One Week Challenge: Week 5

Today is Week 5 of the One Room Challenge...so one week to go before my dining room reveal!  It's crunch time...and I still have a lot to do!  This weekend I had the big project of painting the room:  ceiling, walls, baseboards, moldings- I painted all day Saturday and Sunday and the last two days I've been finishing the trim when I've had time.   Still a little more to do...

In the meantime, I've been looking for two wicker chairs to put at either end of the table. With the Dining Room Budget rapidly being depleted, I needed to find a good deal.  I found these chairs at Home Goods and grabbed them, even though they weren't exactly what I was looking for.
 
I really wanted chairs that had armrests and a curved back, to give more contrast to the four white chairs.  I found these online at IKEA:
BYHOLMA/MARIEBERG Chair - IKEA
So on Monday I made the hour drive to IKEA with a friend to check out their Byholma Wicker Chair. I loved them!  They were comfy, sturdy and the price was right!  The only problem was they were 26 3/4" deep, and I only have 29" between my hutch and table.  Even though I could slide them under the table a little bit, I still felt like it would be cramped.  As we walked through IKEA, I kept seeing the chairs in displays, which only reinforced how much I liked them, but in the end I came home without them (but not without a big blue IKEA bag full of other goodies!).  So I am sticking with the Home Goods chairs.  But last week when I thought I was going to get the wicker armchairs, I ordered this fabric from John Robshaw to make throw pillows for the chairs.
 
The fabric is beautiful!  So while the armless wicker chairs don't really need the pillows, I'm going to make them anyway.
 
On to the lighting situation...which has been stressing me out to no end!  I purchased this basket weave pendant from Horchow
Dining room light?
While it is a beautiful light, it was not right for the space.  The color of the metal basket weave was quite a bit darker than what was shown online, and with my natural fiber rug, wicker chairs and wood table top, there was too much brown going on.  After my husband and I  agreed that it had to go back, that's when panic set in (Ladies- I know you've experienced some of that too at some point during the last 5 weeks!)  Pouring a glass of wine, I plunked myself in front of the computer to try to come up with another option.  I don't like making a major purchase when I'm stressed or time crunched, because I don't make the best decisions.  But I needed a light STAT!!  I did order one, and it's expected delivery date is Tuesday.  Keeping my finger crossed that it arrives on time AND that I like it.
 
And now the fun stuff...My Chinese Happiness Pots arrived from Wisteria- and I couldn't be happier! 

 
 
My 7 year old turned the Wisteria boxes into a makeshift drum set!

 
I brought in  my green glass bottles from the living room- love the contrast with the dark wood.

 
 
So there you have it...the ups and downs of my One Room Challenge week.  Thanks to all of you who have left comments and words of encouragement.  To see what everyone else has been working on this week, head over to Calling It Home.  And be sure to check back in next week for The Reveal!
 
As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.

p.s.  I am having major issues with Blogger not allowing me to enlarge my photos...so frustrating!!  Sometimes I can, but more than often I can't.  After importing the photo I  click on the photo and it turns blue, but I don't get the bar giving me the sizing options.  Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can fix this?????



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One Room Challenge: Week 4

The weeks have been flying by!!  This marks week 4 of the One Room Challenge.  Participating in the One Room Challenge has definitely been time consuming, but I'm enjoying it and will be happy to have the dining room finally done.  Here's what I got accomplished this week:

1. I've been a painting maniac...I think the paintbrush has become permanently attached to my left hand! The upper part of the hutch took FOR.EV.ER to paint, and the glass couldn't be taken out of the doors so I had to tape everything (another time consuming project).  The side panels were glass but we took those out and replace them with wood.

Here's the before:




Here's my inspiration photo with the horizontal planks:
source
And here it is now:



The doors need to be put on, but I'm thrilled at how it turned out!  Love it!  I have to admit, my husband caught me sitting in the dining room just staring at it!  Now comes the fun part- Styling!  I've been collecting treasures (some new & some finds from around the house) and will start editing.

2. Here's a quick project I did with coral...
Some cheap "pet store" coral and a can of spray paint and I ended up with these...


3. The molding got a fresh coat of paint and this weekend will be another painting marathon as I tackle the ceiling, baseboards and walls.

4. The chandelier has been ordered. (No- I'm not going to reveal which one I chose, but thanks to everyone for their imput!)

