How to accessorize bookcases

Well hello! I’m back today to share how the accessories on the bookcases came together. It was a long process (what about this project wasn’t??) and I gathered some of the items over months and months. Most of the accessories we already had, but it sure was fun to look for a few new pieces throughout this process! Here are the bookcases again as a reminder: First I’ll go through some of the

Library bookcases done. Boom!

Remember that one time, back in January, when I had that idea to transform our dining room into a library? And then, back in March, when we started the process of building bookcases for the new library? Yeah, it was eight months ago, so I don’t blame you if you can’t remember. ;) Well, they are finally done!!!! And I’m thrilled!! I have worked  my butt off over the past few days to get them

Library lights (finally!)

So I mentioned last week that I finally ended what was a four month long search for lighting for the dining room bookcases I am finishing up. Actually four months is conservative. I think it’s probably been more like eight. :) When I last blogged about the bookcases, this is where we were: I said I was going to be finished with them in September. I was wrong. :) Now, I’m aiming for end of

Library built ins update (so close!!)

Hey hey! It’s time for another update on the DIY built ins in the dining room turned library. Last time we talked about this project (it’s been a month!), I explained how we built the bookcases up to this point: The final frontier (well, the biggest one) was to trim out the front of the bookcases, which I figured was going to be the easiest part by far. So Dad came by a few weeks ago, we took

How to build built ins

Hello hello!! I’m back today with an update on the dining room redo. Remember looong ago in January when I talked about turning our rarely never used dining room into a library kind of space? I realized today that this will be a year-long transformation. ;) It’s not been hard, it’s just time consuming. Dad and I have been doing it together, but today I finished up a big chunk of it myself. And

Butcher block love

Heya! I kinda feel like my head is about to explode this week – the house is a mess (again) – more on that in a bit, the kiddo was sick, I’m trying to tie up presentations for the Haven Conference (NEXT WEEK??) and did I mention we are hosting a party the night before I leave for the conference? Yeah. I. am. insane. Anyhoo, when I stress I either curl up in a ball in the corner and rock… or I

Dining room turned library progress

Hope you’ve had a fantastic weekend! I almost started five different projects over the three days but decided I just needed to FOCUS SARAH. Remember my list? Well the end of the month is quickly approaching and I’m not even half way through the to do list I wanted to complete by the 31st. So I decided to tackle a couple of the items and I didn’t touch anything else all weekend. I need to get a

Show Us Your Dining Rooms!

Hey hey! Hope you had a lovely weekend! These third Monday’s sneak up on me – I can’t believe it’s time for another show off partay! This month we’re sharing dining spaces – any size, any type, you are good! If you’ve been around for awhile, you know I’m making some BIG changes to our dining room, but more on that in a bit. First, let’s take a little walk down memory lane shall we? This

Dining room transformation, part 2

Hello all! I feel like everything around here is in a state of in between – so many fun projects on the horizon, but some dirty (and not as fun work) that needs to get done first! I am NOT complaining – I’m just trying to be patient, and it is not my virtue. ;) One of those projects is our dining room turned library that I first told you about in January. My plan was to get rid of the

A Punch of Pink in the Dining Room

 

 

 

 

When I used this chair in raspberry in an online design plan for a client’s dining room last year, it seemed like a bold choice.  With the exception of my daughter’s room, I haven’t used a lot of pink throughout our own home.  However, I’m seeing it pop up more and more on dining chairs and I like the energy it brings to a room:

 

 

House Beautiful

 

 

 

Armonia Decors by Emily Ruddo

 

 

 

Absolutely Beautiful Things

 

 

 

Ruthie Somers via DecorPad

 

 

Want to give this look a try without spending lots of money?  Here are some inexpensive options:

 

 

 

This  might be my favorite look.  I love the boldness of painting the frame the exact color of the fabric.  (I wish I had a clearer picture and a source for you—anyone know?)  This would be a great way to make over a set of old dining chairs.  Instead of searching for a fabric, you might even want to consider painting the existing fabric, using a method like the one by Kristy I featured here.

 

 

And, if you don’t want to invest in upholstered chairs, here are a few options for more casual dining at a great price. . .

 

 

Pink Garden Side Chair

 

 

Pink Acrylic Chairs

 

 

 

Thonet Chair

 

 

Have you infused your dining room (or any other space) with a bold shade of pink?

 

 

 

Welcome to my newest sponsors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, thanks to renewing sponsor:

 

Dining room transformation, step one!

Hey hey! How was your weekend? I spent half of Sunday finishing up the first Hunger Games book – whoa, SO good. I’m avoiding the second one until I get a few good nights of sleep under my belt – I go to bed wayyy to late when I’m into a book. ;) Anyhoo, I did get a little something done this weekend. Or I should say started. Or I should say my Dad and brother got it started. ;) Remember when I

Dining room turned…

Hey all! I shared some of my home plans for 2012 with you here, but there’s one I held off on mentioning. It’s one I’m kind of sort of really excited nervous anxious about. :) There’s actually two drastic changes for the house I have going on in my noggin – both are HUGE projects. One I’m still hashing out in my head. This one I’m more ready to move forward on. It’s a bit of an usual makeover

Metallic Christmas Table

Hello hello! Hope you had a lovely weekend! I finished up our Christmas dining room today and I am smitten! Layla is kicking off our Holiday Home link ups tomorrow morning, so I had to share what I’ve been up to! I’ve wanted to change up the centerpiece in the dining room for some time now – I love those glass candleholders in the framed out mirror, but it’s been a couple years now and I

DIY - plates on wall

You've been reading about 'The Pipal' on my blog... those lovely kids store for themed kids room accessories...

