I had a lot on the to-do list today and I didn’t even get to half of it, but one thing I did get done was a photo shoot with my new 24mm lens. This new camera gear has been so fun! And it’s made me slow down a bit on my shoots. I don’t want to have this awesome gear and then take rushed, crappy pictures with it! It’s sort of a lot of pressure! But in a good way.
Now, the 24mm lens is my most expensive lens to date. By a lot. Like two and three times more than my other lenses. And I even bought it refurbished, because I couldn’t stomach the full price! So, this isn’t a fun lens to buy on a whim. This is a serious piece of glass, which is what I was looking for. I originally had my eye on the 35mm, since that is the lens I used most often on my d7000, but the reviews were mixed and it was a lot of money to spend on something that might not perform up to the price tag. The 24mm lens had amazing reviews and I knew I would take full advantage of the wide view in the small rooms in my house. I also love that I can shoot with it hand-held in very low light and still get quality pictures. As you probably know, taking pictures inside can be really tricky and often the lighting conditions aren’t very good. This lens and camera combo gives me a lot more flexibility.
The other great thing about the 24mm is that I get a nice wide shot without the room looking bowed or wonky (technically called vignetting.) When you get close to something, though, like the roses I shot yesterday, they do appear to come forward in the picture, so I’ll use my 50mm or 60mm for shots like that. This lens will be my go-to for rooms and full shots of furniture. I wanted to take this lens for a spin and I realized I hadn’t shown my “new dining room” with the table I swapped with my Aunt Susan… As Phineas would say, “I know what we’re going to do today!” (Sorry…kid’s TV show reference.)
And here is how my dining room looks today (shot with my new camera and 24mm lens)…
I had a great time finding new angles I hadn’t shown on my blog before, so you can get a nice feel for the space and how it relates to other rooms in my house.
I did take one closeup with the 24mm – this place setting. A lot of people asked about my blue and white dishes when I’ve shown them before, but if you look closely, you’ll see they aren’t a matching set. Just about everything on the table is mis-matched, in fact. The saucers don’t match the cups. The demitasse spoons don’t match the silverware. The napkins, napkin rings, glasses and even the chairs are all mis-matched. All of them are pieces I’ve picked up here and there…mostly from antique stores, yard sales, auctions and flea markets. The runner is a roll of grain sack fabric that I cut to size. The silverware and ruffled linen napkins are from Pottery Barn.
To answer a couple of other FAQ’s – The cow painting is an original oil painting by Cindy Austin. I’ve named her Eulalie. Cindy does have giclee prints of the original painting available for sale in her Etsy shop, if you’re interested in having a Eulalie of your own. (By the way, Cindy just finished painting me another cow!) The bamboo “Tattoo” can be hard to come by, but the girls at Decor Steals carry it every once in a while, so watch their sales.
You may have noticed that I haven’t finished the chairs that I had stripped, yet. I thought I knew what I wanted to do with them, but now I’m not sure. I sort of like them as they are, so I’m just leaving them alone until I’m inspired.
So, does anyone want to place a wager on how long this dining room set will last? I think the record is two years.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
54 Responses
I love what your new lens is doing for your photos! And I love those napkins rings. The end.
The high chair is such a sweet piece in the space. Thanks for sharing! Pauline
The photos are beautiful! I love your dining room. I also love the unfinished, “raw” state of the wood on your chairs – some people pay big bucks for just that very finish!!! I’d leave ’em, but that’s just me. 😉 Thanks for sharing.
The chairs would look good done to match the sideboard/buffet.the flower on the chair has gotta be blue. but they do look good as they are.
Just beautiful!I love the look of your home. For those of us that are learning how to use our camera would you be willing to share your settings under your photos when you post about your camera ? Thanks for sharing everything that you already do!
Did you know you can rent lenses to try out??? Totally worth doing before buying! The room looks lovely!
Yes, I looked into that, but the lenses I was interested in were pretty expensive to rent, so by the time I rented two or three lenses to test them out, I couldn’t bought a lens! (Not this one, but a less expensive one.) So, I decided to go on reviews and my own experience.
You’ll get the itch by Easter but will be too busy so the transformation will actually occur November 2014.
i really hope this dining room lasts longer as it is my favourite thus far with the harvest table. your photos look wonderful. new cameras are so much fun. i have been using mine to take pictures of everything, even the cats are starting to pose.
GORGEOUS!!
The room looks amazing. I LOVED it before but this is so pretty too. A bit more rustic and I love the chairs just stripped. Crazy for someone who loves to paint furniture to say!!! I hope you keep this set for a bit.
I think the table will be around for a long time, the chairs – you’ll switch them in a year or so…Love what you do with your house and love the touches of blue.
Wondering where you bought your refurbished lens? Your photos are beautiful.
Hi Marian,
those are really good photos!
Especially I love the new angles you have been able to show in the photos.
Your house looks beautiful!
Carolina
Beyond beautiful! I know it took forever for you to find your chairs, but you’ve really got me wanting a set too! Did you do anything to the table or leave it as-is?
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I LOVE the raw unfinished chair frames. And your new photos are just fab. I recently received the ‘Digital SLR’s for Dummies’ book so am hoping to learn a few things myself! Though I don’t have quite as fancy a camera or lenses as you. Love the depth of field shot with the china cup and saucer.
xoxo
I think your house looks fantastic! I’m a big fan of chandeliers and ceiling lights! I’ve just bought a very nice ceiling light from Lights On Lights Off. If anyone else would be interested in buyng from them, here is the link:
http://www.lightsonlightsoff.co.uk/ceiling-lights
I LOVE THE TABLE!!!!!!! and the Chairs:)….So beautiful….
