Dining Room Redo – The Details

Thank you all for the nice comments about my dining room.  I have to say this was the first time I have ever been apprehensive about a blog post.  I truly was nervous!  So many of you loved the chairs next to the buffet in their original orange velvet, I was not sure what the reaction was going to be when I revealed I had recovered them in gray.  So needless to say I am thrilled so many of you left such encouraging and wonderful comments.  Now on to the details!

If you have been a long time follower, you probably know this room is a collection of furnishings which has evolved over time.  The buffet and six chairs (which I painted white and recovered in blue velvet for this redo) where bought from the Salvation Army.  Along with a table which is now in the basement, I paid $150 for all 9 pieces. The large cabinet is an antique store find. It is made of two pieces and I was told it was taken from a local real estate office.  I could not believe my luck when I found it a couple of years ago as it is the perfect fit for the wall on which it resides.

The table is made by Henredon and is a Craigslist purchase.  The chairs which matched this table are now around the kitchen table.  I used a vintage grainsack with blue stripes for a runner to add more texture to the room as well as lighten up the table. An ivy topiary from Lowes adds a much needed bit of green.

The mirror above the buffet is by Uttermost and the pair of alabaster lamps is an Ebay purchase.  Above the duo of vintage 1950’s chairs hang a pair of paintings by Jennifer Lanne.  Jennifer’s work has been featured in Country Living magazine as well as several other publications.  I have several of her paintings scattered about my house, as she is a favorite local artist of mine.

While most of the items in the room are older, there are a few newer pieces as well.  The rug is by Madeline Weinrib and the gray silk curtains I made from fabric purchased at Calico Corners.  The clock between the windows is new but is a bargain floor model from Ethan Allen which I painted.

Finally there is the pair of now gray French chairs with the ikat pillows which I made by repurposing the old fabric on the dining room chairs. In regards to my decision to recover the chairs, in the end it just came down to the fact that the orange was just not me.   It truly was a struggle to decide what to do – leave them alone or recover – but in the end I am so happy with how the room looks now so it was the right choice for me.

Thanks for following this transformation.  I would like to say this room is finished but as you know I have a hard time leaving things alone.  I am sure a little while from now I will be adding or replacing something. For now, however, I am just going to enjoy the room the way it is!

My Dining Room Redo In Pictures

Project Snapshots

Like many of you, the beginning of a new year has me re-energized.  I have been busy organizing, cleaning, purging, rearranging, and checking lots of those little pesky things off my “to do” list which have been there way too long.  (i.e. - the clock above my mantel which has been leaning against the wall for almost two years has finally been hung!)

Along with all of the above, I have also been working on lots of house projects.  So today I thought I would share a sneak peak of what I have been up to and give you an idea of what is ahead.  I will be sure to share all the details as each project is completed.

The biggest changes will be taking place in the master bedroom.  The pictures below are a few hints of the progress which has been made so far.

I have also been completing projects in the basement . . .

. . . adding some new artwork to the mudroom . . .

. . . and updating a few things in the kitchen. 

Changes are also in store for the dining room.

Finally, I wanted to thank everyone who entered the Something About Silver giveaway.  I try to host a couple of giveaways throughout the year as a way to thank you for choosing to take time out of your busy schedules and spend it with Red Door Home.

Centsational Girl - the Red Door Home December Blog of the Month

If you love blogs which feature just about everything house related, you will absolutely adore Centsational Girl – the RDH December blog of the month.

Centsational Girl is written by Kate – a former lawyer turned decorator and DIYer extraordinaire. 

Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Better Homes and Gardens and Holiday with Mathew Mead.

In fact, her talents are so numerous she has also appeared on the Nate Berkus show on more than one occasion.

Some of my favorite topics which Kate covers include decorating, home improvements, holiday decorating, crafts, furniture makeovers, and recipes.

Kate’s photography skills are something I aspire too and her knowledge of all things "home" seems endless. Not too long ago she added several contributors to Centsational Girl who help scout the blog world for great ideas.

Every Sunday, Centsational Girl features these posts in a series called "The Best of The Blogosphere." TBOTB series is a one stop place to catch up on fantastic ideas you might have otherwise missed. I so enjoy this series!

To see more of Kate’s great ideas, you can visit Centsational Girl HERE. Be sure to leave a comment letting her know you stopped by!

Built In Cabinets - The Details

I promised a while back I would share the details of the new built-in cabinets next to our family room fireplace.  They were eleven years in the making and definitely worth the wait!  Here is a reminder of what the room looked like before.

We did a lot of research before we began – looking through magazines, etc. – to find just the right design.  The main goal was to match the existing woodwork and details of our house and the previously built media cabinet.   The project all came together when we found the picture below.

via Country Living

Once we had the inspiration photo and worked out a few details, our carpenter went to work.  It took several weeks from the time we had finished design plans to the installation.  Even though a good portion of the work was done off-site, putting the cabinets in place still took the better part of two weekends to complete.

The first phase involved removing molding, pulling out electrical outlets and building boxes on to which the finished cabinets would be attached.  Things went well until it came time to install the right side cabinet.  Because of the window ledge, there was not enough space to angle the cabinet into place.  What to do?

The solution was to cut a hole in the side of the fireplace which would be covered up by the finished cabinet.  The cut out gave the carpenter just enough space to maneuver the cabinet into place.  After day one, the cabinets were already taking shape.

The second day involved adding the details which make the cabinets beautiful.  The picture below shows the addition of the top molding and the following picture shows the cabinets with the bottom molding.  We paid special attention to match the profile of the fireplace mantel, just on a smaller scale.

All of the pieces were painted offsite and then touched up once they were in place.  You can see all the nails holes which were filled and later painted.

Next on the list were painting, doors and shelves.   In the end we decided to use seeded glass. We have the same glass in our kitchen cabinets and I love how the tiny air bubbles mute the contents just enough to make them “seeable” but not the main focus of the room.

Of course one of the best parts of the project was arranging the shelves.  Most of the items are things I already owned – a few are new.

The right cabinets contain the antique English wooden box I won a while back on a giveaway, as well as books and two large glass jars. 

The glass jars are antiques and hold the oyster shell ball I crafted earlier this month and a mismatched grouping of old billiard balls.  On top of the cabinet is one of my all-time favorite purchases - a large column top.  Long time followers might recognize this piece as its former home was on my dining room table.

The left cabinets house a wire basket from Pottery Barn, more books, and a vintage camera I picked up at a yard sale many years ago.  The glass jar on this side holds a set of shaker boxes made by artist Steve Strouse of Pennsylvania.   The boxes are graduated sizes and are made from varying types of wood.  One of the unique aspects of these boxes is that each one comes with a card telling where the wood used to make the box was found.

The left cabinets also feature an old green fishing float and an architectural element found at a local shop which is sadly no longer in business. The top is finished off with an antique French bottle return I purchased this summer during vacation.  I have to admit when I bought this I really had no idea where I would put it.  Luckily it is very close in size and scale to the column so it all worked out for the best.

I can’t thank you all enough for all the wonderful comments you have left about my living room and the new built-in cabinets.  We are thrilled with how this room finally came together and are proud to call it finished!

My Favorite Room

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting at Cottage and Vine!

I have been a Cottage and Vine follower for some time and was thrilled when Rene asked me to share my favorite room in my home.  To see which room I selected and why click HERE.