My house is dark. There are two HUGE elms in our front yard that make the natural light in our house less than abundant. And we can’t paint the walls in our rental. Check out the sad before pictures of our dining room:
Since we will live here for only a year, I decided to go with a really bright and fun color scheme for the room.
I reupholstered the $50 Craig’s list settee myself earlier this year.
Before:
After:
{And, yes, I am slightly embarrassed that Chiang Mai pops up so much around here…}
The table is a mid-century Drexel piece that seats 12 with all the leaves installed. I love it. It was purchased for $50 from a Craig’s list seller who had “distressed” it to “look like a Pottery Barn table.”
There were 10″ long scratches in the surface and perfect phillips head “star” screwdriver gouges! A little bit of wood filler and some sanding helped a lot.
The table’s been painted black for most of the time I’ve owned it, but I recently painted it this really moody ink blue color that I love, called “Umbrella” from Martha Stewart.
The chairs were purchased last fall at the Brimfield antique show. They were in really bad shape when I got my hands on them…
I blogged about them here. They are painted one of my favorite creamy white colors, Martha Stewart’s ‘Macaroni.’
I had planned on putting down a seagrass rug, but I actually really like the way the PB Collette rug looks in here. I like the muted tones layered with all the really bright colors.
I sewed the drapes myself using peacock blue linen fabric that I bought for $1 a yard at a local fabric store because it had been sun bleached. I simply dyed all the fabric with some RIT in the washing machine and fixed the discoloration. This saved me some serious cash.
I used cream twill tape trim from eBay for the box pleated accent on the leading edges. You can purchase a similar trim at M&J.
The tortoise shell-looking bamboo shades were on clearance at Home Depot (though they can be purchased full price here). There were only two shades left at the store and they were different widths, but you can’t tell layered under the drapes.
Remember the clock?
I cut off the scalloped apron and added $5 worth of moulding to the sides.
The whole thing got a coat of Martha Stewart’s ‘Vintage Map’ and then I trimmed out the moulding with glossy black paint. I’m still waiting for the brass ring pulls to come in for the bottom cabinet doors.
I bought nine IKEA Ribba frames for $7.99 each. I can’t find the link online, but they were a natural wood color before I spray painted them the persimmon color.
I photoshopped some old family photos for the frames and I love getting to see images that remind me of our family heritage every day.
The tole chandelier was another Brimfield purchase ($40).
I bought a very pretty gold-leafed plein air frame for a client a few months ago and didn’t end up using it, and I really wanted to incorporate in my own home. Rather than buying a painting to fit the frame, I scavenged my art supplies in the basement for an old 16×20 blank canvas and some oil paint to create a VERY rough version of this image from Lonny.
I don’t love it, but I guess it’s fine for now.
The server was a birthday gift a few years ago from my mom. It used to be an old dining table that was cut down and two new legs were added to the back to make it console table sized. I gave it a coat of chartreuse green paint for the dining room redo.
The Chinese stools were a total craigs list score and have a permanent home under the server table. The large sunburst mirror is from Home Goods. I bought it a few months ago.
That’s it for part one. I’ve got lots of fun DIY projects from other parts of this room that I can’t wait to share with you all!!
You kill me. Seriously, I die whenever I look at whatever amazing thing you have created, reupholstered, painted, sanded, fixed, looked at. I LOVE it.
Holy cow, there's a part two?!
Beautiful work.
Holy crap! I have been in awe before at your amazing ideas, but I tell you, my jaw dropped when I saw the after picture. You are incredible! This is incredible. I absolutely love love LOVE it! I don't think I will ever be able to create like you do, but you really do inspire me. I mean, this is just…It's…I'm speechless. It's just….ah!
For having white walls your dining room is definitely NOT lacking in color! You are fantastic with color, I love the mixture of paint colors, fabrics, textures, everything! I always look forward to your room transformations, you NEVER disappoint! As a designer you really show that anyone can have high end design without spending a fortune.
You are amazing!! I can't get over all that you do!! I can't believe that there is a part 2 of this. I LOVE your DIYs,
Do you think that you might do a DIY on the reupholstery sometime?
