On the morning of the last Sunday in April, you will always catch me singing in the shower and doing a happy dance in my bathrobe. Why? Why it’s the annual Antique Fair, of course! Two blocks of antiques, salvage, and vintage finds on display a mere mile from my house = CG’s drug of choice. Vendors from all over the California Bay Area come to sell their wares, and Mr. CG knows it’s his day to watch the children, cause I’m going treasure hunting.

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Yesterday, I featured my woefully inadequate dining room space, which is a work in (slow) progress. For inspiration, I turned to my magazine file of my favorite dining spaces, and scanned them for your eyes only. Now if my dining room could look like any of these, no one would ever remember what food I actually served.

You will notice that I lean traditional. However, my personal style is less Architectural Digest, and more Better Homes and Gardens. Yet I constantly peruse and collect copies of Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Southern Accents, Decor, and Remodel magazines to dream my little dreams of someday adding extra glam to my little dining room corner.

Here are just a sampling of the many images I’ve collected. (All efforts were made to acknowledge the photographer, if known.) These pictures are so lovely, you’ll be glad I’m featuring Part Two next week.

House Beautiful, April 2008: Such a calm color scheme, and a great mix of chairs. It could just be the light, but it appears that the chandelier and picture frames are a champagne color, which is noticeably softer than gold or bronze. Photo by Francis Janisch

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Home Office Inspiration

The Allure of Alfresco

Gorgeous Dining Rooms, Part One

Gorgeous Dining Rooms, Part Two