When blogger and decorating pro Kate Dreyer set out to redecorate her dining room, she knew she wanted a few specific things. First: She wanted the space to pull double duty as a craft room for her two kids when not being used for entertaining a crowd. And second: She wanted to bring in bright, sunny vacation vibes and punch up the space with a bold blue hue. Enter Summer Friday, a breezy medium blue that helped Kate pull off the blue dining room of her dreams.

Ready to learn how she did it? We caught up with Kate to get all the details—including tips for making your space work as a craft room too!—in our Q&A below.

Tell us about your style! How would you describe your aesthetic, and the look of your blue dining room?

"I’m a firm believer that you should decorate your home in a way that makes YOU happy. And bright colors and patterns bring me so much joy! When we set out to redecorate our dining room, I wanted to not only bring the look in line with the rest of our first floor but also wanted to make it feel like (and remind us of) a fun summer vacation. That’s why I leaned into bright, saturated colors and lots of colorful and meaningful artwork with our redesign.”

How did you land on Summer Friday as your color?

“I knew I wanted a blue color in our dining room to evoke water or air, but blue paint samples I’d picked up in the past always felt like they weren’t quite the right shade. I examined true baby blues, gray blues, and green blues, and none of those were exactly what I was going for. So I purchased a sample of Clare’s Summer Friday and the rest was history.

Using Summer Friday as a backdrop for the room felt like the perfect primer for achieving the beachy, bright, laid-back look I wanted. It’s just saturated enough to add some personality, but doesn’t overwhelm the space.”

Why did you combine your dining room and craft room? How did you pull it off?

“We have several places to eat in our kitchen, which means that we don’t often need to use our dining room unless we’re hosting a lot of family and friends. I still very much wanted that seating for holidays, yet also wanted to find a more regular use for the space.

During the pandemic when there was craft overload at our house, it dawned on me: The 90” dining table was perfect for LEGO building and art projects. And with some smart storage options, I could easily keep paints, markers, and craft kits contained and out of sight when we weren’t using them.

Aside from painting the walls, what else did you do to upgrade this space?

“Many of the big elements of this room have stayed the same over the years. For example, I’ve owned the chandelier and dining table for 10+ years, and when I redecorate I usually focus on updating the smaller decor elements. For this particular makeover, I did purchase new dining chairs that I felt would stand up well to kids and crafting, and we also bought a vintage sideboard that I absolutely love from a local business.”

How did you make your blue dining room feel in sync with the rest of your home?

“When it comes to our first floor, I try to build each room around the same (or at least a similar) color palette. I mostly go for blues and greens, with some pops of pink and orange. Natural woods are a must, plus other textures like cane and rattan. I always add a dash of black too—I think it makes my casual style feel just a bit more refined.”

What are a few of your top tips for incorporating color at home?

“Start small by incorporating several shades of the same color in a room. Blue or green are usually the easiest to begin with if you’re not as confident when it comes to using color in your home. When it comes to blue, think shades of navy, cobalt or sky blue. Or if you’re a green person, try jade green, citron or moss. Using different shades of the same color is easier on the senses, so it’s a good strategy for wading into the wonderful world of colorful decorating.”

Find Kate on Instagram @kate_decorates and on her website here.