A Lake Cottage Christmas: Our Christmas Living & Dining Room
Welcome to our Lake Cottage Christmas Living & Dining Room!
I’ve updated the post to participate in the Jennifer Rizzo Holiday Housewalk link party! To see the other stunning Christmas homes linking up click the button below:
Good morning!! Welcome to the third and final part of our Lake Cottage Christmas home tour and Day 7 of my 12 days of Christmas Series. Today I am super excited to be sharing our Christmas Living and Dining Room with you!
I’m joining up with an amazing group of bloggers for the Country Living Home Tour hosted by Ashley of Cherished Bliss and Country Living Magazine. If you have just hopped over from Erin’s stunning tour at The Sunny Side Up Blog, then welcome!!
My name is Krista, and I love to blog about our DIY and decorating adventures in my “spare” time from being a full-time primary teacher and Mom. I’m a born and bred “housie” (someone whose passion is all things house related – think “foodie”, but for houses) and I love sharing our house exploits on this little bit of the web.
A little history about our home: we have lived here for five years this coming spring and love our home for the fact that it is located on a beautiful lake in the center of Vancouver Island, BC. A newer build (1994), our home started out fairly builder basic, and we have been gradually adding our personal touch to it. We’ve painted and DIYed our way through nearly every room on the main floor {some twice!}, and I think we are ready to tackle the basement next!
If you are a regular reader then welcome back!! On Tuesday I shared Christmas front porch and entry hall and yesterday I shared our Christmas Kitchen.
And today I am back with the rest of our Christmas house tour: our Christmas Living and Dining Room!
So let’s get started, shall we?
Come on into our Living Room! This year we caved and got an artificial tree. While we love the family tradition of going out and choosing a tree in the woods, the last couple of years have been so rainy that we have resorted to just buying our tree from a tree lot anyhow. And this way, I get to set it up extra early and start decorating. Our tree is, admittedly, rather large. In fact my husband asked me why I picked a “Mall Sized” Christmas tree when he saw it. Oh well. Go big or go home, right?
It’s the first thing you see as you walk into the living and dining room area from our Entry Hall…
Old oars, broken oars… all kinds. I love hanging them on our walls.
I made this lyrics sign to add to our Christmas decor this year; I will be sharing my tutorial for it tomorrow. The chalkboard pillow is another DIY project that I love bringing out each holiday season.
Another new favourite this year is my white wooden Christmas tree, and below it sits my DIY wood block faux Christmas presents. And since I couldn’t find the perfect plaid throw, I decided to use a plaid blanket scarf that I found at a local clothing boutique.
I am absolutely joyful about my Noble Fir and Juniper Candle from the Alassis Holiday Collection – in fact it is part of My Favourite Things Gift Guide & Giveaway {check it out at the end of this post}.
Since we don’t have a fireplace in our living room {yet!}, we love having the holiday fireplace on TV. Sometimes it even feels like it warms the room up a little.
The PB Knockoff PEACE sign is another DIY {as is the Lakeshore Cottages sign above the TV}. I guess that signs are one of my favourite ways to decorate {they certainly are a thrifty way to fill up your walls}.
Our dining room isn’t a room, exactly. The living room is at the front of the house and the dining room at the back: it’s really just one long open room. The kitchen heads off to the side of the dining room.
I would have said that our old church pew was my favourite thing in our dining room. But…
That was before my Dad built us this gorgeous new table!!
Isn’t it amazing?!? The legs are from Osborne Wood Products, and the rest is a DIY!! It easily seats 10, and even has extensions so that it will seat 14 for special occasions. I will definitely have more details up on the blog about it soon. I ordered the new french style cane seat chairs from Urban Barn.
I kept the table fairly simple for everyday holiday decor- I added a driftwood garland that I ordered from Birch Lane and I made a simple extra long table runner using some plaid I picked up at fabric land (the same plaid in on a cushion in the living room). The giant 10L jugs are from Jysk.
Since we don’t have an actual fireplace (I know, I said that… I just really miss one this time of year), we instead have built a cabinet that I use as a mantel of sorts to create seasonal vignettes. I bought these giant village houses several years ago and I still love bringing them out every Christmas. This year some little helpers added a few lego characters to the scene. Can you spot them?
