Dining Room Conversion: Part One

Brent and I love to entertain at our house. We often have people over for dinners, bbqs, yard games, game nights and more. We had a need for a larger dining room, but didn't have the money to tear out walls. So one day I told Brent my plan and he thought I was a little crazy...

(Just for a reminder here are two pics of how the front room and dining room were set up)

My crazy plan...Convert the small-ish dining room into a sitting room/wine lounge. To do this, I moved the small loveseat from the front room under the wall of wine art. I also pulled in a small white coffee table, two side tables and two wonderful chairs I'd found a couple years ago at a flea market. I left the bar and hutch in the room.

I love the result! And since we've had the room arranged this way, people have already been sitting on the furniture. When those pieces were in the front room, they were NEVER used.

The room is cozy and comfortable now. It also feels more appropriate for the square footage in the room.









And it's just off the kitchen, so guest can sit in there and enjoy a glass of wine while I'm finishing up meal preparations.

 

Someday...in my dreams, I'd really love to make that window a set of french doors that open out onto a larger deck in the back yard. It would create really nice flow in and out of the house to the yard. Even better for hosting large gatherings.

For now, we'll enjoy this new lounging area.

And soon, I'll share what we did with our dining table, because I'm sure you're wondering where we're eating our meals now. :)

Karli

The McOlson House: Design Boards

Yesterday was a fun day! Karli delivered Marie and Travis the design boards we put together for their main living areas. This included the front room/dining room, the kitchen space and the family room. Below you can see each room's design board with notes for the two fo them as they start to execute the plan.

While Karli was there, the placement of the furniture in the front room was adjusted and Marie sent me a message today saying that she's going to buy the paint right now.

Here's the front room design. The walls will be SW Accessible Beige and the ceilings will be white.

Marie's front room by mrsmillspaugh featuring a sand table

A view of the room

 

The front room and dining room are open to one another, so they all need to be the same paint color. We also wanted to repeat the mustard/yellow accent by painting their side board and then hang that "inspiration piece" above. You will see that piece right as you walk in the house, so all the accent colors have been chosen to play off that.

The dining room view

 

 

Marie's Dining Room by mrsmillspaugh featuring black mirrors

Next up is the kitchen. They shared the floors they've chosen for the entry, kitchen and family room and we must have guessed correctly, because something very similar is represented below. We talked about painting their island SW Tricorn Black as shown below. Then potentially dropping three pendants. The eat-in kitchen will get a new light too. This whole space and the adjacent family room will be SW Functional Gray.

Kitchen view

Marie's kitchen by mrsmillspaugh featuring green salad plates

And finally, the room that presented the more challenging aspects of the entire project. The room is large and expansive. It also has a large wall that is calling for some art. The location of the TV required some creative thinking.

Family room view

So we've proposed two large square canvases hung vertically above the black console to draw the eye up. We also suggested adding a small bookcase under the TV, near to the stair railing to "ground" the TV. It should be painted the same color as the walls for balance.

We left lots of options for patterened curtains and rugs. We wanted them to be able to choose their favorite within their budget and timeframe. Their existing furniture will work in the room (rearraged ever so slightly) with potential additions of a chair (in an accent color like teal) and some transitional seating like poufs or cubes.

We also suggested that they paint the inset where the clock hangs over the fireplace a green. It will balance the two green canvases hung on the adjacent wall.  

Marie's family room by mrsmillspaugh featuring modern patio furniture
 

We really enjoyed putting these boards together and can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Kandy and Karli

Quick Change Artist: Master Bedroom Refresh

Our house has a lot of gray, black, white and green. Brent has voiced this to me on several occasions. So after giving it some thought, I realized one of the easiest rooms to update would be our master bedroom. It had green pillows and a green candle. That's really all the green. Here's a glimpse of what it looked like.

Two green pillows and a black and white damask pillow.

 

I've been thinking about adding more white to the bedding.

 

Even Porter's bed is green. (Cutest doggie ever, right?!)

 

The wall opposite the bed. I happen to really love this arrangement.

In an ideal world, we'd have a nice sitting chair over in that corner with a side table and a floor lamp. And you probably can't tell from the pic above but there is a painting hanging in the mix that I've always loved. I bought it from an artist outside the Guggenheim about five years ago. So it became my inspiration.

What do you see in the painting? I see a street view of a New York with a taxi on the left.

I had a glorious Friday off and I headed to TJ Maxx for some stress relief. I hit the jackpot in the clothing department (scored black shorts and two versatile tanks) and the home goods (pillows, a basket and a white ceramic garden stool I've been hunting for a year!)

I got these two pillows as a starting point. Love that they pull in the yellow from the painting.

 


I had the rug in the guest room and pulled it in for fun. I think I like it!

 

Also found a yellow candle that smells like apricots (yum!) and the basket that fits perfectly in Brent's night stand.

I think I can amp up the yellow just a little bit more, so I'll be on the search for a new throw for the bench/bottom of the bed.

I remembered that I had two shams that came with the duvet cover so I put two extra pillows in them.

 

I also found that cool ceramic white light that I added to the dresser.

I'm loving the results for only about $45! Thank you, TJ Maxx!

~Karli

Kandy's Master Bedroom Makeover, Part I

It is time to makeover our bedroom. It's looking tired, old, and a little heavy. (I could be describing more than just our bedroom!) Anyway, it is past time for a new look. I usually change things up about every 10 years or so. 

But, before I share the plan for changes, I thought you might get a chuckle out of where this room has been over the last 30 years.

In the 1980's it began as pure "Country."

Check out the waterbed

 

Check out the goose wallpaper border...if you couldn't sleep you could count geese.

In the 1990's, still Country, with more ruffles and Victorian touches. The walls had been painted hunter green. The accessories were burgundy and navy...believe me that was the "thing" back then. We had purchased a new oak bed and I had refinished the chest of drawers.


White bedding in the summer.



Navy bedding for winter....the ruffled shams and bedskirt remained the same.

 

The oak armoire is still in the room, just accessorized differently.

In 2000, the room got painted an olive green. I made the window valances, that in itself could be a new post. We also got a new comforter set and I made coordinating pillows.

The room in shades of green and khaki with a more monochomatic feel. (This must have been taken during the holiday season)

Then I had to make even more changes, the valances got recovered in a different fabric and I added fringe and changed out the bed pillows.



The brass lamps are antiques.This oak chest is a more recent refinishing project.

 

The valances




Probably need a new look here now. 

So, on to the plan for changes:

• Repaint doors, trim and window trim white. 
• Repaint ceiling and wood trim white.
• Repaint walls a shade of gray.       (pick the perfect shade)
• Purchase new white drum lampshades.     (probably at Target)
• Purchase or make a white lumbar pillow for bed.  (to go in front of gold ones)
• Purchase or make new art for over bed.
• Recover oak chair seat in a gray pattern fabric.
• Recover window valances, or uncover older fabric, or remove altogether???

I'm challenging myself to make these changes with very little money. Therefore, I'm keeping our old bedspread and all the furniture. I also need to change out some accessories...give the room a crisper, lighter, more modern touch.  

Anyway, I'm excited! When you live in the same house over 30 years, you have to keep changing it up or it gets as tired looking as its owner.

I'll keep you updated with the changes and transformation.
(See an update here)

~Kandy