neutral and a great way to transition from one room to the other. You might also want to add a red window seat since it looks like you're not into window treatments.

A little corner of the living room looks like you've painted it the sofa colour? Personally I would have painted the dining room red to balance the colour. Red, grey,white drops away toward the back and appears unfinished. The red in the middle would tie everything together.

That way you don't have all your colour in the livingroom. "balance"

Barbara van Pelt- Designer/Owner - It's All Technical Design & Decor,
Vinifera, The Inn on Winery Row, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Bed & Breakfast on the Niagara Wine Route

bevballew I hear you Susanna. I did not think I would see things I want to buy! I have bought flatware on Replacements. I have a weakness for dishes. My kids yell at me to stop buying dishes.

judyg


Colors: dark like your furniture, pinks, reds..fun.

Get what you want. 1/2 yd per chair and you can always change it up.

sandra1942 I like this fabric also, not as much as the chicken but we can't always get what we want. It's a very nice combo,of your colors and I especially like the pink. Another fabric focusing on the pink, and coordinating with the fabrics in the other room, would be lovely on the window seat and windows. Me, I'd paint the room pink. Women always look good surrounded by pink. I can't wait to see what you do!

Kevin Retired Decorator I would try a red and pink flame stitch they are back in style and more colorful than the chevron it's similar too.

Debbie Bradley I love your room. I would go with another neutral color for the chairs and window seat cushions. Then add flare in pillows for the window. And placemats dinner napkins etc. you can change them with the seasons and mix and match bright colors.

Susanna Bev, you sound like me! I need a bigger kitchen to hold all the dinnerware I keep buying. It's like an addiction..probably in need of intervention... :-)

Sandra, I have good news! Jennifer, the dancing chicken artist, is quite an accomplished mural artist. She has done 10 for Tommy Bahama and is currently working on 180 linear feet of chinoiserie. Very busy lady! Nevertheless, when I shared our love story with the chicken, she has agreed to offer it through spoonflower. She has never designed fabric, so I helped her and have a new friend in the process. :-). When it is ready for sale, I will let you know on some other thread, if this one is no longer open. If anyone else wants a notification, please let me know.

So, when Jennifer is done, you will be able to order her dancing chicken on any of their fabrics, (silk, cotton, linen, upholstery twill, canvas, etc.)

bevballew I have dinner parties with a group of friends and they think I buy a new set of dishes for every dinner. I used my "good" dishes from my bridal registry of 34 years ago and they thought it was new. I probably have 5 or 6 sets of dishes. I now buy just appetizer dishes or napkins and napkin holders of different colors for the season and it always looks new....but I need to stop....after I maybe buy those plates you had shown!!

joannpb OMG! I just put into yahoo search "chicken print fabric by the yard". You've got to look at these, just to entertain yourself.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0PDoKkLRyZRERYA1lOJzbkF?p=chicken+print+fabric+by+the+yard&fr=yfp-t-900-21&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt&y=Search

sandra1942 Alas, not cute dancing chickens. But a lot of chicken fabric, who knew?

The Home Beautiful You can really have fun with your seat cushions. I would suggest doing two fabrics and some piping, this way you have options.

sandra1942 Susanna, you are fabulous! Yes, let me know when the fabric is available (sandihemming@msn.com). I think'll she'll get a lot of business. I showed it to decorator friend and she loved it. I've even decided where to use my happ, dancing chickens. Thank you so much.

Susanna Thanks! You are welcome Sandra. I will contact you when she is done. I found this fabric that might be cute with it. It comes in different colors-chicken wire fabric! Ha! I also found this light fixture. Not for here, but would be great in a kitchen.

Susanna Melody,
I saw this and thought it looked like your window seat. I tracked down the fabrics in the photo. (Enlarge the photo to see better detail) I found the blog where the designer discussed the fabrics she used, then I went searching. They are from calico corner (left) and Schumacher (right top) and Kravet (right bottom) Have you made any decisions yet?

joannpb Cluck, cluck, cluck, (translation: Yayyyyyyyyyy!)

susan609 Loved what Susanna posted. That's great look for your window seat and you can use the flower print for your chairs. You can even use one of the other prints for the chairs at the head & foot of the table.

blondeseason I suggest you go with a fabric that has bright yellow in it. IT will compliment the red in the adjoining room and pop with the gray walls in the room where the chairs are. You might consider a yellow and gray strip outdoor fabric, it is cheery and so kid friendly.

sandra1942 "every room needs a touch of yellow" forget who said. The etsy site shows chickens doing The Nutcracker, they are all great. Have a look. Search for "greeting card chicken" to see them.

Artistico I would do ultrasuede ambiance it's one of the most durable fabrics available. It is on the higher end of the price range but worth every penny. Use a baby wipe to clean almost anything off. It does not fade from sun either so it will last 20 years or so if you don't get sick of it first. You can buy it online at Gulf fabrics.

