The holiday season and the practice of entertaining may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t update your home and redecorate your dining room to add some festive cheer to your family celebrations. After all, chances are you’ll be spending more time at home over the course of the holiday season, and who is more important to impress than yourself? 

The dining room is a special place in any house—a place where friends and family gather to break bread, reconnect, and make memories—and it deserves to be decorated accordingly. If you are craving a change but aren’t sure what direction to take, now is the perfect time to draw decorating ideas from happy holiday memories—and, of course, a few design enthusiasts.

Inspired by some of our own favourite holiday memories, we took a closer look at three popular design themes to help you get the dining room of your dreams, whether you’re looking for small changes or are ready for a major makeover.

Inspiration: Modernized rustic cottage

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Get the Look: Smart Dining Chair | Sycamore Dining Table

My favourite Thanksgiving memory is the big round oak dining table we had at our cottage on the shore of Lake Huron, near Saint Joseph, Ontario. If more people were coming over, the round table had leaves and became an oval. There's nothing better than cozying up to the sound of the waves and eating turkey in the country, with all the trimmings and of course, a glass of wine, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and a good walk up the lane and back to take in the fall colours and burn off a tiny bit of that dinner. - Andrew Goodman, Toronto ON

If you missed getting away to your cottage over the summer, why not recreate the look of a rustic cottage at home while retaining that modern aesthetic?

Forget about dark, dusty, and outdated cottage decor. A light, neutral colour palette provides the perfect backdrop for an updated rustic cottage dining space. Embrace to the cottage chic by showcasing antiques, using warm modern accents inspired by outdoor textures, or incorporating natural elements such as:

• Exposed wood beams
• Aged textures and finishes
• Driftwood and stone elements
• Landscape artworks
• Candles
• Woollen throws and natural linens
• Unpainted wood furniture, such as the round oak dining table from Andrew’s memory.

Add some updated rustic cottage charm to your dining room with these round wood dining tables:

Inspiration: Cozy family home

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Get the Look: Britany Dining Chair | Barke Dining Table

I have fond childhood memories of many family gatherings around my grandparents' extra large pine dining table, custom built by my talented grandfather. The table was big enough to fit our extended family of 16 and wide enough to serve an entire thanksgiving dinner (turkey and all) down the centre. Growing up in rural Newfoundland often meant that neighbours or anyone without family nearby was welcome at our table. When neighbors joined in, we extended the table into the living room and everyone had a place. - Helen Champion, Modern Komfort

Reach into your past and draw on the most important and memorable elements of your childhood kitchen table or dining room. Instead of recreating the dining room of your youth (it’s probably looking a little outdated by now!), focus instead on creating your own cozy family home and decorating it the way you want. To us, this means:

• A warm, rich colour palette
• A plush rug
• Bench seating
• Family photographs
• Table lamps
• Indoor plants

It’s more important than ever to find new ways to fill our homes with warmth and cheer, so instead of focusing on what we can’t do, look forward to when we are able to gather again. You may not be able to crowd around a large or extendable dining table like my grandparents’, but you can still load it with all your favourite holiday treats. Here are a couple of our favourite modern options:

Inspiration: Minimalist and modern

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Get the Look: Sliver Dining Chair | Audrey Dining Table | Biro Pendant Lamp | Glen Mirror

I have many fond memories of Christmas Dinners with my family. My favourite memory is the extra place setting my parents always included at the dinner table. It didn't matter how many guests were around the table, even if space was tight, there was always an extra seat. When I was old enough to understand, my parents explained that the seat and place setting were set in case someone who was less fortunate than us knocked on our door and needed a meal. And, although no one ever knocked, we were always ready, and always thankful for each other and the meal we were so fortunate to share. - Anna Rubaj, Modern Komfort

Mid-century modern and minimalism are enduring trends for interior decor, but it can be hard for some people to really nail the look—because of their popularity, vintage mid-century modern pieces can be difficult to come across, and not everyone is ready to pare down their belongings to fully embrace the minimalist style.

If you’re worried that a minimalist or modern style will feel cold and less homey than rustic cottage chic or a cozy family vibe, don’t worry! A warm modern or minimalist look is easy to achieve with the right pieces, and you can create the look without relying on thrifted or vintage finds.

