5 Tips For a Gorgeous Thanksgiving Tablescape
Thanksgiving is one week away! If you're hosting the big meal this year, we know you'll want your table to be as pretty as possible without taking too much time away from cooking and enjoying your loved ones. Here are five tips to put together a lovely Thanksgiving tablescape your friends and family will enjoy gathering around!
1. Start by setting the table
Make your guests feel right at home by setting your table. While it is fun to break out the fine china, don't be afraid to mix and match dishes for a more electic look.
Break out the cloth napkins for an elegant touch. Pick some up the next time you're in TJ Maxx or Home Goods for a great price!
Here's a handy info graphic from Pinterest as a reminder on how to properly set your table, but remember - rules are meant to be broken 
2. Personalize
Wether you're hosting four or twenty-four, place cards are a wonderful way to make sure everyone is seated next to the perfect dinner partner. Go...
How tall are counter height stools?
An island is a great addition to any kitchen and the perfect place for a quick bite to eat. Counter height tables are also very popular! If you're looking for stools for your kitchen island or tall table, it can be hard to know what height is apporpriate for your counter height island or counter height table.
- If your island or table is between 35" and 37" H, you'll want to go with a counter height stool.
- A counter height stool is typically between 23" and 28" from the floor to the seat, with a 24" seat height being the most common across the furniture industry.
Elizabeth Counter Height Stools.
Counter Height Heirloom Pedestal Table with Counter Stools.
Counter Height Square Baluster Turned Leg Table with X-Back Counter Stools.
Have questions? Our team would love to help. Just shoot your questions to designteam@carpenterjames.com and one of our design consultants will get back to...
How tall are pub height stools?
If you're looking for stools for your bar height counter or table, we can help you find the right size!
- For tables and counters that are between 41" and 43" H, you'll need a pub height stool / bar height stool.
- Pub Height / Bar Height stools have a typical seat height between 29" and 31" H, with 30" H being the most common seat height.
A Square Farmhouse Table in pub height paired with upholstered bar stools.
A custom bar height table we built for a commercial client.
A pub height Farmhouse Table paired with Double X-Back Bar Stools.
Still have questions? Our team would love to help. Just shoot your questions to designteam@carpenterjames.com and one of our design consultants will get back to you quickily. Give us a call at 479-633-7557 or leave us a comment below!
Ready to customize your new table? Let's get started!
Seating for Round Dining Tables
A round dining table can help create a tone of intimacy in your kitchen or dining room. Everyone is on equal ground, so to speak. Since everyone is the same distance from each other, there's no straining to hear convesation at the other end of a long table. Round tables can also pull double duty for family fun - eat dinner, then move straight onto game night! From formal to country chic, here are some of our favorite ways to style a round dining table with chairs.
Farmhouse Favorites
For a casual and inviting look, try pairing solid wood chairs with a solid wood table. The finishes don't need to be an exact match - look for colors that have similar undertones.
Solid wood Round Pedestal Dining Table with Elizabeth Dining Chairs.
Solid hardwood Round Heirloom Pedestal Table with Thomas Dining Chairs. The client brought in a unique buffet to complete the look.
Warm Modern Industrial
Love the industrial look but don't want to get too "lofty" in...
Farmhouse Lighting Ideas
Lighting makes a huge impact on the overall style of your home. While of course light fixtures bring brightness and warmth to a room, they can add splashes of color and interesting textures to your space. From kitchens to dining rooms and bedrooms, here are 5 of our favorite Farmhouse Light Fixtures!
1. Clean Matte Metal Fixtures
The Modern Farmhouse 5 Light Matte Black Long Chandelier features a simple and sophisticated design with square tubing. The matte black finish makes it beautifully simple to coordinate with other black fixtures in your kitchen or dining room. We paired this fixture with our Olivia Turned Leg Table and with our Vera Trestle Table at our store!
