My Dining Room Through the Years

All of the rooms in our house have changed so much since we first moved in almost six years ago. I wanted to do several posts about how each room evolved and how the rooms ended up looking the way they did now. I thought it would be interesting to share how my decorating styles have changed. It also shows how much making your home a cozy sanctuary is a continous process that happens gradually over time.

Here's how our dining room looked with the sellers' stuff in it when we first toured the house. All the previous owners must have had a fear of color, because every single room in our house was the original white paint from when the house was built in 1994.

We spent the first week of home ownership painting like crazy. Here's how our dining room looked for the next few years while I was in my "sage and burgundy" phase.

I decided that I no longer liked the rug, it was just too dark and busy. I think we only paid around $20 for it at Garden Ridge so it wasn't a big deal to send it packing to Goodwill. I also added a different table runner from Target to change things up a bit.

Then when last fall came around, I added some mini pumpkins and gourds along with a latern to dress
things up a bit and bring in some color. I also added some pillows the head chairs.

Next came Thanksgiving. I added some more fall decorations and candles to create a nice tablescape for the brunch we host on the holiday.

Around the same time, I also switched out the wall art to add paintings created by my brother-in-law and my very own Mr.Delightful Dwelling. You can also see the light fixture we purchased to replace the brass one that came with the house. I also decided it was time to ditch the fake tree from the corner and moved our antique radio into that spot. That allowed me to turn the table at an angle. In this photo, it has the leaf in the middle so it is longer than normal.

When I discovered this mirror at Old Time Pottery, I knew I had a new focal point for this wall. I love how it bounces light around the room by reflecting the light that streams in from the patio doors. And at $29 it was a far cry from the $199 Ballard Designs version. I moved an ottamon from the living room to sit under the mirror and added some pillows to create a small seating area.

Then it was time to break out all the glitter and gorgeousness for Christmas. I added silver painted pinecones, candles, and ornaments for a festive arrangement. Snowflakes dangled from the light and my handcrafted ornament wreath was displayed over the doors to the deck.

Now that Christmas is past, here's how my dining room looks with the $3 table runner I posted about the other day, a vase from Sears, and some silk flowers.

While this room has come a long way from the blank slate we started with, it will continue to change over time and with the seasons. That is part of what makes decorating so fun, you are never done!

My $3 Table Runner

My dining room was all decked out in holiday finery for the Christmas season with sparkling candles, pinecones, and ornaments. Now that all the Christmas decorations were put away, I needed some way to spruce up the table so it was not just a big, boring sea of wood.

I searched through all the stores, but I just couldn't find a table runner that I liked at a price I wanted to pay. I finally decided that I should just create my own, even though I don't sew a stitch. So I headed to Joanns Fabrics and thanks to the extra 50% discount on red tag fabric, I found a green and white fabric I wanted that was reduced to $6 a yard. I picked up a half yard for three measly dollars.

I layered in on top of the white curtain that I had been using as a table runner. Then I simply hunted my ribbon stash and came up with this black and white strand of ribbon to add the final touch.

Here's a close up of the detail of the fabric. I should probably hem the sides or something at some point. For now I just used a pencil and a yard stick to draw a straight line on both sides and then cut along that line as straight as possible to get a cleaner look on the sides.

I simply let the ribbon dangle off on the sides. So far that cats have not pulled it off.

I added a vase I purchased at Sears (I love Land's End's products) and some silk flowers for a sweet and simple arrangement. So far I am loving the look and the price although I may take off the mercury glass candleholders for an even cleaner look.

 

Ballard Designs Look Alike For Less

I had been wanting a mirror for my dining room for about 2 years or so. But I'm cheap so I never bought one. I found this mirror several weeks ago at Old Time Pottery. (I know, yet another OTP find. What am I going to do when they close?) This one was priced at $29.99, which seemed too much for my cheap brain. I left it in the store, but I kept thinking about it. Picturing how it would look at the wall. Wondering if I would ever find another one like it. After a week or so of thinking, I finally went back and bought it. Here she is fitting perfectly on my dining room wall between the two little shelves that were already on the wall.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I received a Ballard Designs catalog in the mail last week. While flipping through the glorious pages of overpriced goodies, I came across the image below.

