Cottage Dining Do Over!
The dining area of our new Cape house was small, but had potential. We loved the built in hutch and the custom built wainscoating. Yes - the wainscoating is actually individual vertical boards! We also loved how the area opened out to our back deck and yard, making grilling and entertaining easy...perfect for a summer beach house.
BUT, like the kitchen, the area needed updating. It was "fine," but not "fabulous"...and that light fixture - oh wow...it was HUGE! Almost the size of the table! Pretty, but oh my how it overpowered the room! This area needed a make over, while keeping in mind it's small size.
Here is the before picture:
So off I went to the paint store to get another gallon of Lady Finger #1045 Benjamin Moore paint for the walls, and some additional Super White by Benjamin Moore for the trim work, built ins, and sliding door casing. At this point, the guys at Hubbard Paint on Route 134 in Dennis had become my best friends!
(Lady Finger #1045 by Benjamin Moore)
Paint, paint, paint I did, but wow what a difference it made! The white really made the built ins look cottage cute, and the wall color was just enough of a contrast to make the shelving pop. The new colors also brightened up the entire space and made it appear larger.
After painting was complete, I removed the existing curtain rod over the slider and replaced it with a nice, stately, bronze rod...carrying the bronze theme from the kitchen into the dining area. I also had long panels made (Thanks Beth!) out of the same adorable, beachy, fun fabric from P. Kaufman that adorned the kitchen window. The panels were hung as high as possible to make the room and sliding door appear taller/longer.
(P. Kaufman Harbor Island Coral Beach Shell)
My dad replaced the light over the kitchen table (Thanks Dad!) with an adorable nautical onion light whose finish was...of course...BRONZE!
The room was definitely coming together! There was a skip in my step! Next, the furnishings needed to be replaced with something cottage cute.
I used an old off white oval table from Crate & Barrel that would fit our family of six...but it only had four chairs. So, I purchased two dark wicker chairs for additional seating. These are indoor/outdoor wicker in a BRONZE color, that are great as end chairs for the dining table at dinnertime, and can also be easily moved out to the deck during get togethers. A trip to Home Goods resulted in two striped seat cushions for the chairs that have the same fun green color as the window fabric. Add some throw pillows from Pottery Barn (with lobsters of course), and the look is complete.
When replacing the kitchen counters, I had the contractors extend out the countertops (make them wider) so that the area of the counters that was in the dining area could be used as a breakfast bar. This helps to extend the usable living space in our small cottage. I spray painted two wicker stools in a fun coral color and they tuck easily underneath the counterspace when not in use. This spot is now a favorite for a quick bite to eat, checking email, or reading the morning paper with a fresh cup of OJ :)
I found some cute wall art to adorn the walls, and a nice jute area rug from Pottery Barn for under the table (the jute hides everything and is rugged - which with four kids - is essential!!)
And...TA DA...project complete!
PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT MY BLOG!! http://willowhousewithlynn.blogspot.com
FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!! http://pinterest.com/willowhouselynn
SHOP for WILLOW HOUSE BY LYNN Decor at http://lynndoherty.willowhouse.com
No comments:
Post a Comment