Dining in Style

The dining room is maybe the most unused room in your house, right?  Tucked away with a closed door until Christmas or the odd dinner party.  But that is no excuse to have a boring space, instead they should scream hospitality and style.  Here are some of my favourite styles at the moment for a decadent space...

I love everything about this room:  the plush carpet, the stylish furniture and the fun accessories, and the bowls of apples add that pop of colour in an informal way.

Lighting is so important in any room, but especially in the entertaining space in your home.  This statement chandelier gives the room an added wow factor, and those plush velvet chairs against the dark wood are sublime.  

I'm all about a round table at the moment, and I am on the hunt for the perfect one.  I love the idea of a glass top, but frankly with a baby on the way and a man with a severe cleaning disorder (fingerprints anyone), I think this might push us over the edge but keep Pledge in business!  But in theory, this style is 'the one'.  So instead I am looking for a table with a pedestal base or something 'unique', and I think this suite below is just gorgeous! 

I think a dining room is a great space to experiment with colour (I know, I know says the girl with the grey...white...sometimes taupe house!).  But a bold colour works very well in a dining room, just see below...

A roaring fire is the dream in a dining room, especially for festive entertaining.  I had to showcase this dining room below simply for the stunning, albeit modern, fire place.  It sits perfectly against a traditional table and chairs.   

A pop of colour but this time not on the walls!  These chairs work perfectly against the lacquered black table and vibrant violet flowers. 

What is your dream dining room like?

Dining Room Decadence

The dining room is a room that, lets face it, is used pretty infrequently if you have a kitchen/diner.  However, it always adds a sense of occasion when you use this room, as it is earmarked for special occasions - Christmas, dinner parties and birthday's.  I always remember my mother's dining room, shut off from everyday use, with cabinets full of her best china and crystal, with the walnut table glossed to an inch of its life, the smell of polish overwhelming!  However, I think dining room's should be embraced as an everyday room and I have been inspired by some absolutely gorgeous images.  The images below still have an air of formality and celebration but are absolutely liveable...

So, the table is very important.  At the moment I love the idea of a large round table, they add a point of difference compared to your usual rectangular option but are also a lot more sociable, as a table full of guests can interact with each other a lot easier.  

Gorgeous chandelier hanging over the round table

Sometimes a dining room can conjure up images of dark, serious rooms.  However, here at Butterfly Lane we are about light and airy spaces, sophisticated but completely liveable.  By using beautiful accessories, like sparkling chandeliers, glassware, candle holders and fresh flowers it will individualise the room and create a space that is liveable and welcoming but with will still have that important design twist.  

Great lights add interest to a simple table

Perfectly set for a dinner party with ample of fresh flowers

A simple room with minimal accessories

This dining room has a little more 'quirk' to it and the lights that hang over the table are such a statement.  The green tone add warmth and welcome, and the contrasting fabric on the two carver chairs adds an individual twist on the otherwise simple room.  

Make your dining room an everyday space and try not to lock it away waiting for a special occasion.  


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Table Style: Elegant Ideas for Decorating a Table

Table settings were once a formal affair, today entertaining is a far more relaxed and we have happily abandoned all of that pomp and circumstance.  Here at Butterfly Lane we believe that setting a table for a lunch with friends or a dinner party shouldn’t be an after thought or a chore, creating a decorative tabletop is super easy, satisfying and most of all fun.  The simplest of schemes will have a transforming affect on any occasion and Butterfly Lane would like to give you some simple design ideas to inspire you, whether you’re having a cocktail party, an al fresco supper, an intimate dinner party or a Sunday brunch with family, we are here to help.  Setting a table is so easy to achieve without buying a cupboard full of new dinnerware, successful table dressing is not about silverware and crystal (although that does sound fabulous!), it’s about making the most of what you have and purchasing a few special accessories to treasure that you can use time and time again.  So you don’t need the family-heirloom china or silver spoons to recreate these table settings, fresh flowers, twinkling candle light, and quirky decorative touches are all that’s needed.  Whether it’s a week night supper or a sophisticated cocktail party, these simple, pretty and imaginative table settings will bring a dash of originality to any occasion.  Here are our top tips for a successful tabletop, and remember, it’s all in the detail! 

Al Fresco Supper

Butterfly Lane has everything you need to put the finishing touches on a perfect summer party.  Enjoy a carefree celebration in the sunshine with a selection of fun tableware and garden accessories. I love to use fresh flower arrangements outside, and this ridiculously elegant patioware will be available to buy at Butterfly Lane very soon.  We are so excited about our discovery, from jugs, cake stands, champagne glasses, salad bowls and cutlery it looks like your finest sparkling crystal but is in fact plastic and patio proof.  It looks just stunning and to be put on our waiting list please email info@butterflylane.co.uk.  Prices start from £10.00.

Sophisticated Cocktail Party

Whether your guests prefer it shaken or stirred here are some inspiring images to throw a swarve and sophisticated cocktail party at home.  Think sparkling martini glasses, champagne saucers and elegant accessories.  All you’ll need to do is master the cocktail recipes…

Intimate Dinner Party

A Dinner Party is about delicious food in perfect surroundings.  Invest in gorgeous serving platters, bowls and plates so your guests can serve themselves leaving you time to play the part of the perfect host!

Sunday Brunch


We just love the idea of bringing the outdoors inside using garden planters as centre pieces. Inspired.

Tea Party

Bring out your best china, the Tea Party is having a revival!  So for you tea party enthusiasts or anyone looking for a fresh approach to this beloved tradition, look no further.  Whether you are planning a summer tea party in the garden or a cosy gathering in front of the roaring fire, Afternoon Tea is a treat any time of the year. Just make sure that your finger sandwiches, scones and Darjeeling tea are served with the most delicate and pretty china around.

Children’s Party

Children’s parties are all about colour and fun and with these stylish table settings adults will be suitably impressed as well as your little ones…

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With Gracious Style...


For a more special affair we cannot recommend crisp table linen highly enough (in the obligatory Butterfly Lane cream or white of course!), it will not only hide a multiple of sins on your battered dining table, but will add an air of decadence to the occasion.  The range from Gracious Style is truly exquisite and as fashion constantly changes there is something luxurious and timeless about using a tablecloth.  Why not use something plain and simple for a classic look or damask and embroidered for a decorative edge.  The simple finish a tablecloth gives allows for bolder design choices on the tabletop, with punchy floral arrangements and lashings of twinkling glass and candle light. 

Our friends at Gracious Style have a special treat for the Butterfly Lane readers, simply enter BUTTERFLYLN10 in to the voucher code on their website to receive 10% off all their gorgeous products *.  Thank you Gracious Style and enjoy everyone!

I hope that Butterfly Lane has inspired you to create some amazing and creative table settings.  Let us know how you get on…X


* The Gracious Style offer is not valid on sale or clearance items. Offer valid through 11:59 pm EST, May 31, 2012. Not valid on previous orders, orders with trade discounts, or when combined with any other promotional offers.


All images from the Butterfly Lane Pinterest page, Gracious Style and Google

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