Dining Room Continued &amp; a Giveaway Reminder

You made my day yesterday will all of your comments about our anniversary. Thank you!

I knew that when I started changing things in the dining room, it would lead to more changes. It always does. The new chairs called for different window treatments which will most likely call for a new wall color and eventually I will get to that, but for now, I just wanted to create a stronger focus around the dining table.

If there is one thing that I have learned about myself in the last year or so, it is that I will never again purchase a "set" of furniture. Never. My tastes have changed and are more forgiving, you could say. A room that is collected over time with a loose mixture of warm wood tones, painted pieces, bamboo, and metal are so much more interesting than a "set" from Rooms To Go. And that is why I started tweaking in here.

We received this Federal sideboard for Christmas. I love the way it mixes with our bold chairs and adds another wood tone to the room. (let's pretend the cord isn't there)

We were also the lucky recipients of these funky old bamboo lamps that I fell in love with at an antique mall. They were a Christmas surprise gift and I love their quirkiness. They also gave me a starting point for the colors in this room because up until now, the only thing that was definite was black and white. For contrast and because the shades are old and have a few stains, I am thinking of recovering them in a black linen. What do you think?

A month or so ago, I purchased some black frames that I found on sale, I think 4 for $20, to use in the dining room. I wanted to add botanical prints, something I can't get enough of. So I resorted to my favorite place for free botanicals.

Here is the wall after adding the prints.

For now, I added a silver tray of pine-cones, topiaries, and an urn filled with paper-whites to the sideboard. I'm still playing around with it. I just don't want the room to feel too fancy, but rather more relaxed and organic. This room is where I sew, we work puzzles, and do homework, so I want it to be comfortable. The bamboo mirror is one that Mom couldn't find a place for. We found it one day in thrift store and knew that one of us had to have it. The mirror is actually oak and I painted it glossy black.