2. Rustic Metal Pendants
For a more rustic Farmhouse look, look for aged or distressed metal pendant fixtures with rivets, bolts, or other interesting hardware.
3. Glass Pendants
Try a collection of glass pendants grouped in two...
5 Simple Fall Dining Room Table Decor Ideas
School has started in our neck of the woods and along with the schoolbus comes the itch to start breaking out the fall decor, at least for me! While I haven't brought the pumpkins and pinecones out just yet, I have started combing the internet some must try ideas for fall decor (looking at you, Pinterest!)! These 5 beautiful centerpiece concepts are lovely, yet simple, and are easy to customize to your own personal style!
1. Piles of Pumpkins
Pumpkins are wonderful and come in so many different varieties, but don't forget about gourds and other winter squashes for more size, shape, and color variation! Mix other natural elements, like moss, greenery, and horns, for added texture.
2. Pillar Candle Holders
Add height to your centerpiece by placing pumpkins and gourds on pillar candle holders. Don't be afraid to mix and match holders that you already have around the house....
How to Mix and Match Dining Room Chairs
Mixing and matching furniture, especially in a gatherine place like the dining room, can see a little bit scary, but after so many years in the dining room furniture business, we've got some great looks and ideas to inspire you! The key to mixing and matching is a little bit of consistency - the matching part - to pull everything together! While there are really limitless possiblities for mixing and matching dining room chairs, here are 7 ideas to get you started:
1. Matching doesn't mean identical!
While the legs of the wooden bench are not exactly the same as the turned legs of the table, both feature graceful curves and are finished in the same colors. The wooden chairs on the other side and at both ends is finished in the same stain as the table and bench top. This is one of our very favorite ways to style a modern farmhouse dining space!
2. Use Color for Consistency
For a super budget friendly approach, find a mix of random chairs you like in all...
Inspiration for Eat In Kitchens
Eat In Kitchens not only make dinner time easy with less trecks back and forth to the dining room, they also can be a gathering place for your family. The space where you share breakfast before heading out into the world or the place you all come together to reconnect after a busy day! We've collected some photos of our favorite eat in kitchens from our clients as well as other beautiful kitchens from across the country!
How have you styled your eat in kitchen? We'd love to see - shoot our team a picture via email! Have questions? Our team would love to help. Just shoot your questions to designteam@carpenterjames.com and one of our design consultants will get back to you quickly. Give us a call at 479-633-7557 or leave us a comment below!
Ready to customize your new furniture? Let's get started!
Dining Tables Ideas For Dark Wood Floors
We love helping our clients across the country select the best finish colors for their new handcrafted furniture! Here are four tips to help you decide on your dining room table finish colors when you're working with dark wood floors.
1. Consider adding a rug if you like dark wood finishes for your furniture and your floors are dark, too!
2. When you're working with wood floors, the finish of your floor is most likely the most dominate color / finish in your space. Unless you're planning to change your flooring out, look for a few other finishes that will compliment your floor's finish.
3. Don't be afraid to mix and match wood colors finish colors. Doing a painted base with a dark stained top is a great way to give your space some more visual interest! It also helps the table top stand out more without looking too matchy-matchy!
4. Contrasting your dark wood floors with a lighter colored wood table is a lovely way to compliment dark wood...
How to Decorate a Church Pew Bench in Your Home
We build a lot of re-creation church pews for homes across the country in numerous sizes and finishes. We love seeing how the pews we've built are used in entryways, dining rooms, and other places throughout the home.
Here are some ideas for decorating a church pew in your home, no matter what room it's in.
The Parish Pew Bench by James+James.
The Rustic Church Pew by James+James.
The Rustic Church Pew by James+James.
The Rustic Church Pew by James+James.
The Rustic Church Pew by James+James.
Have questions? Our team would love to help. Just shoot your questions to designteam@carpenterjames.com and one of our design consultants will get back to you quickly. Give us a call at 479-633-7557 or leave us a comment below!
Ready to customize your new dining furniture? Let's get started!