Saturday, October 27, 2012

A Cottage Dining Room for Miriam

Miriam's dining chairs left my house this week to go home!!!!!
So.....
4 chairs that were painted and upholstered and pillowed left.....
and  4 chairs that were falling apart and ugly came.....
She got 4 pretty chairs....
and I got 4 pieces of #$%!!!!
What's wrong with this picture?????
So.....
Here's a shot of them in their new home.
For those of you new to my blog....
Or for the older readers who have lost their memory.....
I started helping my niece, Miriam, last year with her new home.
We started in the dining room because she had fantasies of cooking family meals and having folks over for dinner.
I would like to point out here, that so far this year, all I gotten to eat at her house was an apple.
Now don't get me wrong.....
it was a really yummy apple!!!!!
But was it worth all my work???????
NO.NO.NO!!!!!
To recap.....
This is what I started with.....
I changed the chair rail detail to a paneled look.
(Miriam and Ross painted the walls)
I upholstered the walls.
I found the chandelier (with Miriam)
I painted the chandelier.
I made the draperies.
Miriam found a different sideboard, I got her to buy this one.
I painted the side board (Miriam helped.....)
I found the dining table (Miriam went with me)
I found the chairs (Miriam met me at the auction to approve them)
I sat at the auction the next day to bid on the chairs 
(Miriam went to her job).
I painted the chairs.
I upholstered the chairs.
I made the pillows for the back of the chairs.
I found the urn on the table (Miriam was with me)
I went to Micheal's (with Miriam) and got the flowers.
I arranged the flowers.....
And all I got was a lousy apple!!!!
If you want to see the whole process....
Click on diy projects in the menu bar above.
Miriam's dining room makeover is the first item.

Here are more shots of her dining room.
 We still need to find things for the walls.
Miriam and Ross don't understand the wonderfulness of plates.
They are stoopid.
They are stubborn.
They think this is THEIR house.....
I still need to make slip covers for the pair of chairs at the ends of the table.
These chairs came from my grandparents Manhattan apartment and used to be mine.
I gave them to Miriam because I am her best aunt.
Yes I am..... 
This picture came from my bidness partner, Kris.
She is very generous to Miriam and Ross also.
Thanks to Kris, they have furniture in their guest room.
She didn't even get an apple...... 
I must say.....
I did a bang up job on these chairs!!!!!

I have to end now.
My arm and shoulders hurt from patting myself on the back.
Latah, Gatah.....
P.S.
Miriam, I don't want you to feel guilty.
You probably are a bad cook anyway.....
(Actually, she knows that I don't like to eat dinner out.
 So Miriam.....you're off the hook....)
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65 comments:

Lee said...

BeeUtiful! Just needs some plates on the walls....

Pondside said...

How come we can't all have an aunt like Auntie Betsy?

Jeri said...

This. Room. Is. Gorgeousssss!!! You always blow me away, in a good way of course! Beautiful is an understatement!
xoxo
Jeri

Unknown said...

Such a great room!lucky her!!!these walls definately need a couple of plates!!i'm soooo jealous!great job!

Anonymous said...

Very pretty! Where all all the good Aunties when you need one?!

Unknown said...

I love your altered chairs!!!!! :D

Hugs,

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful, sunny dining room!
Sounds a little bit like The Little Red Hen story, though, starring poor Aunt Betsy!

MONICA LIVAS said...

Beautiful dining room! LOVE the chairs!

Connie said...

That Miriam is one lucky girl! The dining room is fabulous and love the soft blues and greens. You always give me my decorating thrill.

PattyM said...

Aunt Betsy, if you come to my house and decorate my dining room, plus find and paint all the furniture, I promise I will feed you more than an apple. I don't cook, but I'm happy to take you out to dinner or have it delivered. I promise! Great job.

Sam I Am...... said...

You are TOO funny~I'll make you a deal...you come to my house and do all that and I will come to your house and cook for you whatever you want and I'm a darn good cook ~ at least I think so.
I love the chairs and the wallpaper too! Gorgeous! You are AMAZING!!!! On top of that you're talented too! LOL!

Anonymous said...

So pretty! I love those fabriced walls!

Anonymous said...

HI Betsy! Oh, you've done wonders with Miriam's dining room and the chairs look so pretty! I love the wallpaper and matching drapes. That floral is gorgeous too! Oh, I love plates on the wall. If you want to, you can pop over to my blog and see my dining room with plates on the wall. Not as pretty as Miriam's dining room. Wish you lived next door, I would feed you. :)
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

CEO Lisa Anne - L.A said...

Hi Betsy,
Wow! Miriam's dining room looks fabulous! I love the wallpaper and the chairs. The chandy is beautiful! If you did all that to my dining room I'd make you a feast fit for a queen lol. You have done a great job! Have a wonderful weekend.
Lisa

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

This transformation is just amazing! What a stunning, VERY pretty dining room!

fixitfaerie said...