Thanks so much for all you do. Keep those good ideas coming. (I'm doing a pelmet next weekend.
Thanks again,
Pat B.
WOW WOW WOW! I would never in my life be able to put all of those things together and make them looks so fabulous! Fantastic job!
it's so lovely! i can't wait to have a home that i own so that i feel like investing in it… until them i save awesome rooms like this in my faves folder for future inspiration :-)
Wow – you are truly inspiring. I am such a black, white and neutral person but seeing your rooms makes me think I need to add a little colour. You are so daring and brave.
You re-upholstered the settee? Do you have a tutorial somewhere in your blog? I have slip-covered but never upholstered.
I am also in a rental but was allowed to paint the walls – but still there is only so much you can do – wish I could tear out the carpet!
Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
I swear I have this theory that you are not real, Jenny. Sometimes I imagine you are instead the amalgamation of a bunch of designers and internet scavengers, alike. However, assuming that you are actually a one woman band, please do write a book!
Your creativity, not just in design but also in your repeated evidence that beauty and possibility DO exist everywhere that the eye dares to look-is divine.
Thanks for sharing your spirit and inspiration (assuming, of course, that you are real)!
Best,
Claire
This is absolutely fantastic! Looks like magazine photos!
Just found you two days ago — and now I'm convinced that you a)don't sleep at all, b) own a magic wand, and c)are commander of a small army of designer elves who live in the attic and do the grunt work for you. You take the pictures.
Seriously. Where in one human brain can all of these fabulous ideas fit? I'm in awe. Jaw-dropping awe.
Um, hello? The painting is great, and the room as a whole is too! i lovw what you've done here–so bright without the use of any paint. I love the color on the console table, and style of the dining table and chairs is perfect. Did you say you reupholstered the couch YOURSELF? Wow. I love it all, great job.
Wait a sec, you painted that picture?! I know you are an artist, I mean look what you can do visually to any space, but I didn't know you were like, able to pump out paintings! One time Brigham came home from your place ( I think he was helping Michael move something?) and he was like "Jennica can do amazing stuff, Michael showed me, she's like, an artist." If Brigham notices, you know you're good. :)
It looks so awesome!
I love the console and settee. They are so eye catching!
Thanks for all the great ideas! What's your spray paint of choice? I tried spray painting a metal bed with Ace Hardware brand, it was a drippy goopy mess. Ended up just painting them and it worked great. I'm convinced I just went with the wrong kind…
Seriously superb. Really, you leave me speechless… I'm in complete and utter awe over the settee in the Chiang Mai – is there really ever too much of a great thing?
Thank you for sharing!!
You are true genius! Keep going girl, you really inspired me.
Bright, Happy spot you have! I love it. What time is dinner, I will bring the pigs in a blanket!
I do not even miss that you cannot paint the walls with all the great things you have done!
pve
You are amazing, Jenny! It's gorgeous and I'm sure your family appreciates all the money you save while making your home beautiful. Way to go!! And thanks for sharing all of your ideas/sources/inspiration!!
Fantastic. You are the bomb! How do you do it? Aren't you in your third trimester? You have an incredible amount of creativity and I am so fortunate to have found your blog. Truly inspiring. Thank you, again.
Such inspiration! I have the same issue with a dark family room and have been blogging about my updates. Just yesterday I featured your skirted console table as a possibility for my dated dining room buffet. This post is bookmarked. So much to see.
Thanks for sharing all these terrific, achievable ideas.
Amazing!!!!! Would you ever be willing to share your knowledge on how to reupholster furniture? Or do you have a good tutorial online you know of that you could share? I've been looking unsuccessfully for one for a while now and your work on the settee is beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration!
you are amazing. I am loving the upholstered settee. Beautiful, beautiful job.
You rock! It looks stunning!
I have two chairs that I bought from a hotel liquidation a few weeks ago and I have been trying to decide if I should reupholster them or slip cover. Which do you think would be the easiet route?