Focus on keeping things simple and switching key pieces where you can. Complement a neutral or monochrome colour palette with mid-century modern-inspired silhouettes and warm wood tones, along textured accents and natural finishes to keep things homey without sacrificing style, such as:

• Sparse belongings with statement pieces, such as pendant lamps, artwork, or mirrors
• Mid-century modern chairs
• An appropriate dining table made from materials like glass, plastic, and unpainted wood

These sleek dining tables combine minimalist glass tops with warm wood legs to perfectly fuse mod style with cozier materials, and they’re large enough to add an extra place setting in case someone unexpected knocks at the door:

Shop our selection of modern dining tables

Dishing up your dream dining room

Instead of filling our homes with friends and family, this year is perfect for spending quality time with our closest family members and focusing on creating a comfortable space that makes you feel happy at home. Refreshing your dining room by making small changes or sweeping updates can go a long way to adding some cheer to this unusual holiday season.

When creating your dream dining room and transforming it into a space you will enjoy for years to come, don’t be afraid to go all in. That can mean starting small and slowly making changes to nail the look you want, or really going for it and redoing the entire thing at once. Choose an approach that works for your personal needs and one that fits your budget. If you need advice, we’re here to help you create the look you want.

Shop our collection of modern dining furniture

Whether you are celebrating North or South of the Canadian border, Thanksgiving is going to look very different in 2020. Traditionally a time of travel and togetherness, this year we will all have to celebrate and share thanks from a distance at a time when some of us may not be feeling all that thankful. But unusual circumstances don’t mean you have to bid farewell to all of your favourite holiday traditions!

Spending quality time with family (online or in person) and embellishing our homes with seasonal decor are two of our favourite ways to embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving and inspire some much-needed joy. This year, instead of the usual Thanksgiving smorgasbord for 20, small gatherings with your immediate household or Zoom dinners may be the norm, and taking the time to set the perfect scene for your virtual gathering or create a welcoming space for your immediate family can go a long way to adding a sense of cheer to this unconventional season.

Regardless of how you plan to come together this year, Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to dress up your home with some simple seasonally-appropriate decor. To help you set the scene, we’ve compiled some of our favourite Thanksgiving decor inspiration. Take a look:

Lighting to set the mood

The soft light of a candle or lantern helps to create a cozy, comfortable atmosphere—something we are all craving this year. These lanterns will look great on your table, mantle, or anywhere in your home. For some Thanksgiving vibes, try nestling candle-lit lanterns amongst your other Thanksgiving or autumn decor, then switch up your seasonal decor when the snow starts to fly to create a wintery scene for the holidays.

Shop our collection of modern lanterns

While low lighting will create a nice ambience for intimate family gatherings, if you are video conferencing over dinner, make sure you incorporate enough lighting for your virtual guests to clearly see you. Some overhead lighting in addition to your candles and lanterns should be sufficient.

Traditional fall accents

Bringing the outdoors into your home by using leaves, nuts, flowers, berries, seeds, and branches as trimmings is a classic element of autumn home decor. Creating a centrepiece or tablescape for your dinner table or a seasonally-appropriate background for your virtual Thanksgiving using these items is a simple way to add beauty to your Thanksgiving experience

@jogalbraithathome recently shared a beautiful arrangement picked from her yard:

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Looking for something a little less traditional? We love how @mynameisrasha incorporated pastel colours into her Thanksgiving tablescape while still keeping true to the season:

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Whether you collect them from your yard, a garden centre, flower shop, home decor store, or opt to use faux materials for aesthetic (or cleanliness) reasons, consider adding these items to your arrangements:

• Acorns
• Branches (PRO TIP: dogwood is especially good for this purpose because of its beautiful red tone)
• Dried plants such as wheat and grasses, inspired by @olgas_rusticrental:

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• Pumpkins, gourds and squash
• Fall foliage
• Feathers

Floral & natural accents

There is nothing quite so soothing and pleasant to the eye as greenery—especially as the seasons change and the lush green of summer fades into the bright reds and yellows of fall. Though typically associated with winter or summer decor, you can incorporate cut or live plants and flowers in your dining experience or home during any season.

There are several types of greenery you can add to update your Thanksgiving decor in addition to the traditional pumpkin and gourd arrangements, such as:

• Green foliage such as ferns or eucalyptus like this table by Chrissy Horton at Inspired Fashion Finds:

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• Berries
• Cut or potted flowers
• Succulents, inspired by @kelssucculentshop:

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Keep the natural theme going by using a beautiful wood vase to display your cut arrangements:

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Pottery

Ceramics and pottery lend a certain rustic earthiness to a home, and they look great year-round. Reminiscent of a time when harvest season was something we all participated in, incorporating some clay works into your Thanksgiving decor is a great way to make your home feel more inviting, whether it’s a traditional earthenware water pitcher or plates that are more trendy and up-to-date.

