Creating an exciting dinner table…

So you’re planning your next casual dinner party, your entertaining a group of friends, and now the stress begins. It’s not just the menu choices and the guest list that causes anxiety…it’s all of the little “extras” in planning this small event. You just need to make it a little more fun by adding some excitement to the planning stage itself.

One thing you might try is to create a unique look to your dinner table for your guests…and that task itself does not have to be an event of epic proportions. Think of just adding one or two additional items to your setting. A set of votive candle holders along the centerline of your table will create a warm and welcoming tone to the evening or use them as smaller vase holders across the table in lieu of a larger arrangement. You may also want to add a table enhancer like our Clear Glass Shaped Sea Shells or our Silver Sea Stars. These accessories can be “sprinkled” around the table to add a little seaside flare to your evening festivities. When the party is over, our Silver Sea Stars make a perfect accent to your nautical décor…just set them on your coffee table or around a bookcase. They even look fabulous in a large Hurricane candle holder as an everyday centerpiece. Our clear glass sea shells, while they look fantastic scattered about a dinner table, are a great stabilizer for fresh cut flowers in a clear glass vase…something different than the regular everyday glass pebbles. You can’t help but notice their cute designs. You can view all of these products and more at http://www.seasidedg.com/

Another resource you may want to try…Coastal Living magazine offers an online Slide Show with some great ideas on creating an exciting table setting for your guests and offers great pictures too. Try researching “Seaside Settings” in their search box or just click here.

Adding touches with accent pillows…

Accent pillows are one of the easiest ways to change the look of a room. They are fun and are easy to experiment with fabric changes, as well as complete color transformations. Pillows can be all you need to update the look of your room. Whether on a favorite couch, draped across your bed, sitting on your floor or cuddling your favorite pet, pillows add depth and texture to a room. They are wonderful for introducing additional colors and lines to your room’s palette. Take for instance our nautical shell hooked pillows, as seen above…they really add the perfect finishing touch to this yacht’s sitting area. The golden yellow tones outlining the shells on these nautical accent pillows truly complement the soft buttery leather of this couch. When decorating and adding finishing touches to your room, a pillow can introduce all of the flair you need. Don’t be afraid to experiment with pillows…have fun with them. Browse through more of our nautical accent pillows at www.seasidedg.com/catalog/Pillows-27-1.html. You may also want to subscribe to our e-newsletter on the front page of our website, which is a great forum for some of our newest items and special promotions. Sign up at www.SeasideDG.com.

Painting a room with less stress

Nothing freshens the look of a room more, or inspires creativity that you didn’t know you had, like a new coat of paint. Whether you are trying to enliven a room or jumping ship to a new hue…paint is the beginning and largest of easy changes. It can also be the most intimidating factor since no-one wants to “re-do” the job, which is why I am personally sold on paint samples. Once you’ve chosen your project (a bedroom, the kitchen, a bathroom), decide what you want this room to do. Ask yourself, what do you love when you think about this place? What does this space say to you? For instance, your bedroom…is this your personal sanctuary space that will be yours to relax from the hectic days of work? Or is it more simplified on your list? On a personal note, I just painted a bedroom Benjamin Moore’s - Kittery Point Green, a fun color! Remember not just the standard line about how paint will darken…or the second coat factor…but also add to the formula your lighting as well as any natural light. With my project room…I did the usual paint a section and see how you feel about it for a couple of days, however, take the time to see how your sample looks during different times of the day. Either paint a larger area and explore it for a couple of days to see what you think during different times of the day or, paint a large piece of wallboard or construction board…put it in the room and, again, see how you like it over a couple of days. Boards are easy to move around the room as well. I just love the paint samples from Benjamin Moore. They are the perfect amount of paint to let you examine your ideas and come in a wide variety of colors. Definitely worth the time and money.

A seaside first...

It’s our first blog…a bit intimidating…but our goal is to develop our blog into a resource for you, our customer, to reference when looking for ideas to add spice to your coastal living area or when you need a unique gift for the friend who has everything.

Our web site caters to decorating your home with all things nautical and great gifts for the coastal lifestyle. So what do you need to know about these things? What about how to add that perfect accent piece to finish a room or the height at which you should hang your new chandelier over the dining room table? Little tidbits of information to help you feel good about your purchase and its place in your home. Maybe you need to plan a party for some friends this summer…but are nervous about where to start or what to serve…we’ll try to bring you some fun inspirations for your coastal entertaining and certainly the perfect serving piece.

Find us on our website at www.SeasideDG.com and sign up for our newsletter. We send out advanced notice of new arrivals and great promotions.