Dining room update

One room I haven’t really shared in the almost two years we’ve been here is our dining room and what I have done so far to update/personalize it to our taste.

Ok so these first two pics are of our “before” which is actually on move-in-day

The picture above isn’t much of the actual dining room/area but it does show a “before” shot of that wall on the very left pretty good.

Here’s a better “before” shot. Our main living areas are all open to each other, which I love and I also love the big bay window, but I wasn’t loving the ugly, only partly working, boob light. Nor was I really digging the dark uni-brow looking valance being held up by a really ugly old brassy curtain rod. I’m not too keen on the colour but that change is still in the works.

And here’s the “after”. Well it’s more like an “in progress” but I’m content with it so far 🙂

First up I took down the ugly window treatments and changed out the light. I’m planning to either make some colorful roman blinds or get some bamboo blinds for the windows in place of the ugly plastic mini-blinds but I’m a firm believer in baby steps and just taking down the old ones makes the window seem bigger and brighter already.

We also changed out the light fixture and I have to say I kind of love it (but I’m also tempted to go for a chandelier of some sort) and my hubby isn’t quite sold on it either. BUT it’s a vast improvement over what was there originally. This light is  Ranarp from IKEA.

I hung some plates, some of which are family heirlooms (the red and gold ones were my great grandmothers) and the others are thrift store finds.

Remember the first picture I showed you? The one I was talking about the wall on the left? Well now you can see how it’s different…It’s a chalkboard wall!

And one more before and after…

I still have some big changes to this “room” planned, including paint (on walls, table and chairs) some fabric updates (window covering and chair recovering) and maybe a lighting change but so far the little room is coming along.

Related: Valentine Inspired Tablescape