Inspired by DIY challenge is back for another great year of DIYs and decorating tips inspired by your favorite designers.   I’m thrilled that our lovely hostess Jess from Domicile 37 has asked me to help co host this year and we are being joined with an amazing team of talented ladies!  

Our first inspired by DIY challenge is featuring my favorite movie film maker, Wes Anderson. If you aren’t familiar with his name you might recognize titles like The Royal Tenenbaums or Moonrise Kingdom.  His interiors and cinematography have a distinctive style and we are so excited to share DIYs and decorating tips to help you get the Wes Anderson look.

Wes Anderson Inspired Dining Room

with movie influence from Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Wes Anderson Inspiration

One thing I love about his movie sets and cinematography is Wes’ use of color and color blocking.  His shots are either monochromatic or uses a signature color palette with the same color intensities.  The colors are usually solid and have distinct separation.  

Image: Buena Vista Pictures via Film Grab

Image:  20th Century Fox via Film Grab

The dining room makeover in Wes Anderson style

Our dining room is a traditional Japanese tatami room.  The walls are made of sand (which makes it difficult to hang things.  The architecture includes a natural wood beam, decorative molding, paper shoji screens, and a beautiful wood plank ceiling.  Needless to say, I prefer bright-white interiors to a room full of earth tones but looking to Wes Anderson for inspiration has made me appreciate this room even more.  

The major focal point in the room is this alcove where I put our thrifted Chinese eterege.

Here’s what I started with..

and after I gave it  “Wes Anderson” style.

So much color! Love it.

To achieve the color-blocking, I started by creating two art pieces with construction paper in warm hues.  I cut out geometric shapes and assembled them with craft tape.  I also love to color block my books! 

My husband and I went thrift store shopping over the weekend and found pots to add more pops of orange/red and blue.  This one holds my collection of oriental fans. 

The turquoise pot is for bonsai but displays 100 yen store faux succulents for now.  To add a bit more blue, I backed the framed butterflies with construction paper.

The antique silver bowl holds vintage napkin rings and baskets on the bottom shelf hold table linens.

While we were at the thrift store, my husband found two types of shibori fabric.  I know, that man has a good eye!

First he found this indigo kanoko (tie-dye) shibori that I framed to use as art. 

He also found red silk shibori that was an obi (the piece of fabric that is used as a belt with a kimono).  I plan on making it into a table runner.  It’s beautiful.

The room has sliding doors on two walls that can be removed to open the space.  The house isn’t insulated so it’s necessary to have them closed in cold months to keep the heat in.

The rest of the main living area has white walls and lots of natural sunlight so the view into the dining room is cozy and warm.

So now you know that one way to achieve a Wes Anderson inspired room is to try color blocking!!   Just shop your house for a minimal color palette and make sure to have monochromatic groupings in each color.  

I was blown away by my friends’ Wes Anderson inspired projects and they all fantastic tips for creating his signature style.   Next on the list, is PMQ for Two. 

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