OMG! A new space!

I'm finally finished writing about my family room/kitchen. You guys probably were thinking that I lived in a house with only one space. But today we move on to the dining room.
Here are  the before shots....

This is looking into the dining room from the living room. The window looked out on a crab grass barren area, which of course I had to redo, and while I was at it, I changed the window to a door.

And this is looking into the living room from the dining room.
The corner cabinets look OK in this picture, but in real life the detailing wasn't up to my exacting, fabulous, demanding, (possibly unrealistic) expectations. So I redid the whole wall. Why spend a little bit of money, when you can spend a lot? I wanted the look of a paneled wainscoting, so I did what I have since done two more times, I faked the panels with srips of wood. My niece Miriam has done the same thing in her dining room, which we will be talking about in the near future, as it's almost time to finish that room!!!!! I also did this treatment in my little Florida bungalow, which you can go to see on my website, by clicking on the cottage picture to the right. I try to think of new ideas, but my brain is old and not working so good no more.
Here are the after shots.......

Unfortunaltely the picture is a little light, since I took it at the wrong time of the day, and I had to over correct in Picasa. I added a terrace outside the doors, I will show it to you in the spring, when the weather becomes reasonable again. I have a grill out there and a table and chairs. I also have a lot of plant material that needs pruning. I have learned, just because something needs pruning, isn't always enough to make me pick up a pair of shears.



I reworked the wall with the corner cabinets by making a deeper doorway and recessing cabinets on either side with open shelves. I reused the bottom doors in my new design. Yes I actually reused something in this condo. OY, am I frugal or what? I had reclaimed old pine put down for the flooring, and then covered up this expensive wood with a sea grass rug from Restoration Hardware. The draperies are from Restoration Hardware also, but have been redone. I used three panels for the door, cutting one in half and sewing it onto the other two, to make fuller side panels. Rather than hang the rod just above the door molding, I hung it as high as possible to make the ceiling seem taller.

When I do dining room lighting, I like to add recessed lighting to supplement the chandelier light. It can add a nice glow. If you can't do that, it's always nice to have one or two table lamps on  a piece of furniture in the room. Very often, just the light from a chandelier can be glaring, or not bright enough.
I like to mix chair styles around the table, I find it more visually interesting than if they all are the same. Arm chairs make for a more comfortable and relaxed meal. When my family comes for dinner, I have to chase them out of my house, because they all stay seated around the table way after when dinner is over. I am ever the gracious hostess.

I find mixing in a little scorched bamboo adds a touch of casual elegance. If you ask me to analyze why, I DON'T KNOW.
I use this piece to store my bar supplies. Alcohol doesn't agree with me anymore, so I don't remember what's in this cabinet. The flowers are fake. I LIKE FAKE!!!
They don't shed, and the water doesn't get slimy and stinky. And they don't attract bugs. Being a whack-a-doodle, I don't kill bugs, but catch them in my bug catcher cup and put them outside. So, think of all the time I've saved by having fake flowers.
O.K. that's enough for today. There's still lots to share about this room, so come on back soon.

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