Wow, that looks familiar. Guess the price tag on their version? $199 for the pair. That's $99.50 per mirror. Quite a bit more than my $29.99 find that seems to be a bit of a bargain now.

Yep, I adore that mirror. It really helps to bounce some extra light around the room because the doors to the deck are on the wall directly opposite the mirror. I now think it is well worth the $29.99.

Weekend Projects Part 3

Ok this one isn't really a project, just a small change. I had bought a table runner at Old Time Pottery and while I liked the fabric and design, the color was a little dark.



Then I was at Target on Friday and I found another runner that pulled in the lighter tans and creams as well as the darker browns so I bought it. I think it was $14.99. Luckily I still have thr receipt for the first runner, so it's being returned to Old Time Pottery. I also visited World Market and snagged the two white and green candle holders on clearance for $2. I still need to add some candles, but you get the idea. I still have some fussing to do with the centerpiece, I may be putting a lantern in its place, or a different vase. Well just have to see. But here it is how it looks right now:



I'm not sure what happened the night after I added this new runner, but I guess the cats were chasing each other or fighting on the table, because this is how it looked Monday morning:



As long as nothing breaks, we're still good. I guess it's good practice for any future kiddos that might come along. So that's what I did over the weekend. I already have plans for this coming weekend that involve doorknobs and spray paint, so we'll see what happens next.

Pillows, and Curtains, and Cats, Oh My!

I've been searching for curtains for awhile and not having much luck finding the color I want and the price I can afford. I visited Old Time Pottery on Thursday and came across some tan colored curtains for $12.99 so I grabbed those along with some silk hydrangeas (only 88 cents!) and a nice table runner for $5.99. So Saturday's goal became hanging curtains. The goal became a little put off after I went to Wal-Mart in the morning and found some flowers on clearance. So I ended up buying some and by the time I got home it was getting very hot outside.After planting the flowers in ninety degree weather with what felt like 200% humidity and losing about 2 pounds of sweat, it was time to hang curtains.

Here's a reminder of what my living room looked like before with the burgundy curtains which were full of dust because I hung them up there 4 years ago and haven't touched them since. Eww!



I pulled open the first package of curtains. I turned around to take down the curtain rod and when I turned back around, I found that my new curtains had received Emma's seal of approval.



The real fun began when the old curtains came down. They were instantly transformed into a cat playground. There were cats sliding, pouncing, and burrowing underneath the sheer curtains. I think they were a little sad when I took them away.





I know I broke all the designer rules, but I didn't know about the designer rules on hanging curtains when we first put up these curtain rods 4 years ago. Now I know that you should hang them high and wide so the windows and room look bigger. We already have massively tall ceilings, so I'm not too worried about the height. I would like to move them up at some point, but then I will have to add a strip of fabric or something to the bottom or the curtains will be too short. Right now they are the perfect length. I also would like to spray paint the curtain rods black, but that will wait until another day.

So here they are in their rebel state so all the designers can go tsk,tsk. (Just kidding.)





And my wonderful mother-in-law was nice enough to sew some pillow covers for my old couch pillows using a fun paisley print fabric from Joann's. It was on sale and I had an extra 10% off coupon so the fabric ending up costing around $14 w/ tax for one yard.



The other pillow, the cream one with the brown leaves/ivy pattern I found at Garden Ridge. I love the lighter colors, I think they help brighten up the room.

The final part of my weekend mini-home makeover was adding this table runner. I'm still a little unsure on the color. I love the design and the length, but I wanted something lighter in a cream or green color. So the runner might be going back. The flowers I switched out with the red flowers I had in thier previously.

Here's the before of my dining room:



And the after:



So now I just need hubby to help me rearrange the furniture in the living room. I've never been crazy about the placement of the entertainment center where it is. It blocks too much of the window. I also am still on the hunt for a cheap rug for either the living room or dining room. It's time for the one in the dining room to go. So stay tuned for more updates.