From our dining room you look directly into the kitchen, and even though I shared my full Christmas kitchen tour yesterday I can’t help but share a few more pictures here. We recently finished a complete gut and remodel of the kitchen so it is still my favourite space in our entire house.
Head over here to see a little more of our kitchen!
A fabulous group of bloggers is participating in this Country Living Christmas Home Tour this week hosted by Cherished Bliss…
Next up on today’s amazing tour line-up is Anita’s breath-taking tour at Cedar Hill Farmhouse!!
Here are all my holiday projects for this Christmas Series:
Fab Photo Gift Ideas {Perfect for Grandparents!}
DIY Faux Fur Mini Christmas Trees
DIY Natural Greenery Display with Lights
4 Fab Ways to Personalize Your Gift Wrapping
2015 Christmas Front Porch and Foyer
Christmas Kitchen 2015
2015 Christmas Living & Dining Room
DIY Song Lyrics Christmas Carol Sign Tutorial
O’Holy Night available in 7 colours
Elegantly Adorable Ways to Fill Clear Ornaments
I have THREE Amazing Giveaways happening right now!!
I may link up at some of these fabulous places below, for more info check out housie parties: Monday Funday , Inspiration Monday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Project Inspire{d} , Inspire Me Tuesday, The Scoop, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Wow Me Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday , From Dream to Reality, The Inspiration Exchange, Wow Us Wednesday, Live Laugh Rowe Live Laugh Linky, Thursdays Are Your Days, Inspire Me Please, Catch as Catch Can, Fabulously Creative Friday, Party Junk, Pinworthy Projects , Link Party Palooza,, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Spotlight Saturday, Suburbs Mama , That DIY Party
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Your use of color and layering is beautiful as always, and I especially love how you incorporated aqua along with the traditional Christmas colors. There are so many cozy details that I can’t decide which is my favorite!
Thank you so much Katie!! I can’t seem to get away from that aqua!
Just beautiful Krista! I love every sq inch of your house, so many beautiful decorations!
Thank you Virginia- but after taking your gorgeous tour I think I need a few more trees!!
LOVE it all my friend! Everything looks so perfectly cozy!!!
Thank you so much Kristi!! We certainly love a cozy feel around here when it rains SO MUCH this time of year. Snow would be a welcome change. They are predicting some for Christmas even which would truly be a Christmas miracle here on the “wet” coast!
Your home is so cozy and inviting Krista!! And that view from your dining room! And your Christmas tree is simply gorgeous!!
Thank you so much Ashley!! I was in absolute awe of your Christmas tour! Thanks for all of your organizing work – I hope that you have a incredibly joyful and relaxed holiday with your beautiful family:)
Krista, your home is gorgeous all decked out for Christmas! So welcoming and cozy…and I don’t recall seeing your tall village houses before, I love those! XO
Thank you Christy! I have had those for about 10 years – they are an absolute favourite!
Can you please tell me where you got your knitted pouff/ottoman in your living room? I got one from Winners for $40, but it just hasn’t held up to daily use from my kids. They totally love it, so one of them is always sitting on it and now it’s squashed almost flat. I’m wondering if a more expensive one would be better quality!
Hello Sara- I bought it at Urban Barn. It was more expensive then $40 (I think $129?) – I saw the ones at Home Sense (probably the same as the winners ones) but they didn’t have the colour I wanted. This one is quite firm… not beanbag-ish at all.
Thank you! You’re actually the second person who has told me about the Urban Barn ones now. They must be good!
It is definitely nice and firm, Sara!
The colors in your home always make me feel happy. You are able to do rustic without being as dark! You’ve created a beautiful home for Christmas!
Thank you Jamie! That means a lot coming from you! Wishing you a lovely and relaxing holiday:)
Just adorable 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family!! xo, Andrea
Thank you so much Andrea! Wishing you a happy and relaxing holiday as well!!
You are overflowing with so much wonderful Christmas cheer, I don’t know where to start?
Everything just looks wonderful!!
Happy Holidays ~Shannon
Thank you Shannon:) That means a lot coming from you -I absolutely adored your Christmas tour!!
oh so pretty, krista! i love the demijohns on the table- they really shine!
Thanks Cassie! They definitely take over:) I may need to move them for the actual Christmas dinner (lol).