Our house has come a long way. When I look at our mile long DIY wish list it's easy for me to forget how much we've accomplished.
This is what our dining room looked like when we first moved in. The paint on the walls was dingy, the wood floors were covered with nasty carpet, the pine trim made the rooms feel dark and the 1980's ceiling fan was definitely not orginal to the house or well suited for a dining room.
...and this is what it looks like today.
So, first I'll tell you what we did and then I'll give you "the plan." It goes without saying that we ripped up the carpet. My husband actually did that right after closing as I went to the airport to pick up my mom. She flew up to help us move in, since I was six months pregnant at the time.
We lived with the unfinished wood floors for a couple of years before I refinished them (when I was five months pregnant with our second boy...painting by candlelight may not have been the craziest thing I've done.) The chandelier was a $4.00 yard sale find. I know, ridiculous. It had all of the crystals and everything. It was dismantled in a box and I was the lucky girl who finally looked inside. My father-in-law rewired it and it's perfect for this room.
Of course, I painted everything...the ceiling, trim and walls. The rug was given to me by my grandfather, the buffet is an antique that my parents bought years ago and the French Provincial table and chairs were a Craig's List purchase for a total of $300. I bought the table first (in Carlisle, PA) and found the matching chairs a couple months later (in Richmond, VA.) I painted the base of the table and refinished the top.
Now, the to-do list. I am going to paint the chairs a distressed white to match the base of the table and slipcover the seats. I'd also like to make some new curtains, but I need to find the right fabric first. My aunt is bringing me some antique corner cabinets, so hopefully they'll fit on either side of the window and the buffet will move to my family room. I'm also going to paint the walls in the same Aria Ivory as the living room, but leave the window wall blue. Gotta have my blue.
Just a reminder - I will be out of town this weekend, so no Furniture Feature Friday. Just save your projects for next week. I have some posts prepared, so you'll still be hearing from me.
