Fit for Family
Timeworn finishes, natural textures, and muted colors in the dining area of Macksi and Cody Warner’s 1890s farm-house recall a simpler way of life—when furniture was made by hand and holiday trimmings came from the land.
In preparation for a family gathering, the couple set their primitive pine table, shown here, with a block-printed runner, stoneware plates, a tiered pewter server loaded with fruits, and weighty wine goblets. For the centerpiece, a white-glazed pitcher, rather than a formal vase, holds fresh-cut evergreen branches.
The cheery treatment extends to the windows, where fragrant bay-leaf wreaths hang from green burlap ribbons. The effect is an inviting dining area that’s ready for a harvest feast. Read on to learn how to bring this festive farmhouse feel to your home.
Woven Basket
Store table linens and throws in a generous basket. This one’s deep sides echo the Warners’ early-1900s hops-collecting basket.
About $70; wisteria.com
Block-Print Runner
Liven up the tabletop with a natural twill runner decorated with rust-colored vines.
About $70; williams-sonoma.com
Throw Pillow
Add comfy pillows with a handmade quality. These have embroidery and painted stripes resembling those on grain sacks.
Floral cover, $11; ikea.com
Burlap cover, about $40; northcountrycomforts.etsy.com
Bronze Pendant
A pared-down fixture with a clear glass globe sheds a soft glow for dining.
About $120, including a 60-watt Edison-style bulb; lowes.com
Herb Wreath
Hang a ring of bay leaves for seasonal greenery that can also flavor stews.
Wreath, about $25; shop.mcfaddenfarm.com
Ribbon, $6 for 10 yards; onlinefabricstore.net
Harvest Table
Make a vintage-look table from a kit. This one has mortise-and-tenon joints, and a ¾-inch-thick top. Minwax Hunter Green stain supplies the two-tone effect.
Pine base, about $180, and soft maple top, about $300; tablelegs.com
Spindle Chair
Similar to the Warners’ antique half-spindle Windsors, this new perch comes unfinished. Top it off with a warm, honey-hued stain.
Chair, about $60; gelcofurniture.com
Pewter Server
Add polish and height to a holiday tablescape with a handsome tiered dish.
About $55; boxwoodsfurnishings.com
Houndstooth Rug
This flat-woven wool rug in a traditional broken-check pattern is reversible—ideal for under the dining table.
About $200; homedecorators.com
Rustic Red Bench
Fitted with a lower shelf, this bench provides extra seating and storage for half the cost of the one shown at left.
About $130; llbean.com