Winter Boulangerie Inspired Dining Room

Every winter, I get the urge to bake. Bread, rolls, cookies, you name it…the chilly weather leaves me longing for cozy warmth and delicious smells in our home. This season, I went an extra step, and I brought baking right into our decor!

Over Christmas, you might remember that I decorated our living room with a vintage French farmhouse aesthetic as a tribute to Rob’s family heritage. Having our decor represent the story of our family is something that’s become more and more important to me over the years.

It’s not enough for a space to be beautiful–I want it to be meaningful, as well.

{Related: A French Farmhouse Christmas}

Isn’t that what home should really be about? The story of your family and life, told through the objects that hold special significance and evoke meaningful memories.

After the holidays, as I redecorated for wintertime, I decided to combine my craving to bake with a nod to all things French once again. This time, it was in our breakfast nook!

{Related: After-Christmas Winter Decorating}

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Boulangerie vs Pâtisserie

In France, there is an important distinction between a boulangerie and a pâtisserie. The latter is a pastry shop that offers sweet treats and decadent desserts. Believe it or not, there is actually a law in France that to refer to your bakery as a pâtisserie, you must employ licensed maître pâtissier (master pastry chefs).

A boulangerie, on the other hand, is where bread is baked, such as the most popular of all French-style bread, the baguette. A boulangerie can also sell pâtisserie, but the reverse is never true.

The Design

Because our breakfast nook design centered around the idea of a boulangerie, I made sure that there were many baking and kitchen tools sprinkled throughout the space. A French flower bucket filled with vintage rolling pins is nestled beside my bakers rack where I store all of my cookbooks.

Also within the shelves I included flour and sugar canisters, an antique kitchen scale, a white pitcher filled with my collection of old wooden spoons, and old spice bottles.

My enamel bakery sign was a focal point on the wall, but by itself, it didn’t have enough of an impact. I decided to repurpose an old, chippy frame I’d pick up and stored years ago. It turned out to be the perfect size to hang over the top of my bakery sign and add a little extra focus to my art.

I also scored a lovely pediment from a garage sale a while back, knowing that I’d eventually find the ideal place to hang it. I can rarely pass up a piece of architectural salvage!

The dimensions turned out to be the perfect width for the wall and the frame below it, and it helped to add some much need height to please the eye.

This habit of bringing home pieces of decor that I don’t quite know how I’ll eventually use has become quite common for me. If it’s something I really love, and it’s unique enough, I don’t necessarily have to know where it will go in order to buy it.

It might even end up in a storage box for many months, which could seem to some like a waste to some…but eventually, I’ll know where it’s meant to live in our home, and I’ve always been grateful that I didn’t pass up a treasure simply for lack of vision at the time.

As we begin a new year, and new decade, I’ve really been craving simplicity within our living spaces. For that reason, I chose to keep our tablescape a bit more understated and modest.

Topping a wooden baguette board I used to maintain my French bakery theme are two small pine trees and a single pillar candle in a rustic hurricane atop a stack of old books. The centerpiece is anchored by a simple and crisp white linen vintage table cloth that is the perfect size to use as a runner.

We’re truly loving our cozy breakfast nook this winter as a calm place to gather and enjoy our meals each day. The fact that it brings in family heritage and history with the vintage and French touches makes it even more meaningful.

Would you love to break bread here too? We’re so grateful to have you at our table each day, friends!