You are such a good aunt! You r right, they need lots of stuff for the walls and the top of the buffet. Her lamps don't look right. Sorry. Maybe new shades? Your work is amazing. (pat on your back) Paula

nancy said...

The room is lovely! And you Missy are what we used to call "a Fresh Mouth". ( But I am sure you must be a family favorite). N

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Wish I had EVER had an AUNT LIKE YOU!! I love everything you're doing for your niece and her hubby's home. I too think plates will fill up her walls. Maybe a mirror on top of the buffet would look lovely too and it doesn't have to be an antique, or expensive one either! The dining room set looks great now, really terrific transformation! Have a blessed Sunday.
FABBY

The Quintessential Magpie said...

This looks FABULOUS! You deserve a seven course meal for this one, Betsy. Did you tell us what pattern that fabric is, or is it a secret? I sure wish I had the ability to DIY. I seem to be hopelessly inept. I blame it on the fact that I refused to take home-ec (my sister nearly flunked it!) and opted for choral music instead. The singing housewife... not!

XO,

Sheila

Mary B said...

Can I adopt you as my Aunt? I absolutely LOVE what you've done to the dining room. I would even help you if you did that for me, I love doing that kind of stuff and I can cook too! We'd have a ball, you wouldn't even have to work that hard and I would have fed you the whole time you were working on my stuff. Sorry you aren't my Aunt, but I'd adopt you in a minute!

Connie@Connie Nikiforoff Designs said...

You are so "the bomb"! :-) Lovely job. OK...I admit, I wouldn't put too much stuff on the walls either. Guess that makes me stooopid too ;-) LOL! Why cover up all the hard work of upholstering you did? ;-)

sweet violets said...

What an Aunt!!! Yu did a bang up job on the whole room dahling!!! Also not crazy for the two lamps...but love the single painting, and yes, a mirror would be nice.....by the way, I am available for adoption as a niece........can cook.....hugs...cleo

Anonymous said...

My one and only auntie lived in a double-wide with her trucker husband and grown-man son. All three of them smoked like chimneys, and there was a permanent brown, sticky haze on the Waterford crystal stemware, lace curtains, and Belleek china she had inherited from my Irish grandmother. Moral of the story: a kind, generous Auntie is the Luck of the Draw ~ yay for Miriam!!

Anonymous said...

Love, love this room!!! It's gorgeous and she is one lucky niece...she better come up with something better than an apple!!

Amy Chalmers said...

LOVE this room!! LOVE how it came together~the chairs are AWESOME!! Miriam is a lucky duck. Yes she is!

Kim said...

What a gorgeous dining room. Miriam is such a lucky niece. I love everything that you have done. I would be proud to have a dining room like this one and very proud to have you as my aunt. Cheers.

Kim
Letters from the Shore

Poppy said...

Hi Betsy,

You've been on my blogroll for a long time precisely for two reasons: 1)you are an IMMENSELY talented designer and 2)you CRACK ME UP!!! I thought I was following you, but realized today that I wasn't! So, very very honoured to be your newest follower, too!

Hope you'll stop my neck of the woods sometime.

Poppy

PS: The apple award for your work just shows that your niece sees you as her teacher, someone who she, I'm sure, has learned so much from!

Mary said...

I am sure we are too close in age for you to be my aunt, but could we be sisters? Beautiful and happy dining room! Love it all!

Mary
from Virginia

The White Pear Tree said...

OH wow, it went from ho-hum to awesome! Lucky niece, I gotta get me one of those Aunt Betsy's!

I would have made you at least an apple pie! (And that's saying a lot cause I hate to bake.)

Donnamae said...

Betsy, that dining room is lovely! Just curious, what kind of plates would you hang with that wallpaper? I certainly hope Miriam knows how lucky she is! ;)

Ggomez said...

Betsy you make my day! You make me laugh!! You inspire! Thanks lady!

Cynthia said...

You did a wonderful job on this room. It is simply stunning, i love the colors and the chairs just pop.

Cynthia

Marian said...

Hey. wait a minute. You also got some rather fine subject matter for your blog. Thanks go to both you and Miriam.

Sandy said...

I have the same Danish chairs sitting right now in my dinette with no intentions of ever replacing them. Well, I would like to recover them in a different fabric....someday. Anyways, nice job on decorating your niece's dining room. She is lucky to have an Aunt who is a designer!!!!

Anonymous said...

Even if you ONLY got an apple, that is one amazing job on her dining room, it is so gorgeous!!!

Late Bloomers said...

What I wanna know is why upholster the walls instead of wallpaper? Is it easier to remove? I LOVE that fabric! So gorgeous. Miriam is a very lucky girl!

Ang
SoLongFarm.blogspot.com

Lady Courtney said...