• Blue and white pottery
• Neutral toned drink pitchers
• Dark glazes, inspired by @withtheprinces:

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Get the look for yourself with these vases:

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Dinner decor for a different kind of Thanksgiving

In spite of this year’s difficulties, there is something soothing about turning to our usual traditions and embracing them in new ways. While you may not be having a 20 lb turkey or tofurkey dinner this year, with a few easy decorations, you can still create a beautiful Thanksgiving dining experience for your family bubble, your housemates, or even just for yourself.

Shop our collection of modern decor

Whether you’re wishing this past summer a fond farewell or goodbye and good-riddance, the transition to a new season always brings its own comforts and complaints. Welcome or not, changes in daylight and weather prompt transformations in our gardens, routines, wardrobes, and attitudes—and, of course, our homes. 

Switching up your home accents is an easy way to embrace these changes and fortify yourself against the coming autumn by adding some much-needed warmth and comfort to your indoor spaces. Simple changes that are easy to swap out in winter and again in spring or summer can quickly refresh the look of a home you have been spending more time in than usual. 

It may not be time to go full-hygge, but it’s certainly time to start incorporating cozy elements into your home in preparation for the darkening days and cooler temperatures. Here are 3 easy ways to embrace autumn in your home:

1. Bring the autumnal ambience indoors

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When you think of autumn indoors, what do you imagine? To us, it brings to mind both the rich and muted colours of golds, greys, reds, beiges, and browns, and the cozy textures of wools, knits, faux-furs, and plaid, all silhouetted against a window view of crisp wind in the leaves, the low golden sun, and grey skies. 

Transfer the energy of this magical season onto your walls with artwork that captures the autumnal motif:

Shop our selection of modern wall art

Candles and lanterns are a great way to bring warmth into your home, especially as the nights grow longer. Nothing inspires creativity and relaxation like the low light of a candle or a low-lumen LED lantern:

2. Add comfort on every level

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When it comes to decorating for the season, walls and tabletops tend to get all the attention. But, whether you’re a shoes-on or shoes-off kind of household, rugs can add to the welcoming feeling of a home and offer the added benefit of dampening sound—an essential quality as we all continue to adjust to the reality of working and learning from home. 

A beautiful, traditionally crafted rug with an autumnal colour palette not only adds to a room’s overall aesthetic, it also protects your floors from scuffs and protects your feet from cold floors, especially once those temperatures start to dip.

Shop our selection of modern rugs

3. Layer in the warmth with throws and pillows

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Autumn is often associated with the best fashion the year has to offer. Our clothing choices are no longer dictated by how sweaty we’ll be when the sun peaks in the midday sky—instead, sweater weather brings the return of our favourite cozy boots, capes, and layers of luxurious materials. Thankfully, these materials aren’t just limited to adorning our bodies—they transition well to home decor as well.

For autumn-appropriate couch accoutrements, choose luxurious, soft materials to drape over yourself while you nap in the fading afternoon sun, cuddle on the couch during your favourite show, or sit through the incredibly long conference call someone booked much too late in the day. 

Shop our selection of modern throws

Comfortable pillows that can support your head or your lower back, are an easy, impermanent way to refresh the atmosphere in your home and usher in a new season. Incorporate the colours featured in your blankets and artwork into your throw pillows and choose some fall motif prints to tie the whole look together:

Shop our selection of modern pillows

Embracing autumn at home

With many traditional fall activities on hold, we are all preparing to spend more time indoors this fall than in previous years. Instead of dreading the shorter days and cooler climes, observe the changing of the seasons and welcome them into your home. Making your space somewhere you enjoy spending time by incorporating little autumnal touches, adding warmth as the temperature drops and updating it continually is an easy way to keep your home from looking stale and yourself from feeling cooped up in an unchanging environment.

Shop our selection of modern decor

Join our community of over 14,000 followers! Follow us on Instagram @modernkomfort for more furniture, lighting, and decor inspiration. 

Our team member rolled up her sleeves and took on this fun accent wall project. Below is an account of her experience with our Peel & Stick Wallpaper:

Deciding on anything design, or decor related can sometimes be overwhelming, and wallpaper is no exception! Even the peel & stick versions can seem a little scary. Hopefully this post makes the task seem less daunting, answers some questions, and helps you to get started.

