Hey friends! I'm back for another round of "before" sharing and decor idea brainstorming. Today we're talking about the dining room. I'll admit upfront that this is one of my most clueless rooms. I'm still not sure what we're doing with it. The possibilities are (SO) exciting, but the time to make choices, choose colors and commit to furniture is soon approaching. I'm excited to share my thoughts so far!
Photo above via Apartment 34. I absolutely love the mismatched metal chairs, wood table and string of twinkle lights!
Here's the way the dining room looked on closing day. It's a nice big space, with good windows and three doors going into the entryway, office room and kitchen. I know some of you are going to say to keep the color (it is pretty cute!), but the walls are actually super cracked in this room. We've had to do a lot of skim coating and also that border had to come down. With that said, I haven't picked out any colors for sure yet, but I want to do at least one wall with color in this space… or maybe the ceiling?
I'm looking forward to seeing how the built ins look with a fresh coat of white paint and the lace curtains removed. I'm thinking about painting the insides of the shelves black so that the dishware will pop!
I love the chandelier and I want to keep it, but I think it needs a little somethin'. After looking (for an undisclosed amount of time) at painted chandeliers on Pinterest I feel bright colors aren't the right move, but I'm still considering painting the metal a brighter gold, copper or white and possibly adding more crystals. It looks exactly like the one I have on my porch at home (which I love for the porch), so I want to somehow make this piece a little more cheerful or fancy. Thoughts?
I love the black and white walls in these two rooms (via SF Girl By Bay and Stacie Bloomfield featured here). A two tone wall is defintely an option.
One thing I am (mostly) sure about for this room is that we want to build bench style table. I love the the look and as much as I love shopping for chairs I think it'll be fun to try something different! This room is via The Design Files. I'm absolutely obsessed with every detail!
I can't wait to get started! xo. Elsie
ps. For more obsessive daily studio inspiration, follow me on Pinterest.
Credits // Author and Photography: Elsie Larson, Inspiration images are linked throughout.
Here’s the way the dining room looked on closing day
just posted an idea for your dinning room make-over on pinterest 😛
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125256433359940972/ 😉
oh my, that built in is the cutest! love love love it.
Another option for the back of the built ins is some nice wallpaper. Something cute and graphic print, like Orla Kiely style.
Following with interest.
I love the bench seat in the the last photo, the pop of pink lifts this from beautiful to extraordinary, and the 2 toned panelled walls are a classic. I also love that one of my fav blogs (ABM) is referencing one of other fav blogs (THe design files) which is all the way from my side of the world, Melbourne, Australia! Lucy (the founder) has an incredible eye, check out her TDF Open House idea, truly inspired!
This is going to be the perfect creative space for you guys. I can just tell.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
Hi, I follow your blog…but I think this is the first comment I have made…love the blog!
So the space…gosh it is great! my suggestions would be:
if you want to do black with your built in… I would get black poster board first…but it in…put you dishes in it to make sure you can see them…especially if there is no light in there… they say…light pink is the best to show off your china…(I collect china.
As for a table… love the idea…how about something rustic but industrial? That would look awesome! Love the chandelier! And I think you are right about the bright color…I think its a fade and chandeliers should be more of a tradition piece.. love the ideas for brightening it up!
And for a contrast wall… why not go chalkboard…if you don’t have one already…you could post your menu… or messages to your guests… then do a calming grey…with burst of color throughout.. just remember yellow makae you hungry…reds promote conversation….wow! Now I know why I don’t post… sorry for the long comment….just love the space!
I don’t know if they still have them, but IKEA used to sell colorful crystals that you can hang off of chandeliers. The ones i have are in blue, pink, purple and orange and they look just like the regular prisms, but in fun colors!
I hung them in my window ( Like in the movie Pollyanna) the look really pretty! IT might look neat to mix and match the colored and traditional ones!
For the chandelier, I love it!! But it almost seems too small for the space, may look into adding another piece above it to make the fixture better proportioned to the room. Love the idea of painting it a brighter gold/copper color!!!
Re: the chandelier, you could add sconces surrounding the “candlestick” bulbs – some kind of open topped, tulip shaped glass to cover the existing plastic and glass. You could add or change out the crystals to be something more colorful – colored crystals from a crystal shop, or bead store. You could replace the crystals with hanging beads in any array of design styles. Consider it a base for making a jewelry piece and hang whatever stones or objects you want. Could even extend the chandelier out to the various sides/corners of the room, with strings of tiny lights attached to each arm. Too fanciful for a dining room? I don’t know – I feel like you could pull it off.
For your chandelier…what about adding crystals in another color? If you are going with black walls, adding crystals in whatever accent color you use in that room would complement the clear crystals. And you could switch them out.
Hi! I saw a quick chandelier update idea on How About Orange: http://howaboutorange.blogspot.ca/2013/11/small-victories.html
She just swapped the light bulbs for some round ones, might be a first step for yours 🙂
Love your blog,
M
Love the little cupboard. I’d consider doing just one bench like in one of the black and white photos – benches are great, but hard to sit on for a long time, and if it’s a work table, different people have different sitting styles, you know?
I think a little bar in the built in cabinet would look fabulous! You could do some sort of paper along the back wall to make it pop!
the room you have just screams possibilities! i know you will do a gorgeous job. can’t wait to see!
xx
I think the chandelier is lovely! I love the metal and crystals as they are. I’d fancy it up a bit by painting the white part that the bulbs screw into a bright, fun color and then use fat round clear bulbs (or mercury dipped eddison bulbs would be nice too!) instead of traditional chandelier bulbs. I can’t wait see the fun things that come together in this house!!!
Oh god, to be honest I would leave it just as it is! Love love love the old fashion walls and the chandelier and the dark wooden floors and the built-in cabinet. ♥
But of course, it’s also great to see what you will end up doing with it: 🙂
What an exciting project for you! I am so jealous of all your space, being in London does have it’s downsides!I live in a shoe box! hehe.. Can’t wait to see everything take shape. Nikki
that built in is amazing! What about hanging some geode slices on the chandelier? that way they still show light through them and they add a little extra color.