You are seriously gifted! Thanks for sharing your ideas, they truly inspire me.
Wow, you really are such a talent with color! Really LOVE what you've done, very inspirational!!
xoxo
dagny
Looks beautiful- I am a DIYer trying to decorate a new(old) home- help a girl out! Teach us about the upholstering of the setee. I have a couple of pieces to recover- but with cost of fabric and paying someone-sometimes it is cheaper to go new! Not very sustainable!
If I could pick my chin up off of the floor I'd tell you how utterly amazing that room looks. You make me want to stalk craig's list and buy gallons of paint!
What a happy makeover , amazing , I am going to share this on my blog , everyone needs to see this .
Chris
Just Beachy
You might be the craftiest person/blogger I have EVER seen. It looks magnificent! Love that you are not afraid to have a lot of color and your stuff is never matchy matchy or cataloggy.
jenny! this is fabulous. I really can't get over that you did the settee your self. this room is stunning.
What a wonderful mix of colours… it looks amazing… great job… can't wait for part 2…
Popped in from SITS… have a great day.
WOW! Totally amazing. You are a phenomenal DIYer. Turned out great!
I'm curious- did you swap the sunburst mirror and family portraits from one side to the other?
Jenny, this is so beautiful! I can't believe what you've done with a rented house. Seriously, it gives me the chills to look at your work! I'm curious what painting products you utilized with these various projects. You once blogged about latex vs. oil paint (and a kind of Behr primer all-in-one product) just wondered what direction you went with the table, clock and console. Again, the room is amazing!
Another HOME RUN! (Baseball has been on at our house all week, haha.) This is insane…in the words of Rachel Zoe, I die. It's so cute. You have officially turned me on to serious color. I always figured myself a neutral girl, but I'm totally inspired by your gorgeous ideas. Love, love, love!
Jenny, out of all the design blogs I read, I think your is the most inspirational. You are truely talented and I am totally blown away by how lovely and surprising your rooms are! Great work! You are definitly an inspiration…thanks!
ps. I emailed you a while back for some advice and now finally have my blog up and running :)
-Sarah
http://timelessstyleblog.blogspot.com/
I am DYING. This is gorgeous.
Wow that is a great looking dining room, I love all the colors!
wow!! i love your blog. i love your creativity. i also love that a lot of the projects you do are very low-cost. you give me inspiration and so many ideas. my daughter who's 5 and very creative/artistic just loves your blog, too. she gets all excited to see the pictures. :) your dining room is awesome, and i can't wait to see the rest!
You are so talented!! and your gift for decorating on a major budget absolutely floors me every time! I have resolved to paint an old dresser using the same method you employed for the console a few posts backs and am really looking forward to it! Thanks for all the ideas!
I LOVE IT!!!! Everything about it!!! Great job! I. die. :)
What color would you have chosen for the walls if you were given permission to paint?
Phenomenal! You are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing!
Hi–this is my first time commenting on your blog, which I discovered about 6 months ago and LOVE what you do (especially your DIY projects). Why am I de-lurking you might be wondering? Because your dining room make over is beyond belief! I seriously love it! I love how you put together a bright, colorful room that feels so cozy and warm. I love painted furniture but have hesitated in the past because I think "oh, that'll be too much, must keep a wood element", but you have proven me WRONG! I can't wait to see part two!
You are amazing! I love seeing what you do and how creative you are!
YOu never cease to amaze me! Everything is brilliant. I'm most impressed with you re-upholstering your setee yourself! I've got a few CL finds that need reupholstereing but I'm timid to tackle them myself. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'd love to see a post dedicated to your upholstery project. Bravo!
Looks fabulous (as ever!). Do you know of any great tutorials on re-upholstering furniture? I'm able to do it but have some hang-ups. Thanks for all the wonderful inspiration!
Love it!!!! Very very very inventive :)
You are seriously amazing!! I love the setee!
So beautiful!! I've been reading your blog for about a month now & really love how you make such high-end looks by DIY & talent! It gives me hope that I can do a lot on a limited budget. Thanks so much for sharing.