First of all, I need to let you in on a little secret... I have never applied wallpaper before... but this experience was 100% simple and has made a big statement in my home. Now that I have my patterned wallpaper up, it has given me a starting point for the room and makes it easier to choose the other items for the room. 

Wallpaper can act as a focal point within a room. It often covers the majority of the surface, and is usually one of the first concepts guests will notice!

At Modern Komfort, we offer over 40 different patterns, with samples available to borrow in store, along with a wide variety of options on our website. All of our wallpaper is peel and stick and our patterns include geometric shapes, dots, chevron, terrazzo, plant/succulents, grid formations, and our personal favourite, the "ombre" fading design. 

Wallpaper is certainly on trend at the moment and we don't see any signs of it disappearing any time soon. However, in case you still have doubts, the peel and stick variety is ideal because it can literally be used over and over. If you put it up and get tired of it in a year, you can give it a new life in a different space.

Steps of application:
Wallpaper is weightless, timeless, cost-effective, and most of all it leaves a dramatic affect when redesigning your space! The steps to apply the wallpaper are quite simple, but you must take your time, so each sheet is aligned perfectly resulting in perfect placement and an elevated space.

Step 1: Before splurging on wallpaper, measure the surface you which to cover to
ensure you have the correct amount of paper (you could even purchase an extra roll for backup). You can either buy in separate panels or custom ship it with the entire wall’s dimensions. This way, even if your space isn't perfectly straight, you won't run into a shortage problem. HOT TIP: Please don’t assume your ceiling is perfectly straight. You may have to make adjustments at the bottom.

Step 2: Ensure the surface you plan to wallpaper is clean, smooth and dry for the best possible results!

Step 3: Carefully remove the backing about 5 inches so the sticky surface is exposed and ready to apply. 

Step 4: Take the top corner of the wallpaper and start to press and smooth the surface out slowly making your way down to the bottom, and from the centre to the outer edges. I used my hands to smooth the surface, but you can also you a soft cloth. Go VERY SLOW! And I would remove the backing as your go down the wall, NOT all at once. I worked left to right and top to bottom. As you remove the backing, try your best to remove any air bubbles or creases with your hands. HOT TIP: Make sure your patterns match up. I mean, this kind of goes without saying, but it's an important point.  

Step 5: If needed, cut around the edges of the wall with an exacto knife to ensure the wallpaper fits the surface correctly. It was so easy, like cutting butter so again,  take your time. 

Step 6: Repeat previous steps for each panel if you have not ordered in one full custom piece - I ordered 5 - 2’ x 4’ panels.

Have fun & enjoy : )

Jessika 

“May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter and every window open to a great possibility” - Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

Color Trends in Home Decor 2019

At Modern Komfort we are in the business of helping to create beautiful spaces! And while figuring out current home décor trends can be daunting, as well-known designer, Jonathan Adler says, “Nothing is ‘out,’ nothing is bad – it’s just a lot of options. Think of trends like a salad bar; you can pick and choose to create your personal style.”  We love this outlook, because let’s face it, who’s changing up their home décor every time there is a new trend! 

While knowing all the current home décor trends is helpful in choosing paint colours, furnishings and accessories, know also that choosing elements you love, in the colors you love, is the most important part of creating a home.

It’s not always necessary to make big changes to create big impact. When changing out tile, flooring, countertops, etc. is not realistic, yet you are still craving a change, simply updating your movable elements like armchairs, art, rugs, or even just changing out the accessories to add more of the colour and style you love, can give your space a whole new look and feel, and satisfy your desire for change.

We've looked around at paint companies colour forecasts for 2019, along with news from our favourite design bloggers, and we have put together this list to help you navigate what's new in 2019. 

Gray: Benjamin Moore’s 2019 colour of the year is Metropolitan AF-690. This choice is interesting because it indicates that although gray has been a very popular colour for the last ten years, it is still desirable as a main neutral backdrop for homeowners and it is warming up. Gray is still a wonderful backdrop to some of the brighter and cleaner colours we are seeing such as blues, oranges and pinks. We love what @kismet_house did with our Modernity grey upholstered bed. It has a warm, calming feeling in this room, paired with wood touches and pastel pink. 

Blue: The colour blue is considered the first colour choice for the majority of people in the world and a personal favourite for the Modern Komfort staff, so we are happy to see it is still going strong and that there are no signs of it disappearing as a top colour in the world of design. In fact, we view blue as a trending classic.