5. I wanted a painting for above the mantle, and while prowling around Etsy I found a wonderful artist- Linda Donahue - and I love her abstract work!  She had at least ten paintings that would have worked in my dining room, except they weren't the right size!  I contacted Linda, and she is going to create a piece for me to fit the space above the mantle.  I'm so excited!!  The only issue is that she's away right now, so she's not going to have it done in time for the big reveal.  But I'll give you a peak at some of her work...

Green Landscape Seascape Painting Original Art - Coastal Greens 20 x 20

Green Landscape Seascape Original Painting- Green Landscape 16 x 20


Pretty Sea 8 x 10 Giclee Print, Matted to 11 x 14

Blue Abstract Seascape Landscape Painting in Frame - SB8B95 8 X 8

Awesome, right?!

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else got done this week! You can see the other ORC participants and the progress they've made at Calling It Home. 

As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.




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Patrick Ahearn, Architect: Part 2

Last Monday, I showed you the beautiful homes designed by Patrick Ahearn, a Massachusetts-based architect.  You can see them here.  Today, let's take a peak inside...

From the moment you enter the front door, you are greeted with classic lines, thoughtful details, and white open space.  Moldings dress up the walls, and natural wood warms the space.

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Did you spot the happy green and white striped wall in the photo above?
His living spaces are tailored, yet relaxed.  White walls, coffered ceilings, lots of windows, wood beams, neutral furnishings- fabulous from head to toe!

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He almost always goes with a white kitchen.  Notice the transom window over the door- it tilts open!

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A gray island, wood beams and brick warms up this white kitchen.

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His bedrooms are peaceful and serene...
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I'm ready to move in!  How about you? You can view more of Patrick's work here.
Enjoy your Monday!


As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.




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One Room Challenge: Week 3

Well, we've reach the half way mark in the One Room Challenge, and I have to report that not a whole lot got accomplished this week on my dining room transformation. (Previous weeks can be seen here and here ) The kiddos had two days off from school, we had more college visits to make, and a trip to the ER came with doctor's orders to "Rest, rest, rest!"  But I did find an awesome hutch on Craig's List, and with my husband's killer negotiation skills, got it for a steal!  It's 5 feet long, which is perfect for the wall it's going along. It came in two pieces, which definitely made it easier to transport and work on.

I got the bottom cabinet painted in BM White Dove and new pulls put on the doors.
 
 The back of the upper cabinet was mirrored, but I pulled the mirrors off, and had the Handy Husband cut me plywood planks (approx. 4" wide) to install instead.  The planks are being painted BM Palladian Blue.  Currently they have just the primer on, but here's a pic of the test pieces I did...
 
As for the walls, I've decided to paint the entire wall white (not two-toned as it is now).  I had a can of BM Cotton Balls paint leftover from our chicken coop, and put some sample patches up on the walls.  I'll paint the molding a white semi-gloss.
You can see in this picture how badly the trim needed a fresh coat of paint! That's only one coat of wall paint, which is why it doesn't look uniform.  So now the big upcoming project is painting the ceiling, walls and trim.  I also need to decide on a new chandelier,  and am going to ask for your thoughts-  these are the ones I'm leaning towards...what do you think?Geso Spindle Chandelier
 
#1 source
 
 Dining room light?
#2 source
 
 
 
# 3 source
 
Veranda Round Chandelier #potterybarn
 
#4 source
 
Burlap Drum Shade Pendant #potterybarn
#5 source
 
 
SMALL COUNTRY CHANDELIER, Circa Lighting
#6 source
 
Wayfair - Jeremiah Spencer 5 Light Chandelier
#7 source
 
If I went with option #7, I would replace the shades with either grasscloth shades, or woven seagrass shades both from Ballard Designs.
 
Ladies, I need your help!!  As you can see, I'm all over the place with the style of chandelier and the direction that I want to go!  What do you think?  Do you have a favorite?
 
 
 
 As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.




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Patrick Ahearn, Architect

For years I have admired the work of Patrick Ahearn, an architect who specializes in historically motivated architecture and interior design.  From his offices in Boston and Martha's Vineyard, he creates swoon-worthy homes, finely crafted and uniquely detailed.  His homes are timeless.  I love how his newly constructed homes have a sense of history, and it is easy to envision them being built 100 years ago.  Whether a large estate, beach home or cozy carriage house, each design is full of detail and expertly crafted.
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Aren't these homes lovely? Come back next Monday to see the interiors...you won't want to miss a peak inside these beautiful homes!

More photos of Patrick Ahearn's work can be found here.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.




Need help creating a home you love? Contact me about our design services.