I wasn’t sure I’d get my dining room decorated before Christmas this year, but I took some time Friday morning to finish it up and photograph it. Until then, the tree was up, but I was using the table and corners for incoming packages, storing bins of decor as I worked on other rooms, and wrapping presents. So, I tidied up the mess and finished decorating. We have our Christmas brunch in this room, so it’s nice to have it ready!
velvet curtains | curtain rod | rug | tablecloth | pillows | mural details
To add a seasonal touch up high, I put a faux pine garland mixed with an eucalyptus garland on top of the antique cabinet. To me, it’s an easy surface to decorate that doesn’t interfere with functionality and is well out of reach of the cats.
velvet curtains | curtain rod | rug | pillows | mural details | antique cabinet | bird ornaments | garland
I bent five faux pine branches and tucked them into the arms of the chandelier, and then added lengths of blue and green satin ribbon (from Hobby Lobby). I first added ribbons to the chandelier last year, and now I can’t imagine dressing a chandelier for Christmas without them. They remind me of a Maypole or something. It’s just festive and pretty.
velvet curtains | curtain rod | rug | tablecloth | artificial greens | centerpiece details
Here is the view from the kitchen, which I walk past multiple times each day. It always makes me smile when I catch a peek at the chandelier and the tree.
I added a length of satin ribbon over each portrait, just to give them a simple, festive touch for Christmas.
antique paintings | dressing a chandelier for Christmas
I loved the tree so much last year that I decided to repeat it this year. It’s a five-foot tree, so put it in an antique market basket stacked on top of an antique lidded basket. It makes the tree the perfect height. It’s decorated with brass birds, some pale blue German glass glittered ornaments I made ages ago, blue and green satin ribbons, and LED tree candles.
brass bird ornaments | LED tree candles
I also have string lights on the tree, but I just turned the candles on for the photos, so the lighting is a little more photo-friendly.
Earlier this year, I shared that I was considering painting over the mural or putting up wallpaper instead. After living with it for a year, now, I think I’m keeping it. It’s unique, and I like it even better with the antique portraits I added in the Spring. I might still make some adjustments to it, but I’m glad I was too busy working in the garden this summer to take a roller to the mural!
center piece | pine garland | juniper garland | eucalytpus garland | brass bells
Here’s the view of the dining room from the window, into the foyer.
…and a better look at how the branches are tucked into the chandelier. I bend them in a semi-circle, so they nestle around the curves of the arms.
When using live or artificial greenery on a light fixture, just make sure the sprigs and branches are away from the bulbs. Incandescent chandelier bulbs like these will melt the plastic. Ask me how I know!
I love the way the lights reflect off the old oil paint on the portraits.
I shared how I made the copper mold centerpiece HERE.
real wax LED candles | how to dry orange slices
I love these blue velvet curtains all year, but they look especially fitting for the holidays. If you’re looking for custom curtains that look luxurious but don’t cost a fortune, these are a great option. They are a fraction of what custom curtains (especially with lining and pleats) usually cost. I’m going to be ordering some for our guest room next year.
My portrait of a French boy also got a ribbon and a sprig of faux greenery.
This is the part of the mural I want to fix. The distant trees on the left got a little repetitive and odd-looking. Maybe I’ll get to that sometime next year. I’m sure it will take 15 minutes, and I’ll laugh at myself for waiting so long!
I still have a bit more to do before I declare I am ready for Christmas (wrapping, baking, a few final stocking-stuffers, etc.), but I’m in the final stretch…
36 Responses
Do you have any tips for re-wiring your chandeliers? I purchased an antique Spanish chandelier with cast brass arms, and I cannot for the life of me pass the wire through!
My dad and father-in-law are my chandelier rewirers! They have done them all for me over the years. I don’t think it’s complicated, though. You could probably find a good tutorial on YouTube.
Your dining room would make Jane Austen smile! Beautiful!
What a lovely though!
agreed!!!!
I am happy you keep the mural part from what corrections. It is so beautiful in the Christmas decorations. Have a lovely festive time with your family.
Your dining room is so beautifully festive, and the tree is the icing on the cake. So happy you didn’t replace the mural for wallpaper. After you bought and hung the oil portraits, it made that mural just pop! Merry Christmas and all the best in 2026!
