Room Recap - Dining Room

As promised,  here is the round up of before, during, and after photos of the room remodel. 

First up is the hutch, which I talked about in a bit more detail in my previous post.

Grandma's maple table was sanded, then painted in the same Tiffany blue as the back of the hutch. It is a bit much on its own but absolutely perfect with a white lace tablecloth. The spiderweb lace tablecloth didn't look too bad on Halloween either!

 

I love my good china, but we eat dinner in here every night, so I was thrilled to find a set of Corelle dishes that matched the room perfectly. I was incredibly lucky to spot some matching glasses at the Dollar Tree too! I never would have thought to look there, but there they were! I think I could probably use some placemats though. Maybe in the silver?

Of course, we can't sit at the table and eat dinner without chairs! Each of the 6 chairs had to be sanded and painted with several coats of white gloss spray paint and clear sealer. The only problem was that we also needed to use those chairs, but since we had 6 chairs and 4 of us, I tried to do two at a time. I ran out of paint and warm weather, so I have to sand and paint one of them and two more need a couple more coats and sealer. I went with the spray paint simply because it was easier to do. the chairs have lots of surfaces and no shortage of nooks and crannies. If I had a paint sprayer, I would have used that but it didn't seem like this project was worth the investment and I don't have any other projects for it in the works. As you see, I painted them outside where the ventilation and overspray weren't an issue. I sprayed them right on the grass the first time but ended up with grass stuck to the legs, so I went for the tarp on the rest. 

I had previously purchased some puzzle piece picture frames in assorted colors for the room. I hadn't hung them because I didn't have pictures for them. Then I decided to remodel and they didn't match. Still, I liked them and I liked the idea of puzzle pieces since the boys are autistic. I hated all of their school pictures. It never really captured them. I put off family portraits because of the divorce and because of the autism. Finally, I had the idea of having the photos taken in the style of a local band photo shoot where they look off into the distance with disdain on some abandoned railroad tracks. They came out even better than I had imagined. Now I just had to hang them up, so the picture frames got a coat of silver spray paint. I used the same paint on the curtain rod, candle holder, and chandelier - which is currently in a time out until I decide how I want to hang it. They ended up in two groupings, once over the fireplace and one on the wall opposing the window. I am painting more inexpensive frames to make a gallery wall on that wall. The wall decal above it was another happy find at the Dollar Tree. 

The mantle got a fresh coat of paint, large and small holes were patched. The large patch on the left was due to an autistic meltdown and the many small dings on the right were from tossing logs into the log rack for the fireplace. I loathe painted brick, so the brick and stone remain untouched and I have no regrets. I picked up a new set of glass doors for the opening. I went with black so it wouldn't draw too much attention. The ex-broke the old ones in a drug-fueled manic rage. They were replaced with a cheap screen that I have always hated. I was not sad to see it go. To combat the dings from firewood, I added MDF beadboard paneling. I installed it on both sides of the fireplace for symmetry and to make the fireplace more of a focal point. I capped it with a trim piece made just for that purpose. Crystal candlesticks with silver candles completed the look once the picture frame was hung. 

 

Finishing touches included switch plates that pick up the rope details from the glass replacement doorknobs that I got for the bedrooms and bathroom - which are visible from the dining room. I also picked up some rope and tied monkey fist tiebacks for the curtains. The curtains are also a work in progress. I found a very nice silver and Tiffany blue fabric that would be perfect and mom offered to make the curtains. I'm still waiting, so more to come when the punch list is done.

 

As I mentioned, the punch list still has a few things on it and as I am working on other rooms, things get shifted, and materials are stored where I can stick them. But, here is the room overall as it is now.