Dining Room Makeover Reveal
We’re sharing a dining room makeover reveal today!
Over the past few years, I’ve come to realize just how many decorating phases our homes go through.
Especially, if you’re trying to do things on a budget.
Sometimes you find all the pieces you need exactly when you need them.
But more often than not, decorating is a gradual tweaking process that takes place over time.
And my home, Journeys End, is no exception.
Several years ago, the dining room looked like this and I was desperate to change things…
Dining Room Makeover Reveal: The Power of Paint…
The first step was to paint the dining room walls in Valspar’s Bistro White and the trim work in Valspar’s Ultra White.
It seemed like such a small thing at the time.
But painting all the walls in the common areas the same color made a huge difference.
During that time I also decided to repaint the dining room buffet.
It’s so heavy, we called it, “The Beast.”
And it was one of the first pieces of furniture I ever painted.
First, I tried to paint the buffet and hutch in Paris Grey by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
It’s a gorgeous color.
And I knew it would go well with the neutral palette of grays, camels, blush, whites and woodgrains in the rest of the house.
I added shiplap to the back of the hutch and painted the panels in Valspar’s Du Jour which is a really pretty white.
And I loved it, until I hung up the curtains made from the antelope print fabric I had been hoarding for months.
Paris Grey is one of those beautiful chameleon colors.
It can read as pale gray sometimes and other times as pale blue-gray depending on how much light is in the room.
But instead of rushing a decision on the curtains and the freshly painted hutch and buffet, I decided to move on to another project for the dining room makeover.
I guess I was secretly hoping they would grow on me.
Considering The Surrounding Spaces…
One of the things you have to consider if you have an open concept home, is the surrounding spaces, not just the room you’re working on.
And after weeks of willing myself to love the buffet, hutch and curtains, I realized I just couldn’t get over the tone combination.
I even repainted the buffet and hutch in French Linen by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to see if it would help.
But it didn’t.
Dining Room Makeover: Giving Old Pieces of Furniture New Life…
So, while I was waiting on fresh inspiration I asked my Dad to rebuild the small sideboard we’d using as a nightstand in the one of the bedrooms.
It was set to replace this piece we created from the old fencing at Loblolly which had been housing my ever-growing collection of brown and white transferware.
Without a doubt, the change, forced me to go through all my collections and pare down.
I’m not even going to lie, it was tough to declutter pieces I’ve collected for years.
But it also felt great to declutter everything.
Once the small buffet was in place, I decided to concentrate on the dining room table.
The top of the table has a European Oak style finish I love.
So, the only thing we really had to do was condition the tabletop.
Giving Yourself Permission to Change Your Mind About Curtains and Paint…
By this point, we were well passed the dining room makeover deadline we had set for ourselves.
Mostly because I was still struggling with the color combination of the antelope print curtains and the buffet and hutch.
Honestly, it was my bestie S who finally said, “This is worse than watching someone trying to pull a band aid a little at a time. You don’t like the curtains in the dining room. It’s been WEEKS now and we both know you’re not going not like the curtains in the dining room. Just pull the band aid off already and find some curtains you actually like!”
Thankfully, that conversation gave me just the nudge I needed to finally give myself permission to find new curtains.
And I found a Waverly fabric called Country House Toile in Platinum that I loved.
I also gave myself permission to find a new color for the buffet and hutch.
And in the end, I chose Deco Art’s Chalk Acrylic Paint in Primitive.
The color is so neutral it not only works well with the Country House Toile, but it also works well with the antelope fabric I was able to use to make pillows too.
Dining Room Makeover Reveal: DIY Wall Art…
The last piece of the dining room makeover puzzle was to figure out wall art.
We needed something that could be used throughout the year no matter what the season.
As well as, something that would complement the hutch and buffet without competing with it.
It sounds like a tall order, but we finally settled on creating grain sack inspired wall art using our grandmother’s monograms.
Once we hung them up, it felt like everything else fell into place.
The Final Details…
The day we were able to take down S’s wheelchair ramps nearly a year after the accident was a misty-eyed celebration.
I saved some of the wood and asked my Dad to create a box we could use on the dining room table as a small reminder of how far S had come since that fateful day in October that changed everything.
Then I took that box and made a simple Spring centerpiece .
I also refreshed the chandelier with burlap shades I found on sale at Lowe’s.
While we didn’t knock down any walls or bring in new furniture, the dining room makeover was still a big labor of love.
Had it not been for my brothers in laws helping to move furniture and hang curtain rods, my sisters bringing over dinner, my Dad refurbishing the small buffet, cutting the boards for the shiplap and trimming out the window, my Mom answering countless texts (most before 5 am, mind you) and S helping to create the grain sack inspired wall art – this project would not have been possible.
But as we’ve come to understand and appreciate over the years, love shows up and gives you exactly what you need at exactly the right time – even in the form of a dining room makeover.
So, don’t be afraid to keep at it.
Even if there are lots of starts and stops along the way.
It will help make the memories you create in the space that much sweeter.
Many blessings,
CoCo
It’s beautiful!
I really appreciate it, M, thank you so much! I have to say after all the starts and stops it feels good to finally have it finished. Sending you big hugs, CoCo
It is a lovely space, CoCo…a labor of love with special personal touches! Beautiful!
