We are hosting Thanksgiving this year and it is just the motivation I needed to show our dining room a little bit of love. It’s one of the first rooms you see when you walk in our house and to me it feels the least like “us”. This room wasn’t next on our renovation list because really all it needs is a few cosmetic touches. Down the road I would like to add some interest to the walls in the form of panel moulding, similar to our living room, but for the time being that doesn’t mean I can’t do a quick refresh! I know the current state is by no means “bad”, but it in’t jiving for me.
For this refresh I am giving myself a challenge – get it done in the next 2 weeks (before Thanksgiving), focus on using what I have furniture and decor wise, and aim to spend less than $300 total. Are there any rooms that bug you in their current state and you think you could refresh in the next 2 weeks by making a few cosmetic changes? I would love for you to join in the challenge with me and share what room you plan to tackle below!
The dining has 2 main pieces that I’m not currently loving; the paint color and the chandelier.
You can see from the above and below images I have switched things up over the years from rug to no rug and mirror to artwork – I have tried many changes, but nothing felt right with the current paint color and chandelier.
You may remember between my mom and I this dining room has been painted 3 times in the past 3 years, but I still don’t love the color. It’s such an easy change that will only take a few hours so I am going to repaint it. Again. Our dining room is tricky because it is north facing and sits behind our covered front porch. While it is bright, it receives a lot of cool light. The color we currently have (Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore) is a lovely color, but it feels a bit dark in our cool lighted dining room. I was on the right track by choosing a warmer color, but I think I need to go back to a lighter color, similar to when it was painted Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore, but instead of cool undertones I need a color that is quite a bit warmer.
The chandelier is pretty, but I bought it in a rush when we first moved in (with most of our other light fixtures) and unfortunately it’s just not my style like I thought it was. I had a major farmhouse phase for a while and I’m slowly letting myself let go of a few of those types of things around our house. For the dining room I want something that’s a mix of modern and traditional that will better flow with the rest of our light fixtures.
For this refresh the paint and chandelier are the two main pieces that are changing. I will also be adding in a dresser to use as a buffet! We have a dresser that needs to be refinished and I am planning to get it painted in the next two weeks, although it is an absolute mess right now. Other than these items I am going to try to use mostly things I have for furniture and decor, but I definitely plan to hit up a few thrift stores to try to find a few decor pieces and art to round out the space. I haven’t decided on using a rug or not, but if I do use one it will be one we already have. We may just have to play musical rugs, Nathan’s favorite game.
The mood board I created is very neutral. I want a neutral base and will plan to layer on additional textures and colors through textiles, art, and decor that are still TBD.
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Like I mentioned, most of the pieces I already have (except the chandelier), but I’ve linked the items below in case you are interested.
dresser // bar cart // table (similar) // chandelier // art print // windsor chair // tufted chair
Be sure to follow along on Instagram – I will be posting updates of the refresh to my stories! I will post the reveal to the blog in 2 weeks!
