When Wayfair contacted us to find out if we wanted to redo a room in our home the timing could not have been better. We just moved into our home in late summer and have literally been decorating since we crossed the threshold. We are slowly selling our old furniture and replacing it with forever items that are perfect for our new space. With the holidays around the corner, I thought the dining room would be a perfect fit. I was so excited to work with their design services so that this room would be ready for our annual Friendsgiving dinner. The final outcome was more than I could have ever hoped for.
Beginning the design process with a Wayfair designer
I had been struggling to find a buffet that I liked and thought a designer would be the perfect help. Wayfair design services lets you choose a designer to help you find the perfect pieces for your space. Not only do they help with furniture, but also with accessories, wall color and other decor. I quickly got to work with my designer, Dayna. It started out with a detailed drawing of my current room layout with dimensions so the designer can understand the space. I also sent over our inspiration photos of Katie Bower’s dining room. I have been a long time fan of Bower Power Blog and my husband and I both fell in love with the space.
Incorporating new pieces with existing decor
We started with a phone call for me to discuss my vision and needs for the space. The only furniture I had was the dining table (copied from the previous owner who had impeccable style), the chairs (copied from the inspiration room) and a piece of floral art. As I previously mentioned, a buffet had been eluding me. I wanted my designer to first focus on this. Obviously I had a budget for the room which was quickly diminishing after purchasing the table and chairs.
Attention to detail makes Wayfair designers invaluable
After the phone call we had an ongoing chat on the Wayfair site where she could sent me lists of options and get my feedback. It was really helpful to for me to be able to go back and see our previous options and get her thoughts. The entire project lasted about 2 weeks with our designer. Even though it is finished, I am still able to go back and see her thoughts and suggestions. Danya put all our ideas together into a mood board for me to see the cohesive space. I love that she also gave me smaller decor pieces to style the room.
The nuts and bolts of delivery
The buffet we decided on is the Baxter Sideboard. It matches my dining table incredibly well and fulfilled my dreams of having “hidden storage”. It is such a well made piece that I legitimately squealed when they delivery men brought it into my home. Speaking of delivery, Wayfair made my life so easy.
They prearrange a delivery time and then the driver called me when he was 30 minutes out. When they arrived they brought it straight inside my home. I should mention that this was actually our second delivery experience with Wayfair. Our first was an outdoor sectional that they delivered in the rain. The men had no issue brining it around my home and into the basement so the boxes would not get soaked. We have been so pleased with every interaction with Wayfair.
Creating a room that allows for seasonal changes
Our designer made shopping easy by adding shopping links for all the items she included in our design board. I currently have the room styled for the upcoming holiday, however once that is over I plan on using both the tulip and hydrangea centerpieces on the table she suggested. These play perfectly on the florals from the artwork I originally had for the space. I loved that she gave a subtle nod to the holiday with this great porcelain pumpkin. I appreciated even more that you can actually cook and serve from it. As you can see I did not go with the art from our final design. Initially we discussed mirrors but I wanted options. This is one reason I love being able to reference the online conversation because I am incredibly indecisive and later decided upon an initially discussed mirror (similar).
Design now, implement later
Another big element of this room is the lighting since ours is a bit outdated. Our designer was wonderful to give us lots of lighting options since that was a key component of our inspiration image. She suggested to get a similar look we can do a grouping of pendants. We are still undecided if we will do this, but another fabulous option she gave was a cluster of 6 pedants. This option would obviously be easier for us to hang as they are all together and we have the existing hook up. Since friends giving is right around the corner we were not able to tackle this immediately and truthfully this plays well with the mirror coloring. I know it is on our list to replace for right after the holidays.
Designing a room to work for your needs
Since we will be serving from the buffet I wanted a separate space for beverages. I chose a bar cart (similar) that would be a great accent piece for the corner, but be accessible for ice and other necessities for wine and cocktails. It is nice to have the buffet solely dedicated to foods. Our table has a leaf to extend but we always end up inviting more people than will fit at the table. I love having as much extra seating as possible and our bay window was a perfect spot to sneak in a bench (similar) without detracting from the amazing light that comes in.
We are so thankful that we can cross this room off our to-do list and that it is ready for our Friendsgiving celebration. If you are still needing to make your home ready for holiday company head on over to Wayfair’s Design Services. They can help you find that perfect finishing touch, or help you you complete the whole look.
We received services and products for this post. All opinions are my own.
