Vintage Country Dining Room With Custom Bookshelves and Built-In Bench
Our vintage country dining room with built-ins isn’t completely finished yet, as far as decor goes. However, I felt it was time to share this with you guys.
In my kitchen addition post from last week, I showed you how this dining room was previously the kitchen. I had a dream before renovations began that gave me the vision for the addition. I dreamt that I was standing in the old kitchen, looking out into a newly built kitchen with windows overlooking the yard.
When I woke up, I knew that was exactly how it was going to turn out.
vintage country style for the dining room
My intent with this house was to have a vintage, country style that was classic but not basic. Having a defined theme in mind helped me to keep things cohesive. Which is always difficult when there are so many options to choose from and so many decisions to make.
In the dining room in particular, the built-in bookshelves and bench seat would help to add charm. The furniture and decor would be the key to adding the vintage country vibe I was looking for.
the built-in bookshelves
Having bookshelves in a dining room has been on my wish list forever, and I love that I was able to create that here.
Here was one rendering I had put together to help give the builder and his carpenter the visual I had in mind.
The carpenter is a talented woodworker and built these from scratch quickly.
From there, he also built the doors for the bottom half. I had sketched the top shelving out for him on graph paper. This way, the shelving would be the exact height that I had in mind.
Even with architectural plans, I think it’s good to give the builders as much visual as possible. They have no idea what goes on in my mind lol.
After they were built, I also asked that the back walls of the shelves be covered with beadboard. I felt it was falling a little flat with just the sheetrock backdrop. That detail made a tremendous difference.
For the bookshelves, I initially intended to fill them completely with books, library-style. I had tried that on a few shelves and didn’t really love the outcome. In the future, I may revisit that idea.
For now, I’m enjoying them arranged with a mix of vintage treasures I’ve collected. If I’m being honest, I spent several days arranging and rearranging these shelves to achieve the exact look I loved.
the built-in bench seat
The built-in bench seat idea came from an open house I went to a few years back. There was a dining room in this beautiful old Craftsman-style home with a bench seat. That seat was under a window that had original wooden diamond grid panes; it was truly amazing.
After the built-in shelves were constructed, I decided to stain the top of the bench. I felt we needed a little more wood tone to break up all the white.
Initially, I had planned to put a cushion on this seat, but because we use it for storage, I haven’t. I’m constantly opening it to retrieve our extra water bottles and drinks; a cushion would just get in the way.
It’s hard to see in these photos, but I did get diamond grid panes on our dining room window. However, the grid pattern is oddly large, but that is how the builder ordered it.
That detail, in my opinion, is a miss. The sizing of the grids was something I didn’t even consider until I saw how large these were. I would definitely like to correct that at some point.
furniture and decor
Opposite the built-in shelving, I have a sideboard vignette that is entirely vintage/antique. These were all things I already had. I saved many things I found while antiquing in preparation for this move.
The crystal chandelier was something I had envisioned from the start. Finding one at a reasonable price became a challenge. Fortunately, the owner of the antique store I sell out of spotted one for me that was very affordable.
The catch was that it was missing all the crystals. I bought it anyway and sourced vintage crystals from another dealer at our shop, and filled in the rest with newer crystals from Amazon. Doing it that way saved us hundreds of dollars and still gave me the look I intended.
What I’ve noticed regarding the difference between the two types of crystals is that the vintage crystals show a rainbow pattern when the sun hits them, and the newer crystals do not.
For that reason, I’m glad I found some of the antique ones to incorporate here. When the sun sets and shines through the dining room window onto the chandelier, it creates a sparkling rainbow effect on the wall.
Tips for creating your own vintage country dining room
Getting the vintage country style isn’t hard. What I find difficult is sticking to one central theme due to all the choices available when shopping. Also, I love most styles of design, so I’m easily distracted!
- Start with white or warm neutrals and natural wood
- Add built-ins for character and function
- Mix old and new – vintage furniture and decor set the tone
- Use textiles for coziness (think skirted furniture, cafe curtains, and country-style chair pads)
the finished look
While I don’t feel this room is finished due to that big blank wall, I do think the tone has been set.
Although that back wall is empty, I do have a plan for it. I’ve been gathering vintage dishes to create a large gallery wall of plates. I don’t quite have enough yet, and I’ve been having a hard time finding exactly the pieces I have in mind.
Sometimes I wish I could design my own furniture and decor because I know what a space needs, but finding it is always a challenge. Especially when factoring in costs!
Soon, I may hang what dishes I do have and add to them later.
In the meantime, we are all truly enjoying the new space. Having a dining room is a dream. Fun fact: I’ve never lived in a house with a dining room!
Now that Fall is here and seasonal decorating is arriving, I feel that I’ve barely had time to set the foundation before sprinkling in seasonal decor. For fall this year, it will likely be simple with fresh flowers and pumpkins only.
In case you’re wondering, that circular piece of furniture on the back wall is an antique wine table, and it’s amazing. I’m currently storing it here until I can use it. I have a plan for it, but that is another project that is currently on hold.
If you liked our vintage country dining room with built-ins, please share this post with a friend!
What do you think of our vintage country dining room with built-ins? I’d love to hear!
Curious about the rest of the house? Check out how we designed spaces like our bathroom and sunroom.