Beautiful room...Miriam is one lucky girl!!!

chateau chic said...

You've done a great job in Miriam's dining room. It's gorgeous!!
Mary Alice

foreverdecorating said...

Betsy, I love your posts because you don't hold back. You tell it like it is and have fun doing it. This design closely matches the one that Sarah Richardson did on her farmhouse dining room on one of her shows. I love your decorating and I am so sure that Miriam loves it and you for being the best Aunt ever!

Unknown said...

First of al.....will you adopt me? LOL My Aunt Mary would be so upset if she heard me say that...LOL LOVE IT!!!!! The numbers on the chairs are fab. Just starting a new blog....love cottage style...please stop by if you can and party at Welcome Home Wednesday at www.vintageonadime.blogspot.com Debbie:)

Athena at Minerva's Garden said...

Ha! What a fun post, and what a beautiful dining room, Betsy. Love the chairs.

Lorena said...

Love it!!!! beautiful colours!!!!!

GranthamLynn said...

Can I be your neice? Lovely room she is blessed.
Love it and visiting you. Come by and see my post today I revealed part of my bedroom.
Have a Beautiful weekend,
Sherry

Jen said...

The walls are absolute heaven & the chairs
are amazing!
I need an auntie Betsy!

Rita said...

I'm visiting from Shabbilicious Friday.
I love what you did with those chairs Betsy and walls. That dining room is a dream!
I badly need an aunt like you. would you adopt me?
rita

Anonymous said...

I think Miriam needs to have your over for dinner in her beautiful new dining room. Gosh, what an improvement over the before photo!

stefanie said...

oh, its gorgeous!!!!!

The Cottager said...

Beautiful! you did an amazing job. i love your niece's name... my name is Miriam as well (but most everyone calls me mimi). so rare to find another one. visiting from savvy southern style :)

Holly said...

This is beautiful as well! So happy to have found your blog through Meet Me Monday!

Kathryn Ferguson Griffin said...

You did quite an amazing job on her dining room and the chairs are perfect! Sounds like you two have a fun relationship! Those are always the best. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/11/make-it-pretty-monday-week-22.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

Suzanne@thriftstoredecorjunky said...

beautiful! Miriam does not know how grateful she should be....or maybe she does... either way, I could do with an aunt like you.. ;-)
Thanks for sharing!

Madonna said...

This is just gorgeous. I should send your niece my apple cake recipe. She should be so proud. Just lovely

gena said...

Wow - great job! I love the chairs... hard to believe they're the same ones.

Miriam is indeed a lucky girl to have such an aunty!!!!!

thanks for sharing - and Miriam? Next time put out a little cheese or some nutella with the apple. I'm sure Aunty would be so happy :P


gena

Carolyn said...

The whole room is beautiful!!! I love the chairs.If you would do all that for me I would at least make you an apple pie!Miriam is blessed to have you for her Aunt.
Carolyn

cathy@my1929charmer said...

The room is now beautiful, and wish you were my aunt. I had these exact chairs, I had two with arms and two without. I loved them and painted and recushioned and sold in a day at my shop. Your fabric is quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!

The Charm of Home said...

That dining room is looking fabulous!
Sherry

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Love her dining room and the chairs~ gorgeous job!! Thanks for linking up at Feathered Nest Friday!

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Hi Betsy! I have just had the best time perusing your blog and enjoying your talent and skill transforming spaces. I also like your sense of humor :) Such fun stopping by!

Kindly, Lorraine

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

Gorgeous makeover!!!
XO
Kristin

Kathryn Ferguson Griffin said...

Betsy, you will be one of the features at Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Swing by and pick up a feature button for your blog. Can't wait to see what you bring to the party tomorrow. See you a the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

Be Colorful Coastal said...

Such a pretty look. I am going more transitional this time around but if I had a number of houses I would love to embrace this look too. Thanks for sharing on BeColorful. Love the idea of the upholstered walls.
p

Muffintopmommy said...

Hmmm.....I am a kickass cook who lives in NH (and by I, I mean my hubs, but tomato, tomatoe). I have a lovely dining room set butttttt, the rest of the room, meh. If you ever decide to work for food, cawl me! Until then, Imam troll around your blog for ideas. Love it!

French Hen's Nest said...

Wow Betsy, hope my nieces don't see this post! It turned out fabulous. I love it all. I'm with you on the plates- stop me please. The French Hens so enjoy your blog and follow you. Please visit us anytime.

Found your post today at Cedar Hill Ranch where you were featured (pat yourself just one more time).

Linda and Jeannie

Anonymous said...

What a lucky niece she is to have such a talented Auntie to decorate her new home. You are the best. The room looks fab!!

Schaughn said...

I will send you two apples if you can send me those fantastic lamps on the buffet.

Oh, and you are a bad influence (like that's the first time you've heard that!). I am looking at my dining room walls and thinking of fabric...

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