This is my dining, kitchen, and work desk area. It sounds quite crowded, but having such an open layout makes it feel spacious. This is the area where most of our entertaining goes on. Our table can seat up to ten and the kitchen bar can seat three. We always entertain around food. I think people are most comfortable when their eating something yummy.

When we moved in laminate counter tops came standard. With the kitchen being so open to the rest of the house I wanted something a little nicer, so we went with Silestone. We still need to add the back splash. We are thinking of going with a subway tile in slate. I found the little stool at a flea market. I pictured my little girl climbing up to help me bake, but in reality she sits on the counters while my son pushes it around like a car.

The side board came from Pier 1, but it looked nothing like this. It was on clearance for $100, so for a piece that large we just couldn't pass it up. It was a blond wood with modern knobs. We painted it stratton blue by Benjamin Moore and then distressed it and changed the knobs. The lamp is new from Home Goods. I think I am going to change out the iron piece with a circular mirror we have. Still haven't quite decided. The baskets house kids games and coloring books. All the fabric is below, simply because I haven't figured out a better place to put it. I do all my sewing on the dining table.

These are old windows from my college apartment. I snagged them during a remodel. All the photographs are done by my husband or I.

This is my little work desk. The bins above hold all my bills and stationary. The desk is from West Elm. It was the only one I could find to fit on that tiny wall. I am looking for a more comfortable desk chair. It has been hard trying to find something reasonably priced that also looks good in the dining area.

The high chair is one of those chairs that have the big plastic cover. I wanted a high chair that was clean looking and I couldn't fathom spending a ton on something that would be used for only a couple of years. So, off went the plastic cover and I didn't have to spend a lot.