Have you ever started a project with the perfect vision in your head and the reality turns out completely different? That room for me was my dining room. thought I could do a quick update and add some charcoal paint to the walls, change the chairs, art and curtains and be done. Nope. Does that ever actually happen? As usual, one thing lead to the next and I was knee deep in a million projects and a complete overhaul. At the end of the day it was SO worth it. Every time I look at this room, I’m happy I took the plunge. This was my dining room before:
Not the worst thing ever, just not the look I wanted anymore. Was it the “perfect” time to start? No, but I really wanted to update the feel of the room and since it’s one of the first spaces you see when you enter our home, “now” turned out to be the only option. The dining room hasn’t really been touched since shortly after we moved in and it was time for a change. The hard thing about making the decision was removing the drapes. Simple enough project, but a little difficult emotionally. My Mom and I made them together and it is one of the last items she made that is still in the house.
Once I convinced myself to go for it, I had a vision of a modern traditional space with a few pops of color. I knew I wanted the walls to be dark and dramatic, almost black and emerald green chairs. I feel in love with these chairs, but y’all, I’m cheap. Like squeaky tight with money. I do splurge on quality, timeless items here and there, but let’s face it, emerald green chairs are not timeless.
I went for it and painted Sherwin Williams Iron Ore on an accent wall and under the chair rail and voila, easy peasy… Nope, not the way it turned out… It wasn’t enough, not the real POP I was looking for so I decided to go all in and paint everything. Ugh, why didn’t I take a pic? Trust me, it was still, blah and I HATED the way the china cabinet stood out. The medium grey of the cabinet made it a focal point and I really wanted it to blend in.
I love the look of modern dining rooms without a china cabinet, but that doesn’t work for our lifestyle. For starters, I have 2 sets of fine china and I refuse to keep it in the attic! What to do, what to do… Only one solution, paint it. I grabbed my paint supplies and dove in. The lines of the cabinet were great, not a strong farmhouse vibe, so I was hopeful it would work out. I also had some wallpaper on hand from Target and used it to brighten the interior. I will add a tutorial for china cabinet makeover soon.
It’s hard not to notice the green chairs, another DIY project to transform the space. All in all, even with the bumps in the road, it wasn’t difficult. All it took was some sweat equity and about $300. In the end it’s a great mix of modern and traditional, dark and moody, yet bright. Crazy, right?
Random fact, my husband made this table when we moved into house and I am not sure I will ever be able to part ways with it. I’m a lucky gal ❤️
In the end, I love the way everything turned out. I can officially say the dining room project is checked off the list… for now. Let me know your thoughts!
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I dont think you gave enough credit to your husband on the table. Does he have a blog we can follow. AMAZING!!!
So true, Adam never gets enough credit, lol!
This room is beautiful! I have too many favorite parts!!
Awe, thanks Leslie!