Behr’s 2019 colour of the year is Blueprint S470-5. This is a mellow blue with a hint of green. While strong saturated blues are still very much on trend, including indigo and navy, we are also seeing softened and dustier hues including denim (a hot new hue!!) and powder blues making their way into our homes. Our patterned indigo mudcloth pillows are a simple way to add a touch of blue to your space, while our Athens Rug pairs different blues which makes it easy to style other existing pieces with. 

Green

Like blue, green is becoming very popular and whether décor or fashion, it is popping up everywhere. Green colours help us feel calm and rested – have you noticed that house plants are everywhere now?  

Dulux’s 2019 colour of the year is Night Watch, a deep forest green. This colour takes us back to the 80’s and 90’s but today’s forest greens are not the same. The new dark greens are greyer and moodier and pair beautifully with brass and blush pinks. In fact, all shades of dark and dramatic greens are trending.

A simple way to add green to your space is with greenery such as plants, throw blankets, smaller accessories. For a bigger statement, the Algonquin Arm Chair in Emerald Green is a perfect choice. 

Blush Pink (or is it Peach?): We are happy that blush pink is still going strong, however, 2019’s pink is softer, tawnier and muddier then the fresh shades of Millennial pink which have been around for a few years.

Peachy pink tones are showing up in smaller home décor items such as pillows and we are seeing peach sofas from top designers. Because peach hasn’t been around since the 1980’s it is looking fresh and new! It also signifies that interiors are warming up. A great way to update your grays and blues is to add peach or pink! 

Big lush florals are trending right now! Many of them have rich jewel tones and a range of greens and pinks. These florals also work beautifully with other patterns including stripes and checks. A multi-coloured pattern can be so useful in a room and a great way to figure out your colour palette.

Cognac Leather: Cognac Leather is everywhere right now and we can see why! This warm shade has been around for decades and is considered a timeless classic – our favourite type of décor. A colour combo we are loving is denim blue and cognac. Cognac pairs perfectly with warm wood tones also. 

Who knew that going from one kid to two would increase the amount of time spent in the kitchen by about a million? I honestly didn't think of all of the extra cooking and meal prep I would be doing with one in school and a new baby starting to eat solids. Being in the kitchen more often also means spending increased time dreaming about all sorts of trendy makeovers I'd love to do (one of them being the outdated countertop and island). While those big changes will come eventually, they are expensive, take a lot of planning, and mean that we need to be out of our kitchen for longer than I can imagine possible at this stage.

In the meantime, I've made some simple and inexpensive changes that are satisfying my inner desire for a large-scale makeover. Adding a few new funky tea towels over the cupboard hardware, and a some bright flower pots from Anthropologie on the window sill, have made a big difference to my kitchen time enjoyment.

However, the best and most inexpensive change I've made to date is switching out my old dish cloths with our Swedish sponge cloths. These little things are amazing, and here's why:

• they are eco-friendly and made from 100% bio-degradable cellulose, so they are compostable!
• they are quick-drying and when they do dry they go back to a hard cloth that once again looks super rad;
• being naturally anti-bacterial, they are great for those of us who are clean freaks and don't want germs in our kitchen;
• they make sweet gifts at a great price point of $12 for a set of 2, and some of the designs even have matching dish towels available;
• they are gentle enough to use on virtually any surface in the kitchen, including granite, stainless steel, laminate and glass.
• the best part is that they come in all sorts of designs that actually look super cool on your counter.

Transitioning into spring is such a beautiful time, filled with optimism and excitement for longer days, fewer layers and more fresh flowers. Open windows, curtains blowing in the breeze, the smell of fresh cut grass... the transition from the deep dark cold of winter to the new life of spring can be felt inside your home almost as much as outside.

It's a great time to make some subtle changes on the inside to welcome spring and bring all of that vibrance happening on the outside in. It can be as simple as changing throw pillows on the sofa or bed to more light and vibrant patterns. Keep in mind that you only have to change the pillow covers and store the winter patterns for the following season. This will save money and take up less space in storage. 

Heavy accent blankets on sofas, beds or over chairs can also be switched out for brighter colours or even lighter and more airy fabrics. Turkish style throws can add subtle softness to your space when draped over a chair or chaise, and the best part is, you don't even have to fold them, the right throw looks good even when it's messy. If you still like to have heavier blankets around for cool evenings,  having soft colours like pastels or other light hues can help with that airy spring feeling.