Jennifer Carrasco Hi people...I was contacted by Susanna (Baltimorean?) about putting my design of dancing chicken (I call it, "Is Your Tutu ready?") on Spoonflower....and guess what....I did it! And, I ordered a swatch for approval so I could see how it looks before accepting orders.

My Spoonflower gallery name is SrMaryMural (murals are my main source of income), and what can I say...my parochial school education made me naughty.
I must apologize for the lame look of my gallery....as most of you know, it takes a while to get up to speed on a site. I plan to add all my dancing poultry from the Cluckquacker suite to Spoonflower (there are 4 out of 12 in all you can view on my Etsy site) I am enclosing here a few others, and I must admit I snicker every time I look at them. Can't help it...terrible puns...Pas de Duck, Ronde de Drumstick, and so on. My fav is the group of Dance Critics...dressy old gals I painted as a homage to my great aunts....Chanel, Jimmy Chu, boas and all.
My Etsy Site and my personal website are, respectively, http://www.carrascostudio.com
www.etsy.com/shop/NightinGaleStreet

Also, I'm including an image of me with my latest project...one contempory chinoiserie canvas panel.I'm doing 180 linear yards of this style and burnin' up the brushes to get just one wall (6 out of 16 Loooong panels) done by June.

Anyhow, thanks for your Interest and thank you Susanna! Jennifer Carrasco

Jennifer Carrasco BTW, the copyrights will not appear on the image, and for a bit of extra photoshop, I can get rid of the Christmas holly.

sandra1942 Jennifer, wow, you and Susanna work fast. Your "Dancing Chicken" already has fans. I don't know if the holly would bother anyone, not me anyway. I looked on your etsy site and love all "The Cluckcracker Suite" you're a wonderful artist. I'm looking forward to the fabric.

Susanna A celebration is in order ladies! Have a virtual glass of champagne with rose petals. Let's raise a toast to dancing chickens in tutus and the lovely artist, Jennifer. Clink!

sandra1942 Wish I was where that glass is!

joannpb A fizz on the palate, rose scent and bubbles for the nose - Ah, bliss.

Here's to the twinkle-toed fowl.

Jennifer Carrasco There's a poet nesting within us.

Jennifer Carrasco Ah, the light fantastic! With spectator Gossiping Mice as well! (who never have ANYTHING nice to say about the performances.) The intent "Rond de Drumstick" hen, the graceful "Pas de Duck" couple, and the unfortunate danseurs who grabbed the wrong outfits. "Wardrobe Fowl Up", of course. All of them are now on Spoonflower, available in all formats, and I have ordered test swatches. Hold your breath and twirl! Hope they turn out! Will let you know! Jennifer.

Susanna LOVE THESE! So happy they will be on spoonflower. They make me laugh! Especially the bottom left. :-) So nice of you to take the time to do this. Thank You, Jennifer!

sandra1942 On my way to Spoonflower now!

alabamagal WOW! What a FUN group of ladies and ideas! I LOVE the chicks as well as the mice but think you should not get too CUTE by adding the lamp. The chicks cluck for themselves! I LOVE the shade of red...the couch...and like the Ikat pattern shown by 'Colorzen' best. Red is similar to couch but expands it somewhat. That is nice! I think a geometric or 'design' would work better than a flora...keep theflorals for pillows. The room does not look too large so avoid crowding it with too many patterns and designs. There are three ways to go with color: 1) monochromatic 2) analagous...colors next to eachother on the color wheel...red/orange/yellow, blue,/green/yellow or blue, purple/red, and somplementary colors...those opposite each other on the wheel...red/green, yellow/purple, orange/blue. Some are easier to work with and/or bring certain things to mind: red/blue gets 'flaggy' or Williamsburgh, red green goes Xmassy. Yes it an be a good idea to pick colors from a floral but try not to use ALL of them. The larger the room, the more you can use and the smaller, the less and that goes for colors and fabrics. It is hard to do in a small room but remember you do not have to shove all the furniture around the edges of the room! It is not the doctor's office! Rugs under a dining room table can be a problem with kids and when using an area rug in a living room, heep the front feet of furniture on the rug! A neat, rather tight woven pattern (forget who showed a couple) in reds should work nicely for DR chair seats. They should be easy enough to change around. A large check in grey/white with red binding would be nice on the window seat then use a burst of red in pillows. Just try to keep things simple and don't get the urge to sue everything you like in one room! One lesson I learned...I had a Fabulous fancy rug designed for my house inFL where the LR was all whites...rug was purple with hot pink flowers with yellow centers and green stems winding around the sculptd edge...it was the WOW in the room but several moves later, I have finally gotten rid of it...it CONTROLLED my life! IT dominated everything! Beware of too 'important' a rug!
Margery Griffith

Susanna I think Melody has flown the coop....she last posted 6 days ago. Melloooodyyy! Where are youuuuu?? :-)

Ellan Maynard Susanna Artistea, where did you find the chicken coop lamp?

