The Cure for Houzz Envy: Dining Room Touches Anyone Can Do

One unfortunate side effect of spending a lot of time on Houzz is Acute Houzz Envy, but if you’re suffering from it, we’ve found the antidote. Together we’re going to turn this envy on its head, by swiping ideas from well-appointed rooms and plotting easy makeovers for our own homes room by room, for next to nothing or free. Last week I shared some quick, free (or dirt-cheap) and easy ways to glean inspiration from the kitchens on Houzz; with the holidays fast approaching, I think we should tackle the dining room next. You don’t have to win a Showcase Showdown on The Price Is Right to give your dining room a stylish revamp.

Add a garland to your chandelier. This can be anything from evergreen boughs to strings of beads from the craft store. It’s an easy way to add a festive touch.

You can also try switching out your small lampshades. I recently scored brand-new striped mini shades at ReStore for $2 each.


Create an instant art collection. Color plates from inexpensive vintage books are a great way to have an instant collection. Try a book with bird, shell or botanical illustrations, or a vintage atlas.

One great source for stunning images all gathered in one book is The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. Shop around — I scored a rerelease a few years ago for $19, and I noticed a German version on Amazon today for just under $26.


Be proud of Grandmother’s tea set. Dig out that silver polish and shine it up, then display it as a centerpiece or on a sideboard.


Hang plates on the wall. We covered this under kitchen-envy cures, and it works just as well in the dining room. It’s another great way to create an instant collection from things you already have, and to show off favorite pieces instead of hiding them in cabinets.

Learn how to hang plates on the wall


Go for a dark tone. Dining rooms are usually enjoyed with low lighting, and hues like this gray add moody elegance. Note the way the light wainscoting and trim balance out the dark paint in this room.

Black paint colors to try in the dining room


Add a simple runner and arrange candlesticks in a line. These don’t have to match, and the inexpensive glass candlesticks from Ikea or the Dollar Store can look like a million bucks.

Another element worth noting in this room is the drum shade pendant light. Using a favorite lampshade with a simple kit is a stylish and inexpensive way to replace a tired or generic fixture.


Go big with your centerpiece. Look to planters you might usually keep outside, a large urn, a giant shell or an oversize hurricane. These are the kinds of vessels that work well with branches you find in the yard or a grouping of citrus fruit.

Get more inspiration for working with branches


Add a plant or candle stand to a corner. I’ve seen a lot of dining rooms that are just stuck at rug + dining table + dining chairs, and the room seems like it’s missing something. A small table or stool can fill in just fine.(I have a vintage tall stool in my own dining room, in a corner.) Add a plant or vase on top.


Seek out an unusual, inexpensive piece to serve as a buffet. A desk, Parsons table, wooden file cabinet or credenza, tall media cabinet — all of these things can be found at secondhand shops and transformed into lovely sideboards in the dining room with some sanding and fresh paint or stain.


Give a buffet, sideboard or built-in shelf symmetry. This will lend a pleasing and balanced feeling. Also consider adding a pair of table lamps with low-voltage lightbulbs or candelabras on either end for more intimate lighting.


Rearrange the china cabinet. Pull everything out and lay it on the dining room table. Mix and match large platters on stands, favorite bowls, pitchers and tea sets in a way that shows them off at their best. This may take some arranging and rearranging. Take the time to step back, admire your work and fiddle around with the composition.


Sticking with all-white pieces in this cabinet ties them together in Belgian style.


Paint or add wallpaper to the backs of shelves. This works for built-ins and china cabinets and will help your china and other objects stand out.

More ideas for punching up shelving


Mix up the seating. With extra guests you may not have enough chairs anyway, so attack the problem with style. A bench, host and hostess chairs, and chairs mixed in from your kitchen or even patio set can give your dining room an eclectic look. To keep them from looking jumbled, use pairs of matching chairs and intersperse them, and place a pair at either end of the table.

Learn how to give your chairs a makeover


Corral barware or mixers on a large tray. It will create an instant collected look for disparate pieces.

Get more ideas for adding tray chic all over the house


Set up the bar. Whether you’re using a bar cart or buffet, leaving the bar set up means you’ll draw people to an underused dining room space even when you’re not serving a formal sit-down dinner.

How to set up a bar with style

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