Hi friends! If you've just arrived from visiting Corinna's boho bungalow at A Designer At Home for the Blogger Stylin' Home Tours, welcome! Isn't her place the coolest?! If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me fill you in really quick: I'm participating in a blog hop 'work and play' series this week with 29 fellow bloggers! Our talented, (and organized!!!), host is our sweet friend and fellow style mutt, Lindsay, over at The White Buffalo Styling Co., (you may remember her home when we featured her as a Friday Reader Design!). If this is your first time here we are so happy you've come by! My name is Chelsea and my incredible sister-in-law, Cate, and I started StyleMutt Home a year and a half ago after refinishing furniture, (and our homes), for years! Just like a beloved mixed-breed pup, "style mutt" is an affectionate nickname for those of us who enjoy an eclectic mix and appreciate various decor styles. You pickin' up what I'm throwin' down? Good! Let's get this tour started!

When Lindsay gave us the theme of Work & Play I knew our dining room would be just the space for this tour. This is the room in our home where kids crafts and article writing happen simultaneously. Where the lighting is just right for me to take stock photos and the kids can work on their handwriting right behind me. Where there is a large enough surface space to pull out finger paint, construction paper, glue, stickers and go to town - because what's a dining table other than a massive surface space for crafts?! Here, let me show you the space in it's early morning 'sleeping' state - before it's busy with little bodies who have places to go and things to do! (We have three little ones 16 months apart from 1st to last - boy/girl twins and then a wonderful surprise boy).

The dining room is open to our living room and the two rooms flow from one to the other so well, especially with all the light coming in from both sides!

And around the corner is our kitchen, so the dining room became a natural place for the kids to hang out anyways as I am easily accessible even when prepping/cooking meals.

Our industrial pipe shelves were the key that unlocked the potential of this space - when we were designing these shelves a couple years ago the most important thing was that they be uber functional. I wanted a desk space that was out in the open on our main floor so I could keep an eye on the crazyness. And I also really desired for the kids craft supplies to be out in the open for easy access when spontaneous inspiration strikes.

This table is hoppin' after school when the kids have finished their snack and linger around to draw or play together.

And it's not uncommon for a game of Go Fish to turn into BS. ;)

With the family computer here, I tend to sit and work on editing photos, write articles, or my kids can play some educational games.

I'd say this space blends work and play simultaneously and seamlessly.

Well, almost seamlessly...

Thank you all so much for coming by and touring our work and play worthy dining room! A source list will be at the very bottom for anyone interested, but a special thanks to four special people for making this space so much fun: Colin, (6), Shire, (6), Mason, (5), and my dear husband Matt.

Next stop on this Blogger Stylin' Home Tour is my friend Eileen over at A Creative Day! You'll love seeing the colorful space this fellow Momma of twins has picked to share for the 'work & play' theme!

Interested in catching the rest of the Work & Play tours? Here is the line up of the whole week!

Monday, April 18th:
The White Buffalo Styling Co.
Emily A. Clark
Cuckoo 4 Design
Bliss at Home
Iron & Twine
Nesting with Grace
Tuesday, April 19th:
Place of My Taste
The Chronicles of Home
Life on Virginia Street
Bright Green Door
Our Storied Home
WithHEART
Wednesday, April 20th:
The Wicker House
Primitive & Proper
DesignPost Interiors
My Fabuless Life
The House of Silver Lining
Thursday, April 21st:
Thistlewood Farms\
Simple Stylings
Restless Arrow
Katie Gavigan Interiors
Hi Sugarplum
Friday, April 22nd:
The Décor Fix
A Designer at Home|
Style Mutt Home
A Creative Day Blog
Style Your Senses

Dining Room Source List:
Table: World Market, Garner Extension Table
Metal Chairs: Restoration Hardware, Remi Chair (these were on sale when we bought them, so keep checking the site as they may drop again periodically)
Table Runner: Target
Curtains: Urban Outfitters
Mirror: Ross

We like to celebrate Friday's a little special around here - by featuring YOU! We've got a hot n' ready now Reader Design for you today from the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington! Our girl Brit is a fellow style mutt who is maintaining the character of her 1924 home, but mixing in some funky modern day elements making it dance with character!

From Brit:

We live in a 1924 home in Seattle. When we bought it, two sisters had been living here together for nearly 50 years. Many rooms were stuck in the 60s and 70s and we've been spending the last 5 years eradicating pink carpeted bathrooms, turning a second kitchen back into a bedroom, tearing down walls, building built-ins, and generally using every tool available to make our house a fun spot to raise our family and entertain.

I'm actually horrible at finding great finds in thrift stores or online, so end up making a lot of custom pieces of furniture or built-ins to really make our spaces work for us. Ikea-hack is my middle name! Our most recent project was finishing our dining room, where we paired our very traditional black table with lighter, more modern chairs, a modern light fixture, and colorful art. This room, along with every other one in the house, has got fun finds and DIY elements - including our DIY buffet!

For our kids, we really try to keep their spaces especially playful. We recently updated my son's room and also carved out an art and play area in the basement. Maybe a little color overload in those spots, but we really try to give our kids what they want and they do love color.

With two young kids, we are inspired to really make our home work for us. Function is always our top priority but making it look good is a close second. Over the years we've been working on blending our home's traditional style with brighter and more modern features. We already had a similar look in our master bedroom; we added another colorful kilim, and used beadboard for the walls and ceilings.

Overall, we hope to make our home a place where no one feels too formal, where kids, (and adults), can put their feet on the furniture and feel relaxed.

Well, that's all I feel like doing in this beautiful home! A huge thank you to our lovely hostess du jour, Brit! You can follow more of her Ikea hacking, DIYing and design adventures on her blog, House Updated, and @houseupdated on Instagram!

We totally want to see you rockin' your stuff so get those home and room submissions in by posting your own photos to our Facebook wall, or tagging #stylemuttspaces on Instagram! We'll contact you then about featuring you for a Reader Design! All these delicious tours are collected on our SPACES page for hours of inspiration covering many styles of design from around the world!

Thank you guys so much for stopping by! Have a splendid weekend!