Prepping for Reindeer Season: Your Rustic Dining Room Transformation
The scent of cinnamon, the flicker of candlelight, and the warmth of gathering loved ones – the reindeer season is a time for cozy celebrations. But a truly memorable setting doesn’t just happen; it’s crafted. Now is the perfect time to start planning and making so your dining room is ready to host those special moments.
This year, let’s create a rustic dining room that feels both timeless and festive, using the unexpected warmth of deep reds and golden orange tones. We’ll focus on versatile pieces that pack away easily, ensuring your space functions beautifully for the other eleven months of the year.
Setting the Scene: Walls with Woodland Charm
A feature wall is an immediate way to inject seasonal style without committing to a full room overhaul. For a bold, rustic statement, consider our Large Dark Christmas Candy Apple Red Nordic Reindeer Stripe wallpaper. This striking design features a repeat pattern of dark Christmas candy apple red leaping Nordic reindeer alternated with poinsettia white flowers, offering a rich, traditional feel. For a standard dining room wall measuring 3 meters wide by 2.4 meters high, you would typically need 3-4 rolls, depending on the pattern repeat (always check the specific repeat on the product page for precise calculations).
Before hanging, ensure your wall is clean, smooth, and primed with a good quality wallpaper primer. This prepares the surface for optimal adhesion and a professional finish. If you’re not ready for a full wall, consider papering an alcove, the back of a built-in cabinet, or even framing a large panel of the Dark Christmas Candy Apple Red Nordic Reindeer Stripe in White wallpaper – with its leaping Nordic reindeer in dark candy apple red and white – for a framed art piece you can swap out. This lighter version offers a beautiful contrast and can make a smaller space feel more open.
For walls that aren’t wallpapered, a coat of Farrow & Ball’s ‘Wimborne White’ provides a soft, warm neutral backdrop, allowing the richer reds to truly pop. This classic off-white will keep your room bright and adaptable year-round.
Textile Comforts: Fabric Favourites for Festive Feasts
Now, let’s bring that rustic charm to your table and seating with fabric. This is where the orange tones truly come to life through the deep cranberry and golden motifs.
The Heart of the Table: A DIY Table Runner
A custom table runner is a fantastic project to start now. It’s functional, beautiful, and easily stored. We’ll use our Golden Christmas Trees Reindeer Birds and Rocking Horses on Cranberry Red fabric. This charming design features Christmas motifs in golden and white on a cranberry red background of Christmas trees, Reindeer, Rocking Horses and Stars. A 1.8-meter dining table typically suits a runner around 40cm wide and 2.2 meters long, allowing for an elegant overhang.
Step-by-Step: Simple Lined Table Runner (Time needed: 2-3 hours)
- Gather Materials: You’ll need 2.3 meters of the Golden Christmas Trees Reindeer Birds and Rocking Horses on Cranberry Red fabric (for both top and bottom layers to ensure it’s reversible or well-finished), coordinating thread, and an iron. Start this project 3-4 weeks before the season, allowing for any unforeseen delays.
- Cut Fabric: Wash and press your fabric. Cut two rectangles, each 44cm wide by 224cm long. This accounts for a 2cm seam allowance all around.
- Sew Layers: Place the two fabric pieces right sides together. Pin along all four edges. Sew around the perimeter with a 2cm seam allowance, leaving a 15cm opening along one long side for turning.
- Trim & Turn: Clip the corners diagonally (without cutting through your stitches) to reduce bulk. Turn the runner right side out through the opening. Use a chopstick or point turner to gently push out the corners.
- Press & Finish: Press the entire runner flat, ensuring the seam allowance at the opening is tucked neatly inside. Topstitch around the entire perimeter, about 0.5cm from the edge, closing the opening as you go.
Coordinated Comforts
To tie the room together, make matching placemats and napkins from the same Golden Christmas Trees Reindeer Birds and Rocking Horses on Cranberry Red fabric. Standard placemats are around 35cm x 48cm. For a set of six placemats, you’d need approximately 1.5 meters of fabric. Napkins, typically 45cm x 45cm, would require about 1.5 meters for six as well.
For added texture and a grounding effect, craft plain cushions for your dining chairs or a window bench using our Reindeer Olive Muted Earthy Green Christmas Solid with Woodland Charm fabric. This muted olive green, inspired by reindeer moss and forest evergreens, brings natural warmth and woodland charm. A standard 45cm x 45cm cushion cover takes about 0.5 meters of fabric per side, so allow 1 meter per cushion, plus a little extra for zip closures or envelope backs. For a set of six dining chairs, 6-7 meters would be a safe amount.
Imagine soft café curtains on a smaller dining room window, cut from the Dark Christmas Candy Apple Red Nordic Reindeer Stripe in White fabric. Hung at half the window’s height (typically 90-100cm from the sill) on a brushed brass rod, they offer privacy while letting in light. For a standard 1-meter wide window, you’d need two panels, each 1.5 times the window width for fullness, so about 1.5 meters of fabric for each panel.
The Finishing Touches
Complete your rustic dining room with natural elements. Fill a wooden bowl with dried orange slices, pinecones, and cinnamon sticks. Warm, flickering light from ivory taper candles in aged brass candlesticks (look for an ‘antique brass’ or ‘brushed brass’ finish) will cast a soft glow, enhancing the cozy atmosphere. Consider a large woven basket filled with chopped firewood near a fireplace for an authentic touch.
A Second Use for ‘Reindeer Olive’: While perfect for seasonal cushions, our Reindeer Olive Muted Earthy Green Christmas Solid with Woodland Charm fabric, with its earthy and natural feel, makes a fantastic year-round upholstery choice for a small accent chair in a reading nook or a window seat. Its solid nature makes it incredibly versatile.
What to Avoid
- Over-sparkle: While a touch of glitter is fine, too much can detract from the rustic aesthetic. Focus on natural textures and matte finishes.
- Flimsy Decor: Avoid plastic ornaments or thin, disposable items. Invest in sturdy, well-made pieces that can be reused year after year.
- Neglecting Wall Prep: For wallpaper, skipping proper wall preparation will lead to bubbles, peeling, and an uneven finish. Take the time to clean, patch, and prime.
- Clashing Patterns: While mixing patterns is encouraged, ensure there’s a unifying element, like a shared color palette (our cranberry, gold, and olive) or a consistent style (rustic, Nordic).
Storing Your Seasonal Treasures
When the season ends, carefully fold your fabric items and store them in airtight, clearly labeled plastic bins or canvas bags to protect them from dust and pests. These can be tucked away in a closet, under a bed, or in an attic. Any framed wallpaper panels can be wrapped in tissue paper and stored flat. By choosing well-made, seasonal pieces, your rustic reindeer dining room will be a joy to unpack and display for many years to come.
