I think it’s high time that I added a bit of color to my dining room and summer is the perfect time to do so! I kept this room on the neutral side for Christmas and the winter, but now I’m ready to brighten things up a bit.
I already use touches of blue in other parts of my home, so it was the perfect color for me to bring into the dining room too. Plus, blue reminds me of my favorite place to be in the summer – the beach!
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I was totally inspired by these beachy salad plates that I ran across. The colors of the stripes remind me of the sand on the beach and all of the shades of blue in the ocean. 
I used them as part of an easy breezy summer tablescape. The gray and white checked napkins are actually tea towels that I found on clearance at a local shop a couple of years ago, but THESE are very similar.
With so much going on over on the sideboard, I needed to keep the centerpiece for the table on the simple side. I “stole” the open metal piece from my spring mantel and added cylindrical glass vases filled with a combination of candles and artificial greenery. BTW – I would NEVER light the candles while the greenery is there. This is just for looks. 😀
I also used the striped salad plates in the baskets below the hanging lanterns. I am so in love with the blue in this room and I think that all of the greenery brings the room to life!
Dried hydrangeas and a couple of other blue accents are all that was needed on the opposite side of the room.
I found these global inspired pillows at a local store. They have the most wonderful nubbiness and texture! Similar pillows can be found HERE. They aren’t the sort of thing that I would normally place against the buffalo check fabric, but I love the totally different look they give the chairs.
I’m always fascinated by mirror reflections, so I’ll close with my very favorite shot of the entire room.
Sharing at THESE great parties.
Lauren says
Love it!!!!!
Melanie says
I love the blue touches you have added, and the greenery just seems to make everything pop!
Suzy says
Your diningroom is lovely. I also like blue. I want to get started at bringing summer into my home. Thanks for the great ideas.
Kathy Menold says
I have always loved blue and used it around my house both in our guestroom with yellow and white accents and our livingroom with beige and white. Just a few years ago we did a new master bath and I used blue and grey. I have snowy white towels for accents and love the color combination. Blue goes with everything.
Dianne Lanier says
Blue is my favorite color, and it’s beautiful in your dining room!
Linda says
Love that blue! It looks great. Have a fabulous day.
Carol B Jones says
Love the Blue color!!!
Candy Walsh says
I love your dining room! Your mirror shot looks like it belongs in a magazine and the mirror itself is gorgeous!!
Mary says
I love the blues with the grey.
Anne Marie says
Love the blue!! Your home is beautiful.
Phyl says
Your dining room looks great with the blue accents and the greenery. Blue reminds me of the beach also, a place I love.
Sherry says
Love the shade of blue you you choose….
Tammy says
LOVE the blues!!!
Lauren@SimplyLKJ says
It’s gorgeous. Love the touches of blue. Did you use sticky tack on the bottom of the tapers to get them to stay? Love this idea.
Suzy says
Hi Lauren. I fully expected to have to use some sticky tack, but when I put the candles in the vases they stood up by themselves. 😀 If you look closely though, you can see that one of them started leaning mid-photography and I didn’t notice.
Tina says
I simply adore the blue and greens you have decorated with! Perfection!!
Ellen says
Very pretty!!
Trena says
Love the blue. Looks perfect. Thanks for inspiration.
Anne says
Hi Suzy…Love love love the refreshed look….I have decorated our new home in a very neutral grey and white palette throughout and use blue touches here and there…I think you have breathed refreshing ‘new life’ into your home ! my all time favorite post is of your home hosting your daughter’s wedding….BEAUTIFUL ! Thanks for all you do…
Robbyn Mendleski says
LOVE the nubby pillows on the buffalo check chairs!! Very inspiring!!
Sharon says
I LOVE beachy colors — alternating blue and white (porcelain pieces) with more teal-tones when I switch from winter to summer. Pairing blues with gray is a little unexpected, but looks fabulous!
Kym says
LOVE the pops of blue!!!
Julie Briones says
That last pic is awesome! One of the things I have noticed since I’ve been following you the last 9 months or so is that you always use those same 3 little white buckets, but fill them with different things! I LOVE that! Also, love those pillows. As soon as I saw them, I thought, “Those look really nice with those chairs!” 😉
Have a great weekend, Suzy!
Deb says
Kudos on the change. I would have never thought those pillows could go with the chairs but they look great.
I especially LOVE the oh so simple but PERFECT centerpiece. You are inspiring!
Adl says
Lovely accents with the blue and green. Color really lives large in a neutral room.
Linda says
What is there NOT to love? Everything looks beautiful. LOVE the detailing on your large mirror!
mattsgramma says
Love the blue and green together!
