Living at the beach and downsizing for me meant that I never have enough storage space. I guess part of the reason is I am always finding treasures on the beach and just one more thing that I “Need” for the house. My husband laughs and tells me that in the future if I buy something I need to get rid of something else. That will never happen! The room I chose this week shows how you can have a dual purpose room. This dining room can also be a study or the table can be used as a family game space. This table would host an elegant dinner and dining may be the main use of this space. The beauty of the wall of built-in is that they do not take up much of the space in the room and the storage below can be used for dishes, glassware of even storing games for the family. The eclectic use of the dark stained table with the light chairs adds to the beauty in the room. The crystal chandelier adds that luxury we all love and brings this room up a notch! When decorating your shelves, mix it up a little. Using pictures, your seashell collections and your books make the space interesting. The doors below will store anything you need to have a space for that is not used all the time. This room is an all around win for family living. When designing your home or remodeling your existing home, think about how this can help give you more style and storage!
Here are some fun placemats that are charming and easy to make yourself. Why pay the high prices in the stores when you can create these on your own. The first thing you will need to make these will be a roll of drawer liner, the Rubbermaid type that has an open weave on it. 
You can purchase flat stones like in the picture from several local craft store. You must look for the bag of flat stones not the round ones. Place the stones face down in the shape you want. Then use E-6000 glue on the back of each stone. Just a little goes a long way. Place the drawer liner on top of the stones and let dry over night. Cut the liner around the stones then flip it over and use to create a beautiful tabletop. Great for outdoors or indoors and once again you can say, I did it myself!
Don’t forget to send me your decorating dilemmas. I will include your questions and answers in the column. Remember I am here to help.
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