Beautiful! The mural is fantastic. I like your chandelier decorations, but my cats would think the ribbons were a fabulous new cat toy. Is that an issue for you?
I thought they might, but I think they are high enough that they leave them alone. There are also other things for them to play with!
So glad you did not paint over the mural…it is lovely! Reminds me of the art in the opening to All Creatures Great and Small.
My thoughts exactly!
Yes, several people said that!
Love, Love, Love !!!!!
I’m glad to read that you’ve decided to keep the mural. I really like it and I think it is one of those things that makes the room unique and extraordinary. It and the mural you had in your previous home are so inspirational for us DIY folks. The holiday dining room is beautiful! I know that you are feeling more of a sense of calm moving into the home stretch. I wrapped the last gift and cleaned and put the last of the decoration bins away today and it feels wonderful!
Beautiful! This is my favorite room, so glad you didn’t take the roller to it.
Lovely, and welcoming! Truly LOVE the way you create a beautiful home!
Beautiful!!
Happy to hear you aren’t rollering over the dining room mural. I know you intend to make some adjustments to it. Like any piece of artwork, sometimes stepping away for a while and looking at it with fresh eyes will tell you what it needs.
Looks beautiful Marian! There is a warmth and timelessness to the decor. I am glad you kept the mural. Merry Christmas!
I am in awe of your mural painting but I really miss the dining room mural in your last house.
I loved that mural, too. I might need to repeat it in a room at some point.
your “faux wall paper ” is art….don’t change it.
thank you for all you share
Thank you!
I love all the holiday decor this year….you have really become at home in this lovely house. Maybe next year you could share how you made the light blue sparkle ornaments. They are very pretty. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you! And yes, I can make a tutorial for next year. Basically, I just brush Elmer’s school glue to onto plastic ball ornaments and then sprinkle them with the glitter until they are coated.
Merry Christmas, Marian,
Your dining room is perfection; an elegant combination of collected vintage, antique, and crafted. The ribbons across the extraordinary oil portraits adds sophistication without pretension.
Thank you for sharing and inspiring in 2025. Enjoy your favorite week of the year while wearing your “fluffies” and indulging in whatever strikes your fancy.
“O come, O come Emmanuel”, Diney on Mercer Island
I see that the velvet curtain vendor has a photo of your beautiful dining room on its website. I bet that has boosted their sales! Your home is an inspiration! Merry Christmas to you and your family, Marian.
I as so happy to hear you’re keeping the mural!!!
Since you haven’t shown the mural in a long time, as I was reading the beginning, I was saying, “Oh, that mural is WONDERFUL! I hope she doesn’t paint over it or change it out”. YES!!! I am so happy to hear….. it stays!!! It is a fantastic work of art!!! Everything looks so perfect in this room.
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to you and all of your family.
It’s all so pretty! I am so happy about your mural. I follow a couple of ladies who do murals and the “graphic” quality of your’s really speaks to me. Have a very blessed Christmas.
Marian,
The dining room looks lovely and so festive. Thank you for sharing during this busy time of year.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Karen B.
It’s a beautiful room, and like everyone else, I’m glad you didn’t paint over your mural! It’s all come together when you kept layering. I love the curtains and have been looking for the right velvet ones. Are yours the Sky Blue? Yours is the color I need, but if that’s the same color, it looks so different on their site!
The color is Teal. You can find the exact details of my order in this post – https://missmustardseed.com/dining-room-makeover-velvet-curtains/
Beautiful! Merry Christmas!
What a stunning dining room and lovely festive place to have Christmas brunch, or any meal! It’s so warm and cozy yet elegant. I too love the mural in this space. The tree is a perfect size for a smaller area. Where did you sourse it? Perhaps I could get a sale on it soon. I seem to always miss the timing of Christmas clearance on line. Merry Christmas to you and your family! We are awaiting the birth of our grandson which may be this evening! Waiting to hear how the night went for my daughter!!! What a Christmas gift for us this year!!!
Everything is just beautiful! The curtains in the dining room just MAKE the room bringing all the gorgeous blues and greens together. Happy New Year!