We returned our Crate and Barrel dining table after three years of use.  We’ve had issues with our Madison table beginning last year, and finally I just gave it a try to call C&B to tell them my story and see if anything could be done. After sending them many pictures of our table, their awesome customer service department allowed me to return my table minus a usage fee that still ends up being worth it to return in the long run for us.  

The Madison is an ebony colored dining table, and we paired it with 6 black Enzo chairs from Room and Board. We were a bit limited to choosing a new table since we decided to stick with C&B since we’re getting a credit and all. On top of choosing a table from just one particular store, my must haves for our new table were that it couldn’t have a veneer stain on top (prone to scratches), it wasn’t an extension table, had to be over 72” long to fit our 6 chairs and two Stokkes, and not black.  If I had my choice, I would have purchased this Room and Board reclaimed wood Parsons table.

Kinda old meets modern. But at a hefty price tag of $1800, I nixed it. We found a similar feel to that table with this – 

One complete slab of eco sustainable wood with modern steel legs with almost the exact same measurements as the Madison extended. 

The legs bothered me initially because I thought it would get in the way of our legs, but the reviews and the sales person said it’s a non-issue. Hoping for the best! I just love the look of mixing modern with old. 

The wall next to the table is just bare and screaming for some attention. Since we’re changing things up now, I thought it would be a great excuse for me to hang some pretty art. The question is, what would I hang up?

I love when you hang something up and it has meaning just like this calligraphy print that’s hanging in my house next to our staircase.

My hubby’s uncle is a well-known calligrapher in Korea and my father in law personally picked these up to gift them to us when we moved into our new home. My jaw dropped when we found out how much it would be to custom frame this, but alas it’s one of those things that we’ll be keeping forever. So you gotta do what you gotta do. But to this day, it’s one of my favorite things to look at in my home because of the story behind it and the actual look of it. Now, the Z Gallerie painting that’s hanging in the next room that I chose on a whim…don’t like so much! 

Art can be expensive, and knowing me I wouldn’t even know where to start in choosing something. I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for anything since we have to pay extra for the new table. And I don’t want to have buyer’s remorse like I do for certain things around my house. So, I decided I’m going to have my daughters paint a picture! After looking at Lila’s artwork that she brings home from school, I realized that if she could do this on a larger scale with colors that I choose, I would LOVE to hang it up on my wall. It could totally pass for abstract art in my eyes.

After doing some google searching, I found this blog post on apartment therapy about DIY kid art.

 Her baby did this! Looks like fancy art to me  

It’s nice to have lunch time to go run errands. Joanns and Michaels are less than ten minutes away from me. Hoping I don’t lag on this project like I have been with the felt mobile. Too many projects to do!

-lil sis