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I know I say this every time I finish up a big project, but I REALLY feel like this is my favorite weekend warrior project to date!! (Partly because it’s done, partly because I had so much fun working on it with my dad, but MOSTLY because I’m OBSESSSSEEEDDDDDDD with my new dining room!). Here’s a reminder of what the room looked like for the past 3 years… And here’s what it looks like now:
SAYYY WHAATTTTTT?! Can you even believe it’s the same space?! Since we have an open concept in our house, literally the whole house feels different now that this room is done. Everything seems brighter, cleaner, just more “finished” than it did before.
Let’s review the to-do list we started with from this post:
Dining Room To-Do List:
DIY Board & Batten(Dining Room Progress here, tutorials here & here)Hang Curtains(Used the same EXACT curtains as Casey did in her bedroom & used her tutorial to hem them to fit my space) <– thanks Case!- Find New Rug (I ended up not buying a new rug because the one I had looked worked in the new space far better than I thought it would. I actually scored this rug from GOODWILL a few months ago. #score)
Add new seating to brighten the space(let’s get back to this in a second because we need to have a serious chat more about how much I LOVE these new chairs)- Revamp the bar cart (Still on the to-do list…. after the holidays hopefully)
- Accessorize (TBD)
This project is probably one of our biggest yet and definitely took some hard work. My dad and I put in two FULL weekends and worked on it after work a few days. For the exact measurements, the paint colors, and the step-by-step of the board and batten, check out this post. We ended up having to take off the old baseboard and shoe and replace all of that, which was tedious and took some time. We (aka my dad) also had to prime/patch the walls, which also took more time than expected.
Once the dust settled (literally), my mom came over and she & I cleaned the whole house, put back all of the furniture, and tackled the DIY curtains. Like I mentioned in the to-do list, I used the exact IKEA curtains that Casey hung in her bedroom (without the black-out layer of course). I also used her tutorial to hem my curtains (great advice, Casey!!).
The no-sew curtains were a tad tedious because we wanted the measurements to be exact but because it was NO SEW and there were two of us, we were able to tackle it in about an hour or so. Plus, these curtains cost less than $40 <— a win in my playbook.
I went with this dark curtain rod from ATG because it was sleek, simple and the color was similar to my kitchen color. Plus, the dark rod added some serious contrast to the light curtains and bright room. But before I was completely sold on a bold rod, I hemmed and hawed before settling on that one. I talked to Casey about it and she reassured me that I HAD to go with a dark rod… she told me that a rod is like the “eyeliner of the window”. Ugh… GENIUS! Why didn’t I see it that way before?! When I looked it at that way, I was immediately sold on the dark, contrasting rod and now looking back, she couldn’t have been more right. Team dark rods for this rookie!
Now, we HAVE to chat about these chairs… ya know the ones that are a total GAME-CHANGER in this space. I’ve had the hardest time trying to decide what kind of chairs I wanted for this space. To be perfectly honest, not finding the perfect chair was a factor that delayed me from even starting this project. I had SUCH a hard time finding something I loved. I have bought SEVERAL sample chairs to bring home and put in the space, all of which have never felt “right” to me. Until now.
I saw these chairs on ATG’s website (wow… what a selection of affordable decor!!) and loved the fact that they were white, bright and would eliminate that dreaded “matchy-matchy” look I hated so much. But I was still hesitant. Were they too different? Would they be too short? Were they too modern for this traditional table? HELP!!
I measured the table, stalked the customer reviews/dimension details and finally decided that I needed to at least try them. Plus, they came completely assembled so I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about building them for hours and hours and hours (a great selling point when trying to convince the hubby that buying chairs that didn’t match the table was actually a great idea. #uphillbattle)
They arrived on my doorstep in three HUGE boxes a few days later and from the second I saw them next to the table, I was smitten! The contrast, the white, the less overwhelming height in my small space…. all of it just WORKED. Again, I stepped outside my comfort zone a tad and I am SO glad that I did because they make such.a.difference. Plus, they’re even more comfortable than the old chairs (another selling point for Matt)I’m just so happy about how the space turned out. I visualized this room for a long time, sketched a ton of “looks” and even made a few mood boards but wow, the real thing is SO much better than I anticipated. The room is finally feeling more like “us” and finally fitting in with the rest of the house.
After getting the dining room finished, I was inspired to add a little bit more of those sleek, modern, mid-century vibes into more of our home. I saw this chair while I was shopping for dining room chairs on ATGstores.com and I knew it would be the perfect complement to the new look. It’s so cozy yet still very sleek. And I feel like it totally complements the brown + white + mid-century modern feel of the dining room. Again, this piece was a tad outside my comfort zone but I’m so glad I took a little design risk.
Dad,
Thank YOU for pouring your time and love into this project. Not only am I obsessed with everything about the new look, I am so proud knowing that WE tackled it together. Now, I think I owe you dinner in this new space. I’ll order in some food, and we can chat about our next project. hahaha #seriouslythough
Bridget
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