We are back to give an update on the dining room table. Last time, we were hard at work deciding between three lovely options: West Elm’s Angled-Leg Expandable Table, Haverty’s Copley Square Trestle Table, and the Avington Salvaged Beam Dining Table from Restoration Hardware. Though they each had their pros (and cons), we ultimately decided on… drum roll please… the Copley Square Trestle Table from Haverty’s.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, The Copley Square Trestle table is the big sister to our previous table (which has since been discontinued). We loved the durability and craftsmanship, so it was hard to see it go, but we knew we couldn’t go wrong investing in a similar, yet much bigger table. Our worries about it being “too traditional” went right out the window when the delivery guys brought her in. I snapped this photo as soon as they walked out the door:

The table comes with two 18″ leaves. By adding both leaves, the table expands to 100″x44″ making room for 8 people comfortably. We started out wth both leaves in and lived with it for a few days, but it seemed to overpower the room. Even though it fit just fine, it was just a little much on the eyes and it made the room look a tad chair-happy, so we took out one of the two leaves, making the table 82″x44″. This seemed to be a much better fit for everyday use.

As for the unused leaf, for now, we are storing it in the guest room closet, since that room is currently empty. Later down the road, however, we are going to find a more suitable and permanent place to store it.

Since we took out one of the leaves, we now have two additional chairs to store when we aren’t using them. We thought about covering them with plastic and storing it at the top of the attic stairs, but we are worried the Virginia summer heat will harm the wood. In the mean time, we are trying to come up with another storage solution.

Though the table and chairs are unmistakably “traditional”, we plan on finishing off the space with modern accents that will surely tone down the traditional and amp up the eclectic vibe. We also plan on adding some sort of clean-lined overhead light fixture down the road as well as panel curtains.

Overall, we are super excited about the new table and can’t wait to adorn the room with personality. But all of that will come in due time. After all, patience is a virtue.

On Sunday afternoon, an estimated 152 million people will be tuning in to the game of the season: the Green Bay Packers vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. About 20 million Americans will attend a Super Bowl party. Over 1 billion chicken wings and enough guacamole to cover an entire football field 11.8 feet deep will be consumed — that’s about 53.5 million pounds of avocados and a whole lot of chickens!

For those of us who aren’t serious sports fanatics, as are the two well groomed gentleman above, we thought we’d celebrate this occasion a little differently… shelter blog style!

First up, we have the Green Bay Packers. In 1919, Earl “Curly” Lambeau (one of the team’s founders) was given $500 by his employer, the Indian Packing Company, to purchase the team’s uniforms. On one condition… that the team be named after the company. It was then that the Green Bay Packers were born. Today, the Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. How’s that for team spirit?

The team’s colors are green and gold. Though these two colors look good on the field, it’s not a common color combination when it comes to your home (that is unless your husband has a man cave decked out in Packer memorabilia, yikes!). But rest assured, it can be done and done well. Here’s our round up…

Beaux Arts Mansion in St. Louis

Brandon Barre

Sherrill Canet

Decor Pad

Next up, we have the Pittsburgh Steelers. Originally founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933, their team colors are black, gold and white. In 1940, the team held a contest to generate some much needed fan support. Many people in the community suggested “Steelers” based on the city’s primary industry at the time. The winners were given season tickets. Not too shabby!

Every game, the Steelers grace the field with their black and gold uniforms. This color combination is widely used in modern interior design. Here are some of our favorite rooms that will hopefully give you inspiration to use them in your home — even if you aren’t a Steelers fan ; )

Sherrill Canet

David Jimenez

David Jimenez

Kevin Levenson

So there is our creative take on Super Bowl XLV. Hopefully you will be able to use some of this inspiration if you are itching for a unique color scheme. As for the Super Bowl, may the best team win!

Maybe you aren’t a football fan, but are you a fan of 7th House on the Left? Then be sure to “Like” us on Facebook!

For more Super Bowl numbers, click here. Team history lessons found here and here. Football fanatic photos found here and here.

I know, we mentioned before that living without a full functioning kitchen hasn’t been that bad. And it’s true, it hasn’t. But over the past few days, I’ve been longing for the simple things… countertops to plop the mail on when I come in after a walk with Bentley, a full-sized refrigerator to house excessive amounts of bottled water, an oven so I can cook Greg a “real” dinner… the list goes on.

I think this post may be more for me than the readers. The reason being, I need some motivation. It’s easy to compile a collection of inspiration photos and a list of wants and needs. I’m all about lists. I’m what you would call a “list-aholic”. But when it comes down to actually making decisions, I tend to over think things. And when it comes to the kitchen, it’s a big deal. It’s not like paint. If you end up not liking the color once you see it on the wall, pick up another color and rock and roll. A kitchen is a huge investment and it’s the heart of the home. So it’s extra important that it be not only functional but reflect who you are and be able to blend with the rest of the home.

Since we already have the general layout planned (read about our plan of attack here), the next step is deciding on cabinetry. And that’s where we are now — working on making the final decisions about brand, color and style of cabinetry. Once we make our final decisions, it’s still going to be a while until the kitchen is actually done — or “done done” as Greg likes to put it.

All of that being said, I’m determined to get the ball rolling a little faster. I can’t keep putting it off. Decisions must be made or else this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will consist of Easy Mac, Ramen Noodles and frozen peas & carrots. Over the next few days, we’re going an extreme effort to finalize the cabinetry decision and put together an inspiration board as to what we want the final product to look like. It’s on — like Donky Kong.