Dining Room Makeover – The Reveal

Dining Room Makeover – the Big Reveal.  Finally!!!

We actually eat every meal in the dining room —  unless we can be outside on the deck.  Plus our dining room is used for  phone conversations, relaxing, studying, paying an odd bill, meetings with a salesperson or a club committee, . . . and just hanging out.  The dining room provides a bit of privacy and space to spread out that isn’t found anywhere else in the house in just the right combination.   If one of us has visitor/s, we can have coffee and conversation without disturbing the rest of the occupants.  And that’s even more important when one or more of the occupants is sleeping because of an off hours work schedule or is meeting a deadline on a laptop somewhere else in the house. 

How to do a dining room makeover that made a hospitable but unobtrusive background when eating and entertaining, yet still acknowledged the use as a semi retreat? 

I decided the keyword was serene.   I already had chosen the colors  and they fit the serene mood perfectly.  The turquoise is  Sunken Pool from Martha Stewart  and the grayed white trim and bottom is Vapor, also Martha Stewart.   I decided to keep a  limited color palette playing off those two colors.  Here’s the results of our dining room makeover in everyday dress!

Seated in front of the south window looking toward the kitchen.  The chair belonged to Wheels great grandfather.  It’s around 150 years old.  It’s petite size makes it perfect for grade schoolers – although it was meant for adults!  The beautiful Ethan Allen buffet/server was a tag sale purchase for about $75.   The heavy ornate framed mirror above was a housewarming gift from Wheels’ parents when we bought our first house.  It was originally gold framed, but a little silver spray paint upped the serene factor. 

I like the smooth white of the salt and pepper shakers against the crazing of the turquoise pot (and those cute little “faces”).  This is an attempt at practical decorating.  We have an ongoing saga with salt and pepper shakers around here and how to keep them accessible without being hidden from the visual (gotta see it or it doesn’t exist) people in the house.  The chief problem is how to keep the guys from bringing in the kitchen shakers – which then aren’t available when the cook needs them.  This is solution #1567bd and by far the most attractive.  Hopefully it is the one that works!! 

Looking toward the hallway and living room to the west.  We added the chair rail and then the picture frame moulding to give the boxy room a little architectural interest.  We bought the painting when we first moved into this house.   It was used in different rooms with very different schemes including colors like cream, celery, gray, coral, butter yellow.   Every time, it looked like it was painted for that room, just like it does now with the turquoise.  Amazingly, it is one piece  I have never altered in any way! 

This garage sale buy is huge and hangs on the opposite wall.  It has been altered.   I originally planned to put the buffet under it so it hangs off toward one side of the wall.  Bytes suggested we turn the table the other way and move the buffet under the mirror.  The wall is only a foot longer from east to west but turning the table so its length followed the length of the room made a difference in the visual flow.  I left the picture off center because it is balanced by the height of the corner cabinet on the same wall. 

The small corner hutch with its mirrored back holds  pieces from grandparents and great grandparents – and some things I just like! 

The curtains were off the shelf and fit into the color scheme perfectly without being matchy matchy.  The color has a green tone to it that is different from the turquoise but blends so well!  I like that the sheers have a bit of pattern in gold.  It doesn’t shout ‘look at me” when pulled across the window, but adds subtle interest.  Both sets of curtains easily pull open so we can adjust as needed  to account for light, heat and privacy.

On the other side of the window, stands this little chest.  It’s another tag sale find and adds storage for things like napkins,  phone chargers and stuff.  The lamp shades are from Hobby Lobby.  I grabbed them and ran to the cash register the minute I saw them.  Perfect!!!!    They have a chocolate sheen to the fabric that plays off the bronzy finish of the lamp. The twin is on the buffet.    LOVE them!!!  The turquoise vase (flea market 25 cents) was purchased as a prop for a Bible play  (it looks a little like one of those eras, doesn’t it?)  The carriage clock is a Herman Miller from a tag sale for about $2 – Wheels made it work.  I love how its hydrangea pattern works with contents of the vase.  The heavy Eiffel Tower is a reminder of our weekend in Paris (sounds romantic and jet set – so not – lol! )   The picture above is collage drawing of the London skyline from our visit there.  I painted the outside mat a deeper turquoise and fitted it all into the matte silver frame.  Can you tell I like this  corner?   

The room needed something to draw the eye upward.  The crown moulding certainly helped.   I avoided the traditional tall and heavy china closet.    They are tall – no flat surface for display or  setting things – and heavy – not needed in a boxy room – and well, you know,  traditional.   Instead we painted the center of the ceiling a softer version of the wall color with a tinge of green thrown in and framed it with white trim.  Then added an oversize chandelier and ceiling medallion. 

Come on over and enjoy the serene surroundings!  There’s iced tea in the refrigerator and cookies in the cupboard.  I’d love to sit and have a chat!!  

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