Our Dining Room Transformation!

AFTER

AFTER

~ ~ ~ ~ AFTER ~ ~ ~ ~

As promised last week,  here are some pictures of my dining room makeover.  It is truly a transformation from a hodgepodge of color and styles to a soothing and calming color palette.

Here are a few before pictures: 

BEFORE

Dark, scratched, chipped and miserable furniture with nice lines.  "Old English" just wasn't doing it anymore and a total refinishing of a dining room table, buffet, china closet and 6 chairs was definitely out of the question!  

BEFORE

I have had this furniture for 35 years.  It was in the first house we purchased and the owners told us we could have it (minus the chairs) for $100.00.  There were no chairs with the set so we used folding chairs until we could find some that would be compatible.  Not thinking that we would ever find 6 chairs in the same style, I set out on a search.  It was years later that I saw an add in the newspaper for a solid mahogany dining room set.  I wondered what the odds would be that the owner would be willing to break the set up and only sell the chairs.  Hmm...it never hurts to ask!  

BEFORE

 BEFORE....(and some after in the background)

 When we went to see the set, it was the exact style as ours!  The lady was desperate to sell and immediately said that we could have all 6 chairs for $60.00!  

 

FIRST CHAIR WITH PRIMER

THIS POOR OLD PIANO WAS LOOKING PRETTY SHABBY...AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!!! IT IS ENTERING IT'S FIRST PHASE OF A FACE LIFT...PRIMER.

BEFORE

HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE DINING ROOM WALL AND TRIM COLOR CLASH WITH THE KITCHEN! IT WAS TIME TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER IN SIMILAR TONES.

oh yes....

And one more BEFORE picture ~ ~ ~ ~

 BEFORE

Bye bye old chandelier!  I hope someone was excited to find this at Goodwill!  It hung in our home for many years and I was MORE than happy to pass it along.

Oh!  I forgot about the mirror...an old mirror that I had in the attic for years.  I always loved the etched glass but couldn't quite embrace the frame.  I decided that I didn't want to get rid of it and would never use it if I didn't do something with it to suit my taste.

BEFORE

.....................................and two more mirrors that were hanging around in the workshop...................................

 BEFORE

BEFORE

~ * ~ * ~ * Okay ~ * ~ * ~ *

ARE YOU READY ?  ? ?

Now for the reveal

REMEMBER THE CHANDELIER FROM GOODWILL FOR $6.97?

THE FRAME ABOVE THE BUFFET IS ACTUALLY THE FRAME FOR A SMALL DOOR.  THIS WAS IN OUR BARN WHEN WE MOVED HERE.  I REMOVED THE DOOR (to be used in a future project) AND PLACED AN OLD EMBELLISHMENT ON TOP.  I PLACED AN OLD MIRROR INSIDE THAT I FOUND AT A FLEA MARKET.

  I MADE NATURAL LINEN CHAIR COVERS WITH ANTIQUE TWILL BALLERINA SLIPPER TIES. 

 I MADE THE DRAPES FROM PAINT DROP CLOTHS AND TRIMMED THEM WITH VINTAGE ICE BLUE SATIN RIBBON.

I LOVE WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON THEM AND MAKES THEM SHIMMER ALONG THE EDGES!

 

                                                                          A TAFFETA SHOWER CURTAIN THAT I PURCHASED AT A FLEA MARKET AND SOME OLD CHEMICAL BOTTLES WITH CRYSTAL TOPPERS CULLED FROM MY "STASH".  SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE MEANT FOR MY ETSY SHOP NEVER QUITE GET LISTED!  I CAN'T RESIST!!!

DINNERWARE AND IRONSTONE PITCHERS, (once again pulled from my Etsy Store), AND STERLING FLATWARE THAT I INHERITED FROM MY AUNT.

I LOVE THIS DINNERWARE AFTER USING OUR BRIGHTLY COLORED HARLEQUIN DISHES FOR SO LONG!  I PACKED THEM AWAY FOR NOW.  (You never know when the color mood might return!  I don't want to burn any bridges here.  My taste is far too fickle.)    

OLD SHUTTER FROM THE BARN FOR RADIATOR SHELF.  I AM GOING TO BUILD A SURROUND FOR IT, (eventually)...but for now---it's good 'nuf fer me.

A VINTAGE CEMETERY BASKET ON TOP OF AN OLD CAST IRON WATER TANK HOLDER, (glass insert), ALL YARD SALE AND FLEA MARKET FINDS!

RANDOM OLD BOTTLES culled FROM YARD SALES.

I LOVE THIS DETAIL ON THE PIANO AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT.  I PAINTED THE INSERTS WITH A MIXTURE OF THE WALL COLOR, MIXED WITH A TINY BIT OF GREEN.  THEN I UNIFIED THE BACKGROUND COLOR WITH THE ORNAMENTATION BY MIXING A BIT OF UMBER INTO A GLAZE AND APPLYING IT OVER THE ENTIRE PIECE. 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED LOOKING AT MY REDECORATING PROJECT AND STOP BACK LATER FOR SOME MORE PHOTOS OF THE DETAILS.  THANKS SO MUCH FOR LOOKING!

HAPPY JUNKING, THRIFTING AND DECORATING!

SINCERE THANKS TO MY SISTER, VICKIE,  FOR GIVING UP ALMOST A WEEK OF HER LIFE TO HELP ME PAINT THE WALLS AND TRIM!  I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE DONE IT BY MYSELF, OR GOTTEN THE WALL COLOR "JUST RIGHT".

Following is a list of paints that I used on the walls, trim and furniture as well as the technique I used on the furniture.  I did a separate tutorial for the piano which is listed below.  

• Primed all furniture with Latex Kilz 
• Base-coated all furniture with Brown Bread satin enamel by Behr  
• Dry brushed Ultra Pure White Premium Plus interior semi gloss by Behr over the base-coat  
• Coated all furniture with 2 coats of polycrylic.  (3 coats for buffet and table tops)

         
       Note*  I used leftover paint from previous projects to keep costs down and not waste what I had. 

I don't have a name for the wall paint color.  It is a very light aqua that I had custom mixed at Benjamin Moore and used on my dining room walls.  My sister and I experimented with mixing small amounts of baby blue,  yellow/gold and white that I had on hand and took it to Benjamin Moore to have them custom mix enough for the room.

Below is a picture of the label.  If you are interested in getting this paint color, you could jot the formula down and take it to them to have it mixed. They will keep the formula on file for you and you can call it anything you like.  I named mine "Cindy's Dining Room 2010".

    

All wood trim was painted with Calming Cream semi-gloss by Benjamin Moore

 I posted a Piano Painting Tutorial   for anyone that is interested.






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