This post contains Ideas for Creatting a Colorful Eclectic Dining Room.

It’s reveal time! I’ve been working on my dining room for several months, and I can’t wait to share the updates with you. This may be my favorite DIY  makeover to date. In this post I will share Ideas for Creating a Colorful Eclectic Dining Room, with Chinoiserie flare.

If you enjoy room makeovers, check out these posts: Master Bedroom Part One,   Master Bedroom Part Two, and Home Office Makeover.

Ideas for Creating a Colorful Eclectic Dining Room.

Eclectic rooms that are collected over time are my favorite.

Frankly, most design styles  borrow from one or two others.  This room combines elements from  Chinoiserie, Palm Beach, and of course Traditional Southern.  Both Chinoiserie and Palm Beach styles embrace bold color combinations, and share some common elements.

What is Chinoiserie Style Design?

Chinoiserie (Chinese-like ), has been described as a Pseudo Chinese Style that dates back hundreds of year. To overtly simplify the history, Chinoiserie is the European (read French),  interpretation of what was seen when trade routes were opened to China. The decorative motifs include pagodas, dragons, water gardens, porcelain–especially blue and white, pink and white lotus leaves, foo dogs, bamboo, lacquered furniture and so much more. The photo below embraces Chinoiserie in all it’s beautiful glory. This is the dining room of designer, Meggie Holser. (LINK)

What is Palm Beach Style?

Palm Beach Style, sometimes called Palm Beach Preppy has elements of Chinoiserie, with that beautiful “Lily Pultizer” color palette. Throw in an orchid, some palm leaves and coral and you have a ridiculously simplified version of the style. The photo below is from Coastal Living Magazine (via Pinterest), and captures the style beautifully.

My Twist ~ Chinsoutherie

This southern girl has blended her Tennessee roots with Chinoserie and Palm Beach to create a style I call, Chinsoutherie. See if you think that is an adequate description of what has taken place in my dining room!

I took a dining set from the traditional brown tones of wicker (beautiful in it’s own right), to light and bright shades of aqua and turquoise. If you follow me on Instagram (click here), I will have “how I did it” stories saved on my Instagram Home Page.

The table is a spectacular shade of turquoise. I can tell you it is taking so much restraint not to paint everything in the house that color! It is an eye grabbing shade.

This view below captures the southern feel. We southern gals love our side boards and china cabinets. I kept both mine in their original wood finish. They are two of my favorite pieces of furniture. The one below is packed with colorful linens, china, and candles. The vintage French mirror and crystal dripping sconces recall the days of formal southern dining rooms.

You can look forward to additional posts on the details of many of the décor elements, here. As you know, I never grow tired of a fresh table setting.

Enjoy Today!
Love y’all,

Lori Nell