The Horse Farm Project: Dining Room Makeover

Today, we’re sharing all the details from the dining room makeover at The Horse Farm Project and the transformation is just as drastic as it was in the entry!

If you had a chance to read yesterday’s post, you saw how we created a new entry just inside the dining room. The homeowners really wanted a floor plan that had an open concept feel so they took down the wall that was separating the dining room and the den. It was a total game changer!

Just to recap, here is a picture of what the dining room looked like before…

As you can see they have some really great pieces of furniture in this room but in order to give them the open feel they wanted, the wall definitely had to come down.

If you guys plan to do something like this in your own home, you really need to get multiple quotes from qualified professionals. It makes a huge difference, I can’t even stress that point enough. We worked with a local father and son team and honestly the homeowners couldn’t have been happier with their work.

After the wall came down, the ceilings were scraped and all the rooms in the common area save for the kitchen received a fresh coat of Behr Paint in Swiss Coffee. Swiss Coffee a very warm neutral paint color that’s more of a creamy white than a true white which was perfect for pairing with rich wood grains. Once the painting had been completed, the new floors were installed and while the floors were being acclimated Team Crowned Goat was already hard at work making a few adjustments to the layout of the dining room.

As I shared before, the homeowners already had pieces of furniture and accessories they loved so our job was to incorporate those items into new spaces in a fresh way. These are things you can do in your home as well. For example, we moved the rug that was previously in the den into the dining room to help anchor the table and chairs.

We nestled the existing china cabinet that was previously on the wall where the entry is now, in between the dining room windows highlighting the expansive views of the property.

We layered place settings

and accessories that conveyed the homeowners love of nature.

I have to stop right here and give a shout out to our friend and sweet blog supporter, Sabrena, who graciously gave us these deer sheds from her personal collection. We were hours from not having the centerpiece my mom had envisioned (I’m not exaggerating) when Sabrena stepped up and saved the day. You’re the best, Sabrena, thank you!

We found the fabric for the table runner and the napkins at Joanns and had the homeowner sew them on site for us. She literally just whipped it up like it was no big deal. I would have still been trying to thread the machine he he!

The plant was purchased at the same local nursery we used to create the container gardens flanking the front door. It added such life to the table. I wish I would have picked up one for my house too.

We filled the china hutch with treasured family pieces as well as thrifted finds we picked up during our many shopping trips. The view from this spot is amazing, so we didn’t want to do anything that would distract from it!

After taking down the wall between the dining room and the den, this space now opens into the entry, the den, the kitchen, the formal living room and a large front porch. This is a peek into the formal living room…(that natural light gets me every time!)

Just to the right of these French doors sits this sentimental clock. One of the homeowner’s mother gave the couple this clock as a wedding present almost 48 years ago. Since the dining table is the place this family gathers together for meals, we felt it deserved a place of honor.

Here’s the view into the entry we created…

And because everyone loves a good before and after, let’s take one more look at the dining room before…

and after…

Here are a few things to consider when you’re trying to create an open concept feel in your home…

• Seek professional advice and services if you want to take down a wall in your home. There are SO many factors that must be considered in advance.
• Keep the flooring consistent especially in the common areas. Hardwood floors are expensive, so I understand they may not be an option for everyone. Whatever your budget entails, having a floor that consistently transitions from one space to another in a seamless fashion will help to create visual calm and openness.
• Keep a consistent color palette throughout your home. These homeowners love horses and they have a stunningly gorgeous piece of property, but they didn’t want their home to look “theme-y.” From the get-go I knew we would use a rustic yet classic neutral color palette with touches of nature, plaids, beautiful woodgrains and lots of texture because those were the elements that were most important to the homeowners.
• Shop your home first! The only decorative items we purchased for this space were the fabric for the runner and napkins, a few pieces of ironstone for the hutch and a new plant. Using items the homeowners already owned allowed us more flexibility to use our budget in other spaces.

I hope these tips have helped! Tomorrow, we’ll be diving into the den area and it’s another pretty space you won’t want to miss. Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo