Pepper Design Blog

Dining Room Update: The Tale of a Tree

So happy to share my recent find with you all today! I’ve been on a casual search for houseplants for some time. What’s challenging about indoor greenery is A. keeping is alive and B. finding something that is both attractive/functional/not dated.

When I came across the fiddle leaf fig in the last episode of Design Star two years back, I near crawled up to the TV screen to admire this beauty of a houseplant (tree?). Then I googled the heck out of it until I learned what it was.

Soon after, inspiration came pouring in! What a beautiful, structural indoor plant that was not quite tropical, not quite in the fern family and not quite immediately recognizable (ficus, I’m talking to you). Source for above images here.

So I called around to my favorite local nurseries and came across the unfortunate truth that such large, mature trees fall well into the $150+ range, not quite justifiable in my mind for a houseplant (piece of Craigslist furniture or new tree for the dining room?).

Then I came across a blog that suggested Craigslist as a source for fiddle leaf figs! Hadn’t thought to search for a houseplant on the site yet. But a couple of months later and still no one was looking to part.

Finally, I called up Lowe’s and asked about special ordering. Turns out they carry these large guys and my local store receives a shipment every Tuesday. Well, two or three Tuesdays later and they were always sold out by the time I had arrived. Who would have known they were so popular?

I gave up… until just recently! After picking up some paint and other supplies during a recent Lowe’s trip, I wandered through the indoor plant section as I usually do and came across one. last. beautiful fiddle leaf fig. At least I thought it was beautiful. The kind man at the register gave me 50% off without prompting when he noticed my ‘badly bruised and brown leafed’ tree purchase. But that left me with one giant tree for $22! I’ll take it. And I whispered to my new tree that she shouldn’t be offended and that she was not bruised at all.

Fiddle leaf fig, welcome to my dining room.

I had originally planned on placing you over here, where the large pile o’ sticks is. But you are too small right now and you interfere a bit with the door to the guest room.

For now, you fill this wall up nicely.

Such beautiful leaves! Here’s hoping I keep her green and pretty. I’m not sure this tree will get enough light over here… most maintenance websites suggest ‘good light’ so we’ll have to play with placement.

One day, fiddle leaf fig, you might look like this!

source

Next, I need to drill a hole in the bottom of this pot for drainage or switch it out into a new, nicer container pronto. Will keep you posted on my green thumb.

You can start from the beginning or jump in on any of the dining room posts here: new art illustrations, bench makeover ideas, choosing a rug, curtain call part 3,curtain call part 2, curtain call part 1, newly styled bookshelves, a buffet-over,upgrading the lighting, the before.

Dining Room Update: New Ikea Art Illustrations

A quick update for the dining room to share today. I was perusing Ikea for a few new frames (gotta love Ikea frames) and passed by their art aisle when two illustrations caught my eye.

Such a sweet Ikea surprise! Pretty, organic, nature-inspired art at a great price for a wall I’ve been really struggling with… Ikea, you made my day.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that usually an Ikea staple can be spotted a mile away. RIBBA frames? LACK tables? MASKROS light fixtures? EXPEDIT bookshelves? Good, bad or otherwise this little BILD FJALLSTA (I don’t see that name gaining popularity any time soon) find was totally unexpected! And not very Ikea at all!

I’m a bit of a frame hoarder and I have a special thing for flat, thin frames that I find at Aaron Brothers or from this eBay seller, but lately I’ve been really drawn to these birch beauties from Ikea (Despite the very thick depth. Why, Ikea? Why the 2″ depth? Makes creating a gallery wall just a teensy bit more difficult).

Here’s a little reminder of the other side of the room and how it’s progressing.

Still need to modify that bench to a dining height and to give it a little fabric makeover…

My favorite new addition during this start-from-scratch space might just be those bed spread curtains that still make me smile when I walk in from the kitchen. A couple of folks have mentioned lining them which is definitely an idea I’ve pondered.

See? The birch in the frame fits in so well!

The room continues to move along! Still on the to-do list: continue to fill up the wall near the new Ikea art (large, leaning mirror? over-sized b&w of Liv?, painting?), find a fun fabric to create a table runner, redo the bench (legs and upholstery), new dining room chairs?

You can start from the beginning or jump in on any of the dining room posts here: bench makeover ideas, choosing a rug, curtain call part 3,curtain call part 2, curtain call part 1, newly styled bookshelves, a buffet-over,upgrading the lighting, the before.

Dining Room Dilemma: A Colorful Bench

Last week I added the new Orla Kiely curtains to the dining room and I immediately loved how the vibrant pop of blue worked with the vintage buffet! But with the new matching color scheme, the room also felt like it was lacking a dose of contrasting color to really mix things up. So the wheels began turning for updating our current ottoman-turned-dining bench…

Right off the bat I’m thinking that a new set of taller legs and a covering in a soft velvet would make this guy work for the space. The tufted ottoman is a Craigslist find (surprise!) but he’s been with us for a while and has slowly begun to wear and tear (literally) and up until recently has been on the replace or let go list.

But perhaps he can be remade into something awesome. Here are a few badly photoshopped ideas of what colors might work well with that bold blue (and a few random lumbar pillows that might coordinate well for the end chairs):

A soft pink to lighten things up? I found the softest pink velvet for $10/yard at our discount fabric shop. (pillow)

Or how about mint green? A favorite summer accent of mine! (pillow)

Or perhaps something a little more limey would look best… (pillow)

Burnt orange?

Or how about plum to cool down that bright blue? (pillow)

I’m not quite sold on any of the pillow pairings but you can see where I’m hoping to go with a little color in this space, and if pricing out velvet and new legs ends up being pricier than a new upgrade, here are a few benches that I have my eye on:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Oh I love that minty Ballard bench with the curved legs!

Read the full dining room story by starting here: choosing a rug, curtain call part 3, curtain call part 2, curtain call part 1, newly styled bookshelves, a buffet-over, upgrading the lighting, the before.