When choosing a home, we wanted a place that felt inviting. A home that felt comfortable. And a home that felt like home to our guests. I believe one way to make a guest feel at home is (of course) a home cooked meal or a freshly brewed cup of coffee! So when remodeling our 1930’s home, I wanted our connecting kitchen and dining room to reflect a sense of coziness and comfort while spending as little as possible!
our dining room “before”
Of course, after purchasing a home, you find way more things that are “wrong” or need fixed than you saw even with three tours prior to purchasing it haha! We spotted this wall (our home is made mostly of plaster walls) and with some touching up, paint, and a DIY wainscoting “look alike,” we knew my vision for our dining room could come alive!
Because we still do not know if this home will be a long term home for us, we have looked into cheaper DIY options for certain projects and our “wainscoting” was one of them! Rather then spending hundreds and hundreds on true wainscoting, Brian measured out, cut, and nailed 1/4 inch plywood to create a wainscoting look alike. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of him preparing this because I was out of town working!
After adhering the plywood, filling in the nail holes, primer and some Extra White Sherwin Williams paint, our “wainscoting” look was complete! The top half of the walls we painted in watery. We also replaced our outlets and had our wood floors redone!
When decorating our small dining room, I wanted to stick with the same theme throughout our entire home. White, bright, and simplistic!
The cabinet we purchased from the previous owners and wanted to keep it in our dining room just as they had! We knew it would be the perfect place to store all of paper products, wine, and less used kitchen items! Oh, and those small drawers? They are used to store our chocolate! While we eat mostly healthy, we both require a piece of dark chocolate almost on a daily basis haha.
The coffee bar is actually a piece I literally dumpster dived for in 2012 and painted! I love it because it reminds me of the fun memory of my old roommate Carlee and I lifting it up a couple flights of stairs to our apartment! It is heavier than most of our couches haha!
The table is another fun find! My father loves auctions and while in college I bet for the first (and only time) on this table and chairs! I took it home with me knowing one day I would get to use it! It sat in storage for over four years fyi haha. Some days I think of painting it, but I just haven’t got the guts yet.
The wall above the stool is currently blank with the hope that one day it can be filled with school work and drawings by Miller and any future children God may bless us with. I love saving spaces and places in our home for ideas imagined in my head. I will always leave a wall blank until I find that perfect item, no matter how long it takes to find!
Every single decor item was either purchased on sale at Hobby Lobby or found at antique stores. Thrifting (and shopping) with my best friend is one of my favorite things, especially when it includes finding decor together! She also inspired me to finally have plants in my home . . . and I have only managed to kill half of them so far. Oops.
As time goes on, I hope to replace our center light, find the perfect rug to go under the table (if I can ever talk Brian into it), and redo our ceiling. But while I wait for these projects to be completed, I will enjoy the site of my new front porch going up and have peace in knowing we having a perfectly comfortable dining room. A dining room where we watch Miller fall in love with new foods, and a dining room where we can host dinners for everyone that we love.
love always, kylie
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