Bringing Summer into the Dining Room

This is a sponsored post with At Home, but all opinions are 100 percent my own.

Remember a few weeks ago when I shared a summer-inspired tray makeover that also featured eight other amazing bloggers and their summer-inspired DIY projects? Well, today I have yet another treat for you!

I was invited to a “bringing summer indoors” challenge with several other amazing bloggers, thanks to our friends at At Home.

What’s At Home, you may ask? Well, if Home Goods was a super center and had extra-discounted items, that would be At Home. It’s this amazing mecca of inexpensive but totally wonderful home decor. Here in Minnesota, there is a store in Burnsville and one just opened last month in Blaine. If you have never been, I cannot recommend it enough.

My first experience with At Home happened on my way home from a girls trip.

My sister-in-law, my mom and I were driving home from an amazing girls weekend in Red Wing and were talking about how we didn’t want the weekend to end and we weren’t quite ready to get back to reality. So, Kristen mentioned that she saw this place called At Home in the newspaper a few weeks prior and asked if we would be up for making the stop. We debated a little since Burnsville really isn’t on the way home. Luckily for us, we ended up getting lost and wound up about twenty minutes away from At Home – coincidence? I think not.

As soon as we walked in, I knew I was going to fall in love. We spent nearly two hours walking up and down the endless array of aisles featuring anything your heart could desire in home decor.

The best part? Everything is so reasonable. Most of you know how much I love my thrift stores and how excited I am to makeover my thrift store finds. So when I tell you the goods at At Home are affordable, I really, really mean it.

So back to this challenge. I was invited by another amazing blogger and we were tasked with bringing summer indoors. We could interpret this any way that we wanted, just as long as it incorporated summer.

When you think of summer, what comes to mind?

For me, it is bright colors, nature, being outside, green grass, BBQs, campfires and fruity smells. So for the challenge,the most natural way to show this would be to give you my take on a summer-themed dining room table. Anything that involves food or the idea of food is a definite ‘yes’ in my book.

I struggled with using some plates that I already had sitting in my newly finished hutch, but when I found these adorably patterned dishes, I just couldn’t pass them up. They come in a variety of patterns and colors and just scream summer! The pinks and blues with the floral pattern is to die for. They also have a large serving bowl and pitcher available. On top of that, they’re eco-friendly, which is a nice added perk!

After finding the dishes, I took a quick peek at the outdoor cushions. Who says outdoor cushions only have to be used outdoors? Well I thought, “why not bring them inside?” They are bright yellow and have a wonderful floral pattern that yet again, scream summer.

Besides bringing in bright colors, I wanted to incorporate a more natural look. Our kitchen table is the natural wood, so I thought that would make a nice focal point and didn’t want to cover it up with a table runner or tablecloth. Then I found these great candle holders that have the natural wood look and really tie in well with the table.

Another aspect of bringing nature into the design is adding greenery. The faux potted plant was on clearance for only $9.50 and adds that little pop of green that I was looking for.

And a dining room table setting isn’t complete without fancy cloth napkins. I added a little something by cutting a piece of twine and tying a bow around each one.

To bring all this summer-ness together, I bought two candles in Island Mango. I want you to close your eyes, picture yourself on a beach, listening to some relaxing music, lounging on a beach chair with the sun beating down on you. THAT is what this Island Mango candle smells like. As soon as I get a whiff, I am immediately transported to some beach, somewhere. It’s heavenly.

So now I ask you, if you were to bring summer indoors, what would you add? I’d love to see what decor ideas you come up with! And if you need some more inspiration, check out these other amazing bloggers and their ideas!

Last, but finally not least, I want to share an exciting giveaway with you. At Home is giving away at $50 gift card to one lucky winner. All you have to do is jump in on this challenge by showing us how you are using At Home products in your home this summer. To enter the giveaway, simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. I hope you win and remember to use the hashtag #athomefinds for sharing your images.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All our best,

About North Country Nest

Hi, we're Brett & Kelly! We're tackling our first home renovation and would love for you to join us on our journey of reno projects, DIYs and home decor tips. View all posts by North Country Nest