Susanna The light is from Shades of Light. Com called "chicken wire basket pendant light" for 189.00

Jennifer Carrasco Tadah! I just got my samples of my chicken designs from Spoonflower (fabric, wall paper and decals) and they look great. So ladies (and gents), go to the shop jennifercarrasco and have fun. (I changed it from srmarymural because it was too complicated) I have several of my poultry ballets offered for sale, along with the naughty gossiping mice. My shop is pretty basic at this point......I swear, if I have to puzzle out another online shop I will slide into screaming dementia! However, the frustration probably builds character. I'll be posting more images (I have legions) soon.
Anyhow, take a look, and again, thank you very much.

Jennifer Carrasco Oops...forgot the swatches!

Susanna Beautiful!!! So happy it worked out. Thanks again, Jennifer, for taking the time to do this. Hope it did not cause too much downtime with your chinoiserie!

sandra1942 I've been checking, but not available yet. So, whoopie! The dancing chicken MUST be in that DR, window seat pillows?

lescolbro Love the ideas! How about covering the seats and window cushion in a slightly lighter/darker or print in shades of gray and adding punches of color with pillows? My dining room walls are gray also and the neutral pallet never clashes with my table settings, plus changing the accents changes the mood of the room.

Jennifer Carrasco Hi Sandra....Try this ... type my shop name jennifercarrasco in the search bar on Spoonflower. Then click on the designer tab (it will come up a light brown) and my designs will show up. You can order from that section. I tried it as a customer and it works. I have changed the name of my shop because srmarymural was confusing. I'll ask Spoonflower how to rectify the non show up of the fabric tab! Sorry about mix up! There's always issues with a new site. Bon chance!

sandra1942 I like the idea of individual decals to create a fun border. These wonderful whimsies are going in my "room" where all my whimsies (sewing, needlework, painting, crafting, etc.) are born. I hope getting individual decals can be worked out. Best of luck on this!

joannpb I'm all but holding my breath, waiting to see the resulting dining room!

Melody Grauman Sorry I took so long to respond! And I my daughter saw the dancing chicken and squealed excitedly..very cute, but I'm not sure if that's what I'm looking for.

I got samples of these fabrics:

Melody Grauman And also this one. I'm also definitely not getting a rug at this point in our lives:) Also, I'm planning on not putting up curtains in the dining area. If anything, I'll put sheer white roller shades.

Susanna, where did you find that leaf one you posted a while back? I'm also considering doing solid color like some people suggested (either a gold or gray), I"m just a little nervous about stains:p

bevballew The walls are grey I believe. I like the top left above. I like the leaf pattern but it does not appear to be gray. You have red in abutting rooms. Thought you wanted a bit of red in dining room? So I am uncertain about the leaf. I like this yellow above also. Perhaps you have introduced some yellow,then. I like all three of the above that I have indicated. The mum pattern is cute!

Susanna I think your daughter has great taste, Melody.

Melody Grauman Yes, the walls are gray and the pillows do have some yellow flowers and the chairs across the room have quite a bit of gold. I was going to add that my placemats are deep red with subtle gold, green and creme stripes. Thanks for your input!

sandra1942 The pillow on the red sofa tells me you don't fear pattern or color. Some of the solid-type fabrics above, especially the red, are lovely, but a pattern helps hide little accidents. Perhaps a solid you love on the window seat with pillows (a dancing chicken?) tying your chairs and adjoining room. I find Sillhouettes for windows, they add a softness of light which is very welcoming. Of your four samples, I like the bottom right. There is one above, belle something, I like very much.

dallasstudent13 More to pick from. There are many with pops of color.

http://www.studiobontextiles.com/collection/

tera I think using a wide black and white stripe on the window seat would be dramatic and would anchor the room use pillows that have all the colors you like( reds gold and a touch of black!!! Black in every rooms adds a wow factor!! A sorta French look is great and warm. Use a large rooster somewhere in the room ( the DR table perhaps?) A room can be sophisticated and still be warm and practical.

kokoskak I like the top two fabrics; they're fun and include gray, which coordinates with your paint color.

susan609 I like the lower left flower. It seems brighter and more whimsical than the others, in keeping with the spirit of your living room. And it's the only one that has red to tie it into the other rooms. The mums are interesting but don't have any red. If you wanted to tone down your dining room, the gold and grey geometric is attractive and you could even add red cord trim around the chairs. I think introducing a totally new element like a b&w stripe would be jarring.

mjmil You have so many great choices. I really like the yellow and grey geometric. I do think that with your children you may be wise to purchase indoor/outdoor fabric.

Gantt's Decorating Just remember whatever fabric you use will essentially be the theme of the dining room. As far as kid friendly, I would make simple little cotton covers that tie to the front and back legs that will coordinate with the seat upholstery. Make them out of cotton so they are washable. When company comes take them off.