Gail Young says
Blue is one of my favorites, so I love your summer blue tablescape! I am pulling out all of my red, white and blue and reading your patriotic post! Thanks for all the lovely ideas!
Carmella says
Love your style! Absolutely classy and fun.
Rebecca says
Wow, the simple change to blue accents gives your dining room a really fresh new feel.
PC says
love the beachy look – my kitty cat would be playing with the candles -I tack all of mine since she came along. I put away the bunnies last week and kind of went for a similar look to carry through until the last of June.
JudyC says
Very refreshing …..love the blue touches!!
Rhonda says
Such a gorgeous blue! Where did you get the flatware? It’s adorable.
Suzy says
Thank you, Rhonda! I found the flatware at HomeGoods with their outdoor dinnerware.
Jen says
Just lovely! Thank you for sharing.
Meredith says
How amazing the blue color transformed the look of the room, it’s lovely.
Ruth Jester says
Great colors! Thank you for sharing!
Linda Owens says
The blue is so pretty. The whole room is beautiful and it looks like Spring.
Linda Owens
Kathy Bucciarelli says
Beautiful blue!
Paula says
Suzy,
The blue is stunning. Bringing in that one color can change the entire appearance. You always wow me every time.
Kim Dobson says
I’m really starting to like blue in the decor!
Sandy says
Love the blue touches … they compliment the grays in your dining room just perfectly.
Katherine Allen says
So pretty!!
Eileen says
Blue is my favorite color so I enjoyed seeing the touches. Where did you get the candle / flower centerpiece, ? love it.
Suzy says
Hi Eileen. The candle centerpiece is one that I put together using an old wood scrap that I painted to look like driftwood, a metal piece that I found at a thrift store and simple glass vases. Super easy!
Jovanna Kellough says
LOVE the touches of blue …. Great inspiration for adding summertime to rhe dining room. ❤️
Lynda says
Hi Suzy,
Love the blue accents. It looks great!
Sharon ROBBINS says
Just wait everyday to see if I have an email from Worthing Court .
I am a 60 year old woman who loved to decorate and I have lost
my way so to speak.Just settling for “same ole same ole “and that makes me sad.?
I have gotten so inspired to see all you do and know there are still people
decorating and loving it too. Makes me want to get motivated and finish
remodeling my parent’s 60+ year old house.
Again thank you so much from one North Carolinian to another.
Sharon from NC.
Charlene Asayt says
Ahh I am in love. This is beautiful! I wanted to invite you to come link up with us at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party. Sunday-Wednesday. Come join the fun http://ow.ly/6AqM30buZPq
Jane says
I’m loving the blue dishes and blue jars on your sideboard. Can you share where you purchased these? Thank you!
Barbara Harilaou says
I think I’ve been writing this to everyone. Blue and white are the perfect summer colors. I love the pillows you bought. they do look beautiful. Have a great day.
Naomi S. says
That shade of blue–bordering on turquoise–is so bright and cheerful! I love what you’ve done with the dishes and other pieces of decor. And I absolutely love that chunky, wood-look lamp on the dresser between the two chairs. It all looks lovely!
Pam Cates says
Wonderful blue color! Very Springy!Looks fabulous as always.
Deborah Nisson says
Love your. Log and your style
Christine says
Your dining room looks just wonderful. I have a serious crush on the beachy blue color !
Jenny says
Your room looks fantastic. I love blue as well. It’s funny, I haven’t always… I am in love with that mirror. I’m visiting from the Wow Me Wed. link up. Thanks for sharing.
Cheryl says
I love the blue in your dining room! You always manage to inspire me
Pamela Smith says
I love all the touches of blue! It is the perfect touch for summer. Pinning!
Lisa Rees says
Love your dining room. The blue you added, is such a pretty shade and it adds a great accent to the gray tones.
Megan says
I love how you styled your dining room! I may steal a few ideas for myself! #MerryMonday
Karen says
Absolutely beautiful dining room! I love your centerpiece and am amazed you made it!
Jane says
Suzy, Love everything you do. You are my favorite blogger.
Thank you for sharing.
Cynthia says
Love this room!
Pat Burch says
Would you mind sharing where you found the large shelf in your dining room? It is gorgeous! Thanks
Suzy says
Hi Pat. That shelf is actually the mantel from an old fireplace surround that I found at a thrift shop for $10! We cut the sides off of it and I touched up the places where we made the cuts with some stain and then added the hooks. The paint was really chippy, so I also sealed the whole piece with some poly to prevent more of it from chipping off.
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says
I have got to get some greenery to add to my decorating! I love how you add it everywhere. It makes everything come to life – even when it’s fake! 😉
Audrey Grove says
Love your dining room and your sense of style and color! Could you share where you got the sconces that flank the shelf/mantel?
Thanks so much!
Audrey