Thank you, Linda! I know you know all about trying to make all sorts of makeover work so I really appreciate your kind words. Even with all the starts and stops and indecision, I would do it again 100%. Sending you hugs, CoCo
Coco, I love it. Everything looks gorgeous and much lighter! It is hard to let go of something we really love. Where did you find the rug under your table? I love it! Glad S is better! Hugs!
Thank you bunches, Beita! I’m so with you the paint color change on the walls and the hutch made a big difference. It’s nice that all of the common areas are the same color now. Everything just flows so much better. The rug is an indoor/outdoor rug from Lowes and we’ve had it for years. I couldn’t find the exact one we have but the Safavieh Courtyard Arabesque is very similar. As you know we have senior dogs and messy littles that visit so while this rug is not plush, it is easy to clean 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Way to go CoCo! The dining room is beautiful and definitely worth the wait. It’s hard to believe you used so many of the pieces you already owned. They look brand new now that they have a fresh coat of paint. Great job!
Thank you, Sarah! We are big fans of shopping the house before buying anything new so it was really important to be able to reuse and upcycle as many things as we could. I’m totally with you, I’m always amazed at what a little paint can do to help transform everything from walls to accessories to furniture. Hugs, CoCo
Really beautiful, CoCo! 🙂
I appreciate it so much, Patty, thank you! Sending you lots of love and hugs, CoCo
Hi CoCo! Dining room looks great! I have to say I like the hutch the present color more than the Paris gray. That hardware just really pops! And I love the new curtains as well. Great choice! I’m a big fan of the monograms, they look beautiful in there. That was so sweet of your Dad to make that box for you! I’m so glad S is on the mend, hang in there! So glad you have such a wonderful family to help you out. You’re very fortunate. Everything looks great, job well done CoCo! Have a great day! ?
P.S. happy first day of spring!
Such sweet compliments, Shelia, thank you! I don’t know why I had such a hard time with the hutch color but gosh it totally threw me for a loop! I think the Primitive will be really easy to decorate with throughout the year, so it’s a keeper. I’m really glad you like the curtains too. They’re a similar Waverly print to the ones I have in the breakfast nook. Can you believe that box was once part of a wheelchair ramp? I know you know all too well what a long recovery this type of injury can be and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support along the way. I hope your day is a fun one and you’re able to welcome Spring with excitement. Big hugs, CoCo
High-five, hand-clap, booty-shake and Beyonce’ wave!! This makeover is absolutely gorgeous. Even more so for all of the heartache, pain, trials and tribulations you had to endure. You have the best attitude when it comes to repainting pieces of furniture as many times as you do! Kudos – because we wouldn’t be as genteel or graceful LOL. Another fabulous job by Team Goat – you should be proud. Much love!
Coco, I feel your pain when something is just not working out! I love the way your dining room turned out and understand all the frustrations behind it. I’ve been there many times.
I like your make over so much that I chose it as one of my features at our Celebrate Your Story link party!
Please be sure to check it out at on Monday about 8 pm
Thanks for linking up
Kari @v Me and My Captain
Aww, Kari, thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it and the feature too. It’s such a sweet and unexpected way to start the day. Hugs, CoCo
Coco, I wanted to let you know that I’m featuring your dining room makeover at Celebrate Your Story this evening. It goes live at 7:00 p.m. CST. I hope you will share with us again! Hugs!
Oh my gosh, Benita, thank you so much! You totally made my day. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I’ll definitely head over -thank you! Hugs, CoCo
What a lovely reveal, Coco… love the furniture pieces you have, and how you have styled them. Here by way of Celebrate Your Story. Would love to have you join us today at Homestyle Gathering!
Thank you so much, Julie! It was definitely a fun space to put together. Heading over to Homestyle Gathering! Hugs, CoCo
Thanks for linking up, Coco! Loved seeing your other two posts, as well. Is your story about S posted somewhere? Would love to hear a bit of the backstory on the box. 🙂
I appreciate it, Julie! My bestie S who also helps run the website fell back in October and had to had one leg rebuilt with rods, screws and pins while the other leg recovered from completely torn ligaments and tendons. She was non-weight bearing for almost 18 weeks and in a wheelchair so my sweet Dad built the ramps to make it easier to get around. S is still on crutches and walking with braces but making great progress each day. Needless to say it’s been quite an adventure 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Wow, that is quite a story! I’m glad she is progressing! It is, indeed, and adventure!
You had me laughing CoCo with S’s comment to finally get new curtains. It reminded me of my husband (he’s my best friend) and how aggravated he gets with me when I know what I want but will not make a change. Your dining room looks so cozy and inviting. I love how you shared the process of it all coming together. I am often surprised by people who can put together a room from the start, and never make a change. Decorating for me is a process, one that takes me a while to figure out exactly what I want. It also hinders me in sometimes making decisions because I do not want to make the wrong one. I absolutely love using your grandmother’s monograms as art! That is fabulous! You are so fortunate to have so many who rally around you and help when you need it. Have a wonderful and hopefully well-deserved restful weekend with all you have completed!
Your dining room looks so lovely! Thanks for sharing the entire journey, makeovers are never as easy as we think they’re going to be! Glad to know we’re not the only ones who have to pivot in the middle of a project!
The dining room turned out so beautifully. I especially loved how the buffet turned out. That was so smart to refinish it without moving it too far!!