This Old House - CambridgeScandinavian Dining Room, Boston

“The owners really wanted an openness to the house,” says Elms. “The living room, dining room and kitchen are all open to each other, with the kitchen being at the front of the home.” At the center point lies the dining room, featuring a midcentury table the couple bought some time ago. It’s enlivened with creamy-hued Windsor-style chairs.“There are bay windows around the house, and we added window seats in all of them,” says Elms. “This is a perfect place to perch, and during holiday meals you can push the table toward it and have kids use it as banquet seating. It also has the benefit of drawer storage beneath.”Dining room chairs: Mitchell Gold

Prepare your kitchen and breakfast space. If you wake to a messy kitchen and breakfast area with old papers strewn about, you’re not going to feel motivated to cook a real breakfast, especially when you’re in a hurry. Before bed make sure all the dishes are done, the breakfast table is clean and clear, and your breakfast supplies are at the ready. Add something to the area to catch your eye in the morning and entice you to sit down, like a pitcher of flowers, a pretty pillow or a new art print.

Go ahead, pair it with country chairs. The Danish modern dining table can take it.

If You Crave an Energizing Space That Will Lift Your MoodIf your morning spot of choice is the kitchen, it is especially important to commit to clearing away dirty dishes and clutter the night before, so you can wake to a fresh space. Set up your coffee or tea station and place cut flowers on the table, and you will feel ready to tackle the day.

With crisp, smooth planes and pale paint, these chairs have a Scandinavian sensibility. They'd look perfect in a midcentury modern interior, refreshing in a sweet cottage and ultrasleek in a traditional setting.

Like the pillows, table, chairs