Now see what Abha Mahajan has done with her dining room.... I simply love DIYs... don't you??

Over to Abha ~

I have a quirky collection of plates and miniature boxes displayed in the dining area. The mandala has been painted by me on glass. The plates are from India as well as holiday souvenirs. I tend to pick up boxes and plates when we travel!

The boxes are displayed in Fabindia display case and are from all over the world. Couple of sentimental gifts as well.

So what do you think?? I love the plates on the wall idea.... Do you have souvenirs that you've displayed creatively?? Can you share them with us?? Email me on torresp27@hotmail.com... I've love to feature you here..

Our Dining Room: The Details

    


I included our dining room when I posted our home tour last week and have blogged about its progress along the way, but here's the official "before/after" post and all of the details in one place.

The dining room is one of the first spaces you see when you walk through the front door, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it sat looking like this for way too long:

The problems:  blah beige walls, a matching table and chairs that I was quickly getting tired of, a mirror that didn't fit the wall, a lack of window treatments--I could go on and on. . . This room definitely evolved over time, with me making lots of changes along the way. 

I started by painting the walls a rich (but not too dark) brown called "Flatland" by Dutch Boy Paints.  The next step was to solve the problem of the matching dining set.  I moved the chairs to our breakfast area, kept the table and since dining chairs can be expensive, I shopped for new ones at a local thrift store.  I came home with six of these for $12 each:

After a couple of different attempts, I settled on this fabric:

(The "Bon Appetit" pillows are inexpensive IKEA covers that I had embroidered.)

I repeated the seat fabric on the window treatments.  From the start, I knew I wanted to bring chartreuse into the space.  I used simple IKEA curtain panels and customized them by having them lined for fullness and adding a wide fabric band.

To tie in the green, I used this fabric to recover a $50 ottoman from Walmart.com, which became my new dining bench:

The rug, by the way, was a $100 Craigslist find.  I must have really wanted it, because I remember going all the way across Charlotte, 9 months pregnant (with my entire family in tow) to pick it up.  Determination does pay off :)

And, I definitely got the mileage out of this book that I bought online for less than $35.  I was able to fill the walls with botanical art without breaking the bank.  I, of course, used my favorite plastic frames from Michael's to complete the look:

The mirror was also a thrift store fnd, and the buffet is our old TV console (originally purchased at a Rooms To Go Outlet).  I just changed the knobs and used the open spaces to house serving trays, table linens, etc.  I've had the lamps for a while.  They were bronze with big bell shades.  I painted them white and bought the oversized shades at a Pottery Barn Outlet store for less than $20 each.

I found the black urns on the dining table on clearance at HomeGoods.  I think that covers everything. . . More details to come on the adjoining living room next week.

Welcome to my newest sponsor, Fabric Beauty!

An Etsy shop offering beautiful 1-yard fabrics (sometimes more)--perfect for your small-scale decorating projects!

A Client's Bachelor Pad Overhaul: The Dining Room

    
Today, I'm sharing part two of a project I've been working on.  You may remember the client's living room makeover that I posted last week.  The couple also wanted a pretty space to entertain so we made some major changes to their dining room, as well. 

Here's the "before" shot we all love to see:

The room was suffering from a case of too much wood furniture (all in the same tone), a lack of color on the walls that prevented you from even noticing the trim, and outdated lighting.

After making these changes, this is how the room turned out:

We started by painting the walls the same gray-blue as in the living room.  Since these two rooms are only separated by a small foyer, we used color to connect them and make them feel like one larger area for entertaining. 

By the way, I know several of you have asked. . . The paint color is Santorini Blue by Benjamin Moore:

Much to my delight, the client had this dining table and wicker chairs in storage!  I love the texture that the chairs bring into the space, and they keep the space from becoming too formal.

I found the china cabinet at a consignment shop, in perfect condition; the back was already gold-leafed. My client received the bird prints as a wedding gift (isn't that the best part of working with newlyweds?).

Welcome to my newest sponsor, Bamboopink!

I hope you'll take a minute to pop over to the site and shop for some beautiful jewelry, while also helping a great cause.  Our Bamboopink consultant is Lisa Mende, who is starting a project here in Charlotte, NC, to provide loving environments for low income families when they acquire their first home.  She is using her profits from Bamboopink sales to generate income to help with this venture.  (You can also find more information on how to become a Bamboopink representative by emailing Lisa.) 

Dining room Christmas vignette

I’m late to the party! Ack! We’ve been busy with a choo choo tree, hubby’s birthday and my impromptu decision to finally paint the office. I am crayyyzay! Anyway, I finished up our dining room vignette today, and I’m so excited to link up to Rhoda’s Holiday Home linky party!: You may remember last summer when I removed the top of our dining room hutch: It had bugged me for YEARS, and I

The dining room update

Heya peeps! I hope you had a great weekend! I finally finished up a project that was months in the making…really it was years. ;) Before we built our house, we had been living in a two bedroom apartment for three years or so, and a small apartment translated to VERY little furniture in our new, large house. I lived with the bare dining room as long as I could after we moved in, and one day I

A glam christmas table

OK, a few things before I start this post. I’m writing this one in Live Writer for the first time ever, and holy canoly, it’s freaking awesome! I love how easy this is to work with, and that it’s so easy to change and move photos! So this post may look a little different. (Let me know if it works OK for you!)Second – YES, it’s a Christmas post. YES, I am decorating now. Well, this is the first of

A dining room reveal!

Well, its not completely done, but I thought I would stop the torture and just show you already!! :)


I have long said there are three rooms I think you can do totally dramatic and fun. Your laundry room, powder room and your dining room. The first two because they are usually small and can take pretty much whatever color you want. The last, because I think dining rooms should have a little