The pictures are lovely! And if you ever decide to switch up dining room tables, I’ll be first in line to take this one off your hands!! 🙂
Heaven on earth! That’s it! M comin over for dinner : )
Beautiful photos!! I enjoyed seeing a new perspective. I never realized your living and room and dining room were close together like that. Lovely. Love the harvest table too!
Love the chairs just as they are. A beautiful room
Just lovely!!! I can put no more simply than that. Love the colors, the design, the layout and the prettiness factor! And your shots are great… My favourite has got to be your area rug. Where did you get that?
Such a gorgeous table. I’ve loved all your dinning room sets but this one may be my favourite yet!
Just beautiful, I love blue and white myself. My dining room is a mini version of yours. My rooms are much smaller than yours. I have a big table and one corner cabinet, I couldn’t fit both in!! You are an inspiration.
Marian.
I love that your table is that nice warm brown wood.So rich looking, It’s perfect with the chairs and all. Very nice photos.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Love the whole thing.
Beautiful pictures Marian! I hope you wont change the harvest table or round back chairs but instead perhaps switch things around. I think a upholstered bench on one side of the table would look beautiful with the round back chairs on the other side and at the end.
The table and the “rug” are almost the same color on the picture. Don’t you think you need change the color of the table or switch the rag? Looks like too much wood in one spot. Just an opinion of in depended viewer 🙂
Yes, I feel the same way, but I’m not sure what I want to do…change the rug or paint the table legs…
Oh, Please don’t paint those GORGEOUS table legs! It’s definitely the area rug that needs to be switched out. The rug is nice, but the table – fantastic! 🙂
Also agree with a previous commenter that painting the beams, etc in your basement would fix the problem.
Blessings! And congrats on the new lens.
Great pics! And I seriously was thinking how good your chairs look now that you had finished them. :O
I would like to be first in line when for your dining set when you next get the ‘new dining room’ itch!
Maggie
Take that first ‘when’ out of line 3! Here I am a proofreader, too. 🙁
I just let out the hugest sigh of inspiration and awe when I scrolled through these photos. Absolutely stunning dining room! I think this if my favorite set up so far! And the chairs are breathtaking. I love them in their natural raw state.
Awesome awesome awesome
I am going to guess…. less than a year on the chairs….. the table… well it’s family!! Soooo.. we shall see!! 🙂 … but I do know…. it is gorgeous !!!!
Love the pictures!! Is your 24mm a Nikon lens?
You can’t sell it now that we’ve all seen that family heirloom video
I just wanted you to say that the high chair you have in your dining room is very similiar to the one I had in my kitchen until last year! I bought mine at a garage sale and painted it black and distressed it a little.
LOVE the new table!!!
Lovely!
love how this lens shows well how the rooms relate to one another. the first thing i do when i see a house in a magazine is look for the floor plan! would love to see your floorplan someday! this table is a keeper and i like the chairs as is, too.
Well, Marion, I was going to say that I am first in line for the chairs when you get tired of them, but I see that a couple of ladies already beat me for the first in line position… Maybe they will forget, or find other chairs that they like better. Put me on the list anyway! I am patient.
Beautiful dining room. I really like how you styled your space Marian. And as someone has said, it’s nice to see how the rooms relate to one another.
I’m wondering if the 3rd, 4th, and 5th photos are a bit overexposed. The light coming from the windows looks so bright it also whited out the sides of the curtains and part of the dining table top. The first 2 photos seem to have much better and balanced exposure.
So well put together. One question…how do you get your ironstone lids on the wall? I can’t seem to get plate holders around mine to hang them up. What is your secret?
I’ve been looking for the boxwood tutorial and can’t find it. Please help! I appreciate you and I loved loved your book! Thx for being a positive voice that shares your projects. It keeps me moving on mine knowing I’m not the only one like me out there! I got 2 already loved matching French cane chairs last year that i put new cushions on. My first cane chairs ever and they just make me happy! I love the way the light plays through the caning 🙂 I’m so glad you have Abbé and others to help you and I’m grateful you share about them. It’s great God brought you just the people you needed and I know you are a blessing to them too! Oh and tell your mom I love hearing what you guys accomplish together. I have a mom like that and I don’t know where I’d be without her. God has blessed us both richly in the mom department :). Blessing!
I wish I was as brave as you are. I have so many things I would love to paint and all I do is sit and look at them. Ponder. Ponder. Ponder.
I love all the arches your beautiful house has.
It’s beautiful. Your curtains used to be a main focus- which were and always be beautiful. This shoot sees to make them part of the room…and not THE room. Very pretty!
Oh wow… Cool! I LOVE seeing the whole rooms in the photos! Every single thing looks so pretty together in All the rooms. The table is wonderful, and of course the new chairs. You know what chairs of yours i really like,… those little frenchy looking chairs with the green velvet. They go with everything, and have the best shade of green on them! I was messing with your cow this weekend,… i’m pretty sure i’m gonna need an intervention to make me stop and just send it on!
Cindy
Impressive Victorian project – and I love the unfinished, “raw” state of the wood of your chairs. For every interior tile project I highly recomend Bondera TileMatSet if you want to work fast, easy and clean.
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Hi there. Just wanted you to know that in the month I’ve discovered your site, you’ve given me heaps of inspiration and motivation to be a little more fearless! I have a table similar to yours, but it has a honey stain on it. I’m wondering, did you strip this one to achieve the current look? If so, do you have any advice, secrets, or soothing words before I dive in?
Thanks!