Friday, November 11, 2011

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.

Partying at:



MotivatedMondayatBeColorfulBetween Naps On The Porchits so very cheri

14 comments:

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I love the doors in place of the windows, Betsy! I love the draperies and it looks like a great room to linger in after a meal.

Amy Chalmers said...

I really liked being in your dining room. It is a pleasant room and that must be why everyone wants to stay too long...as I recall you had to shoo me away too! Seeing the before of the window and the plain walls, it looks so great now. I love the wallpaper in there and the fantastic chandy. So you must post on the details in this room.

Curtains in My Tree said...

I love the french doors going outside also that chandelier is beautiful

what a great transformation

Karen said...

I love you dining room. It's my dream to turn my DR window into french doors, seeing yours I think I'm on the right track. It's so cool to see a real decorator who likes fake flowers... woo hoo!

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Love your dining room colors and that chandy, oh my! I have to tell you I love it when I see a new post from you. Love your sense of humor and you always make me smile!

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

It looks beautiful Betsy!! Love the wainscot and built in and the doors are wonderful. :)

Unknown said...

Fabulous! Love your mismatched chairs and the Chandy! The wall color is so pretty! Visiting from BNOTP XO Cindy

K&B by the Sea said...

Great idea to change the window to a door and to make the doorway deeper so you could rework the corner cabinets. Love the wall colour and the wainscoting and the chandelier :-)

Jody Tolsma said...

I LOVE it! Its gorgeous! Great colors. It looks very warm and welcoming!

Anonymous said...

Oh my! This couldn't have turned out prettier. In fact, when I first saw the after picture, I thought it was an inspiration source. Great job! I'd be flattered to have you share the beautiful space at my Show & Tell party on Wednesday. The party is at mrshinesclass.wordpress.com

Sharon

Leslie's Garden said...

Beautiful, and in my favorite color, too!

Be Colorful Coastal said...

Oh yeah, so very pretty. The color is perfect but my favorite thing is the mismatched chairs... so very chic. Thanks for sharing on Motivated Monday at BeColorful
Pam

Donna D said...

Very cozy and inviting!

Charlotte Des Fleurs said...

Hi Betsy,

Guess I am a little late to the party. However, I wanted to say how much I like your idea of keeping the built-ins. Turning them to make the wall between the rooms thicker adds so much richness to the space. It is amazing how thick walls look so much better than thin ones. Even if they are interior walls where strength and insulation really don't matter, subconsciously, the house just seems more cocooning and protective from the elements.

So happy to see a decorator who doesn't just "work around" bad architecture.

Smiles from My Slice of Provence,
Charlotte Des Fleurs

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