DINING ROOM
Have a Seat, Stay Awhile
The dining room has always been the heart of my home. Some of my fondest childhood memories are tied to our dinner table. My mom cooked almost every night, and it was a rarity that we ate out. Even when we had takeout, it was picked up and eaten at the dining room table. Major holidays were always celebrated around that table, and despite our busy schedules filled with after-school activities like soccer, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, and Girl Scouts, we could always count on sharing time together there. No matter how hectic life got, this was where we gathered to catch up on our days. I hold this family tradition close to my heart, so when Luke and I moved into our house, I knew that creating a space where our own family and friends could gather around a dining table was a top priority.
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We couldn’t wait to host, and the dining room became our first project. But just as we dove into the renovations, the pandemic hit, and what was supposed to be a space for large gatherings turned into a setting for just our family of four—Luke, his two daughters, and myself. Despite the changes, we pressed on. This room needed work, and we were determined to give it the attention it deserved. I mean…look at it.
When it comes to designing a space, I’m the kind of person who spends hours researching and sketching ideas, often turning to Pinterest for inspiration. Luke then takes my creative visions and brings them to life using Revit, an architectural design program that lets us view our ideas in both 2D and 3D. While I often challenge him to push boundaries, he keeps me grounded, ensuring that our ideas are realistic and achievable. Together, we made some bold decisions—one of which was creating a feature wall, something I typically don’t embrace. But, after some thought, we decided to commit fully to the idea, and instead of limiting it to just one wall, we went all-in, covering all four walls in statement wallcovering. I truly believe in committing to the concept of going bold and not just making a partial statement.
The chair rail around the room was lowered to make space for a picture molding that would have felt squatty otherwise and to steer away from your traditional chair rail height - this helped the room feel taller. The sanding, priming, and painting of the trim was no small feat, especially with the sheer amount of trim in the room. One design element we decided to keep was the wood tone throughout the house. While many modern homes are removing this tone, we’ve embraced, added and enhanced it where possible and removed it where it just isn’t working. Painting the trim but leaving the windows’ thin wood frames stained in here made the room feel like it grew two feet. It was a decision we have no regrets about, as the room instantly felt more open and elevated.
Lighting was another key change. We replaced the harsh, overly bright chandelier with a softer, more inviting fixture that added warmth to the space. It was a great find from Wayfair—almost an identical piece to one I had seen on Rejuvenation, but for a fraction of the price. I even gave it a quick coat of black spray paint to match the vision I had in mind, since the one I bought only was available in nickel. Ironically, just six months later, linear dining room lights became all the rage, and the options were endless, not to mention the exact fixture is available in black too. Did I start a trend? Probably not—but it’s fun to dream!
Now, let’s talk about the furniture. We knew we didn’t want to invest in expensive dining room furniture, so Facebook Marketplace became our best friend. I found a table with great potential for just $200. It was sturdy and made of real wood, perfect for withstanding board games, craft projects, and inevitable food spills. It took some convincing to keep Luke from building us a custom table, but this one was a great find. We sanded it down and refinished it, giving it a fresh new life.
It is hard to remember the table ever being this color…
But then came the chairs—what a saga. The chairs that originally came with the table looked like they belonged in a medieval castle. They had to go, and fast. Finding eight reasonably priced chairs was not an easy task, and Luke kept my spending habits in check. I found a set of Windsor chairs on Facebook Marketplace that seemed perfect, but they were a bit too orange-toned for the rest of the wood in the room. We decided to paint them black, but after months of hand-sanding and multiple coats of paint, the finish didn’t turn out as expected. They were meant to have a sleek look, but ended up a little distressed. To make matters worse, they started to chip. I’m not sure when (or if) I’ll ever be able to refinish them, but one thing’s for sure—I won’t be using that same paint again!
This was a big whoops…but thankfully they re-sold quickly.
We did say everyone could gather at the table!
Along the way, I found another set of chairs, but I was forcing them to fit the space. After a brief stint in our home, I realized they weren’t the right choice and sold them quickly. For a while, the den became a “chair room” with more seating options than we knew what to do with. But despite the chair debacle, I’m still proud of our dining room transformation. Between the table and the chairs, plus countless hours of work, it has truly become a space where we can gather and create memories. It may have a few scratches, but it still looks great.
As for the carpet? Well, let’s just say I’m looking forward to the day we replace it with beautiful hardwood floors and elegant area rugs. But for now, the dining room is exactly what we envisioned: a space to share meals, stories, and plenty of laughter.
