Finding Home Again: Creating a Warm, Welcoming Dining Room After a Big Move

I love following design blogs — but here’s the thing: I am not a designer. Well, maybe that’s not fair. I’m okay at it. But I still love trying to create a warm and welcoming space.

For me, it’s never been about having the perfect aesthetic. It’s about creating a cozy place where people feel safe, seen, and welcome.

When we listed our tiny New Jersey home for sale (and got forty offers 🤯), everyone who walked through said the same thing: “This place just feels like home.” My realtor even told me how much joy it brought her to show the house — despite the kitchen the size of a closet and a bathroom so small your leg touched the door when it was closed. Space was tight, but it still wrapped people in warmth.

Now here we are in South Carolina, in a home nearly four times the size — and somehow, I’m still figuring out how to make it feel like “us.” I’m so grateful for this space. It’s beautiful, and for the first time, we have a dining room that can actually fit our family without bumping elbows.

In our old home, we’d squeeze in chairs, extend the table to the front door, and laugh our way through birthday dinners. The kitchen was so small only one person could stand beside me while cooking, but we made it work. Still, I dreamed of a space where everyone could gather comfortably — and now I have it.

But here’s the funny thing: even though I can decorate it now, I’m scared I’ll mess it up. Isn’t that how life goes sometimes? We pray for more room, and then when God gives it, we freeze — afraid we’ll fill it wrong.

But that’s what this blog is all about: jumping in, trying things, making mistakes, learning, and trying again. Creating a home — or a life — that feels like “us” takes time, grace, and a little bit of courage to start.

Ok so, here is the space. It’s fairly large. The curtains are there temporarily, we’ll get french doors in time to separate my husband’s office.