Remodeled and Beautifully Decorated Dining Room
But if you’d declined, and we rescheduled for a few months later, you would’ve enjoyed a much finer dining experience: something microwaved, enjoyed from the futon in our bedroom, because that was the only room with real chairs.
If you’d been smart enough to postpone once again, we would’ve greatly upgraded your quality of food (well, not that greatly – I’m still figuring out this cooking thing) and served from our couch and ottoman downstairs.
But today! Today we would feast from an actual table and actual chairs in an actual dining room, like grown-ups!
And of course, when it’s just Andy and me, we always take our meals in the dining room, and never on the couch anymore. *Cough.*
But why would we have avoided the dining room in the beginning? Because it looked like this:
Gleaming brass chandelier, wallpaper remnants clinging to the walls, unsanitary carpet underfoot, and glorious popcorn ceilings.
From mid-demo: most of the wallpaper was gone, carpeting ripped up and popcorn ceilings removed.
Shortly after: my dad helped us install and paint the picture molding around the bottom of the room and the upgraded crown molding at the top. Then everyone put the pressure on me to choose a paint color.
We already know I suffer from a debilitating inability to make any decisions when it comes to paint, so I don’t know why my husband or family expected the dining room to look any different than it does in the picture above: a virtual patchwork quilt of paint samples, as I’ve made it my personal goal to keep the local paint stores in business.
The dining room had about eight different paint colors for a few months, I think, until I finally settled on “Deep Caviar,” a dark, mysterious color that no one can define. (Some people swear its purple, others say blue or black, but I think it’s a very dark brown. You be the judge.)
Meanwhile, we installed flooring…
… replaced the windows, and added new window treatments and a chandelier.
Time out while we talk about this chandelier. It’s another example of internet stalking: I saw it online, LOVED it, tried hard not to love it and find an acceptable replacement, failed, and bought it. I got a fantastic deal, but honestly? I’m taking this baby with me if/when I move. I don’t know what it is about it, but I hear angels sing when I look at it.
So here’s the dining room, with everything complete!
I like a dark, cozy dining room, and this room could handle the dark paint because it gets lots of light from its two windows. I also like a dining room where you can sit for hours chatting long after the food is cold and dessert is gone, without squirming in uncomfy chairs. I snagged these chairs at (where else?) HomeGoods.
The rug came from there, too, and this is a great example of my decision-making process, when it comes to things for the house.
Most things I’ve chosen for the house have gone through these seven stages, which you’ll also recognize as the seven stages of grief:
- Shock and Denial. (What was I thinking?!)
- Pain and Guilt. (I can’t believe I spent good money on that. I should return it.)
- Anger and Bargaining. (Usually a period when I try to return the item, or decide that it’s too late to return it.)
- Depression, Reflection, Loneliness. (I isolate myself and retreat to dark, quiet place for months at a time, emerging only to go stare at the item and seethe.)
- The Upward Turn. (Who cares. It’s just a stupid rug/couch/paint color/house. And it does the job.)
- Reconstruction, and working through. (…and it might not be the WORST thing ever.)
- Acceptance and Hope. (I can’t return it anyway.)
Actually, the list of purchases I’ve made that HAVEN’T gone through various stages of regret is VERY short. The powder room vanity. The dining room chandelier. The kitchen backsplash. I think that’s it.
But back to the dining room:
I hate that this shot is so dark! I’m still figuring out this photography thing. Anyway, one more angle!
I still want to add a buffet and something sparkly to the wall where the two pieces of art are now, and some more art on the other wall, and I’m still playing with the idea of painting the ceiling, but it’s definitely usable and open for that dinner party we were planning. 🙂
Cassity Kmetzsch started Remodelaholic after graduating from Utah State University with a degree in Interior Design. Remodelaholic is the place to share her love for knocking out walls, and building everything back up again to not only add function but beauty to her home. Together with her husband Justin, they have remodeled 6 homes and are working on a seventh. She is a mother of four amazing girls. Making a house a home is her favorite hobby.
>beautiful! I wish I had the guts to paint my walls a dark color!! I also love the comfy chairs… Congratulations! it's looks wonderful!
>This is absolutely gorgeous. The wainscoting really balances the Mystery Color well, and I *love* imagining a cozy dinner party in those great chairs! Totally worth dining on a futon for a while.
>This is beyond beautiful – I'll come over for dinner any time 🙂 Love it!
>I absolutely adore this dining room! The chandelier was the best choice. Well worth the money!
>Beautiful! What a change. LOVE the flooring!
>I love this dining room. I've wanted to paint my dining room a chocolate brown too…but too scared for now. Love the chandelier as well.
>I really like the colour and I am usually a fan of white/nearly white diningrooms. The curtains are fantastic!!! I love your stages of grief. I hate spending money especially when I don't feel I have gotten a good deal. I usually want try to talk it out with my husband who frankly could care less if the curtains look too starched. He usually tells me to keep everything just because he hates the return lines.
>I love the color, especially with the molding. You did a great job. 🙂
>This turned out perfectly! When your family is sitting there enjoying a lovely meal in there any regrets will disappear! Enjoy it!
>You did a great job! That wall color reminds me of Mary Carol Garrity's dining room in her home (Nell Hills…do you know about this wonderful lady?) I know what you mean by being indecisive about a wall color…I've been trying to decide on wall colors for a guest room and sun room for over a year! I think I've decided on a color for the guest room but not the sun room….oh well.
Hugs!
Judy
>OOOh! Love it! Can I ask where the pictures came from? or the name of them or the artist or anything? They are beautiful and I love branches/flowers and mmmmm, they are lovely…
>Great job…so warm and cozy
>Your DR looks great! Your mystery color looks dark blue on my monitor. And I love the rug!
Oh,and I nominated Remodelaholic for the Homies a few days ago- good luck! 🙂
>Gorgeous! I agree 100% with comfy chairs! I have similar chairs, be they are bark brown leather. I think I heard a high C note ♪ when I saw the Chandelier! LOVE IT…I refurbished mine! It was very similar to the one you took down! Then I painted it white, went to the craft store and bought a glass string of crystal beads, and ordered hanging glass tear drops and attached them with fish wire! (It is not as glamorous as yours, but I love it!)
>Simply STUNNING! I agree it is a deep rich brown color. As for the sparkly bits on the wall with the art work, have you thought about two simple sconce lights with small coordinating shades and a bit of dangling crystal? I've seen some on the market. Oh and put them all on dimmers along with the chandalier. The mood lighting with candles would make for an elegant dinner party.
Just lovely!
Marie
>I think it's lovely. Love the dark walls with the fabulous crown moulding. And I really like the rug. I think it looks nice.
>Thanks everyone for all the sweet comments! Marie, I think you're exactly right about some sparkly sconces! The way you talk about it with the dimmers has me ready to run out and find some RIGHT THIS SECOND. 🙂
Thank you Cassity for the feature!
>Stunning.
>Hey, what a great remodel and what a great blog! I am glad I found you. I like the dining room floor the best in this post. GORGEOUS! Also, the dark walls are very dramatic! I am now following you on Google Friend Connect which I JUST added to my blog "Currently Chic". Would love to have you stop by and follow us too!
https://currentlychic.com
Thanks! See you soon!
CC
>I love it! I'm working on a family room that also gets a lot of light. We painted it a warm brown and at first I was worried that it would be too dark. We have a lot of windows in that room, and it could handle the dark color. We love Home Goods too! Great Blog!