Creating A Special Place for Family Meals {& Giveaway}

When we were decorating our first home, we bought a formal dinning room table, chairs, etc. It was lovely, but as our first child grew to join us at the table, we realized it wasn’t very practical. It was definitely not a place to have a casual meal: we were worried about the table getting scratched, the chairs getting stained and there wasn’t a chance it was fit to be a place for “crafts”. I decided to try and make the room more casual and somehow went so far in the opposite direction I felt like my dinning room looked more like an art classroom in an elementary school. It worked for our wild and crazy crew, but when we hosted holidays or family meals, it didn’t really feel right.

So, when we moved this summer, one of my main goals was to create a dinning room that was somewhere in between being too formal and too casual. We still have some decorating to do, but we are well on our way to the type of place I was envisioning for family meals. We are comfortable, love the space and it’s a place we can happily enjoy time together. So many of my best memories growing up are around the table with my parents and siblings. We all had a special place at “the bench” around a big farm table. That’s the kind of place I had in mind for my own children.

When I set out to create this new space, the first thing I was looking for was a farm table. Thanks to social media and reading other blogs, I remembered hearing about Ezekiel & Stearns. I checked out their site and loved the selection. There were so many beautiful options in the exact sizes we were looking for. We decided on the Cape Cod Farm Table.

I really liked the driftwood grey that it comes in. The color and style was designed by Ezekiel & Stearns to elicit the look of the weather-beaten cottages of Cape Cod.

Once the table arrived, we were really impressed with the exceptionally durable hardwood table.The cost of a 100% solid wood table is a bit higher than other tables, but it’s also likely to last significantly longer. Since we knew our table would get plenty of use with a growing family, we wanted a special place for family meals and also furniture that would hold up.

For seating, I knew I wanted a bench to fit lots of kiddies on. The table we got from Ezekiel & Stearns had a beautiful bench in the same color. It’s the perfect size and the kids can easily get on and off. We got the Cape Cod Bench to match our table.

A bit more about Ezekiel & Stearns: Ezekiel and Stearns, LLC is an artisan custom craft furniture maker. We design and make furniture by hand with a rugged quality and a beautiful presentation. Our studio is located in St. Louis, Missouri, America’s Heartland. We are specialty craftsman creating farm tables, benches, and other custom hand crafted wood furniture. We consider what we do art, and our pieces can be found in homes across America. You’ll find our work at universities, in the

locker rooms of a gym in New York City, as a statement piece at homes in the Hamptons, and next year on a well known Netflix show.

Coupon Code: Ezekiel & Stearns is offering our readers $100 off any table with code Chirpingmoms

For the rest of the chairs I was looking for a nice pop of color. After the table arrived, I thought the color of the wood would look neat with some yellow chairs. I found the perfect shade of yellow online at Target. It took quite a bit of convincing my husband, but once they arrived he was glad he agreed to it! They looked great with the table.

For the rug, I went with my “go to” Rugs USA. Their prices can’t be beat and there are so many options. I love finding patterned rugs. I also know that no rug lasts very long in our house, especially one where the kids eat and color. We’re weeks away from having 4 kids 5 and under, so rugs don’t stand a chance in our house. That’s why I love Rugs USA – with their prices, I am comfortable buying the fun, patterned rugs that I like for the style of our house.

Now for this week’s exciting giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a Yukon Bench from Ezekiel & Stearns! Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Don’t forget to use code Chirpingmoms for $100 off any table. You can follow along with Ezekiel & Sterns on their website, Facebook and Instagram. Good luck!