room of the month: cottage in the glen

Katy here! I’ve been so excited for February’s room of the month because I absolutely love how Melani @cottage_in_the_glen layers the old with the new and honors her family’s heritage with items handed down from generations past. Her home is truly an art form. Thank you Melani, and I hope you all enjoy this Sisi Sister’s fabulous dining room style.

Welcome to Melani’s home!

I enjoy mixing the old with the new. In fact, I have several pieces I  have collected over the years that never go out of style. I’ve changed the chairs and the accessories over time to update my look, but the foundation stays the same. I recently added striped wicker chairs at the head of the table, and some navy blue faux bamboo side chairs. 

*Old Chairs

*New Chairs

Most importantly, I try to surround myself with items that remind me of people that I love. I have a group of old transfer-ware and souvenir plates from Hawaii that I have collected. My husband’s family goes back 5 generations on the islands, and his parents met and married there in the 60’s.  My husband was born in Honolulu. My great grandparents met there, and my grandparents met and married while my great grandfather was a commanding officer at Ft. Shafter during Pearl Harbor. We have plates from the officer’s mess hall at Fort Shafter, as well as Hickam Air Force Base where my husband’s grandfather was stationed during the 50’s and 60’s. Hawaii pops up throughout our house and always makes me smile, both thinking of the family history, and our memories of time spent there.

I also have a slipper chair that I recently reupholstered. It belonged to my “fabulous“ grandmother who was a radio personality, an actress, host of two television shows in the 50’s (one that landed her on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post) and the first female news broadcaster in the Bay Area. She also dabbled in politics. She was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the Commission on the Status of Women. She was also an amazing decorator (and my first influence) and the absolute queen of elegant fashion.

The other chair belonged to my “practical” grandmother. Her father was an Italian immigrant who came through Ellis island. She was warm, and squishy, and an amazing cook. She exuded comfort. She faced many difficult challenges in life, but rose above them all. She graduated with a masters degree in education while being a single mother caring for two young children. She worked as a school guidance counselor for many years and influenced countless young minds.

And there you go...that’s what I see when I look in my dining room!