When something in your home is taking up bandwidth in your brain then you need to do something about it. That was the case with our dining room table. It is an heirloom table from Grandma GG from the 1940's and we absolutely loved it's classic lines but the the high maintenance wood table top looked pretty bad most of the time and the Duncan Phyfe chairs that came with it weren't downright uncomfortable. We found ourselves eating at the table less and less which is pretty unusual for our family.
My frugalista solution was to repaint it black and put a coating on top that I could easily wipe down with a wet cloth. I also purchased slipcovered upholstered dining chairs. They are waaaaaay more comfortable and we now linger at the table and talk again! The other reason I went for slipcovered dining room chairs is well because.....maple syrup. You see, maple syrup is a thing in our house and my 6 year old daughter manages to get it everywhere. That's okay, she's 6. I don't want to stress about maple syrup on expensive dining chairs so for this season of our life, that's what works for our family. Function comes first when you're redesigning a space. Okay, so ready for some before and afters?
My dining room was soooooo ugly when we initially looked at this house. How ugly was it Rachel? Well, you be the judge! This is how it looked at our walk through. Gorgeous, right? I mean, who doesn't love droopy lace valances? Just sayin'.
What a difference, right? Here's what I did:
- My husband refinished the floors in a walnut stain
- I painted the walls grey
- Added new trim in a bright glossy white
- Added new curtain panels
- Repainted the dining table
- Added upholstered chairs
I kept this space neutral because I like to play with different colorful table top accessories throughout the year.
I think my favorite part is how shiny the brass eagle claws turned out after my husband cleaned them up for me. By the way, meet Radar Love, our cat who refused to let me photograph this space without him.
You see??!!
Yeah, I see you there, Radar Love.
Speaking of dining rooms....is yours ready for the holidays? Check out my services tab or contact me and we can go over your project needs. I can do personal shopping for your space, weekend restyle or a total redesign.