The transformation of our dining room is finally finished!
When we purchased our fixer upper, it needed a lot of updating in every single room.
The home had really “good bones”, and some wonderful architectural details, so even though it was stuck in 1972, we knew that the rooms could be beautifully transformed. The dining room was no exception.
To get a better perspective, let’s take a look back at what the dining room looked like when we bought our house.
The dining room was a definite throwback to the early 1970’s, complete with popcorn ceiling, flocked avocado wallpaper {have you ever seen flocked wallpaper?}, the original hot pink, custom made draperies, and original baseboard electric heating units.
But it also had gorgeous, original parquet wood floors; a French chandelier, dripping in crystals {be still my heart!}, painted brick walls; a built in hutch {I have a thing for built in cabinets}; and the most stunning original, arched, stained glass window.
There was also a lovely arched, brick doorway leading from the dining room into the living room.
As well as a pair of beautiful cast iron, Italian bas relief plaques that were built into the brick wall when the home was built.
It had some wonderful “bones” to work with. All we needed to do was bring it into this decade!
Here is what the dining room looks like now, after our renovation.
As with every room prior to this one, we started by scraping the popcorn ceiling. This is a job that I truly hate, and hubby and I have started flipping a coin to see who is going to have all the fun. He lost on the dining room, so he had to scrape!
If you ever decide to scrape popcorn ceilings, it is not hard to do, but it is a real mess. It also requires wearing masks, goggles, and having lots of ventilation. I would also recommend having it tested for asbestos before disturbing it. Another option that we have used is covering the popcorn ceiling with wood planks, which we love!
Once the ceiling was scraped and cleaned up, we painted it with a flat ceiling paint.
The chandelier had not been hung in the middle of the room, so we moved it over, but kept the electrical in the same place. We just used a decorative hook in the correct placement and looped the chain over to the center.
We tried removing the flocked green wallpaper, but it literally would not come off the wall. We tried every method and solution known to man, and also consulted with professionals, but absolutely nothing worked! No matter what we tried, sheet rock came down with it.
So we made the decision to leave the wallpaper up and plank with wood planks over the top of it. I have to say that I love the look.
We didn’t have to add crown moulding to this room, as it already had it, but we did have to add baseboard trim where we removed the old electrical baseboard heating units. We already had a new gas heating system installed, so these old outdated units were no longer needed.
Everything in the dining room received a fresh coat of paint in beautiful neutral colors. The beautiful stained glass window was cleaned of years of grime, and the parquet wood floor was cleaned and polished.
I painted the built in hutch, but left the original glass doorknobs.
The brick walls and arched doorway were easy to just touch up with a fresh coat of paint.
We also added extra trim and crown moulding to the top of the double doorway to give the visual appearance of taller ceilings.
It’s an easy update and we are trying to do this in each room as we renovate.
The dining room was probably one of the easier rooms we have done so far, even though the flocked wallpaper dilemma made us crazy for about a week!
The arched, stained glass window is now the crowning glory of this room, showcased against the more neutral pallette, instead of fighting for attention with the hot pink drapes and avocado green walls.
Looking in from the kitchen.
The dining room is now a fun and easy room to decorate as the seasons change, adding bits of color here and there.
I hope you have enjoyed this review of the dining room transformation, as we are leading up to the reveal of the master bedroom.
We have finally finished the transformation of the master bedroom, and we will be posting the reveal in a couple of days, so stay tuned!
Sources:
Wood Planks: Lowes Home Improvement
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Trim and Brick Color: Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Ceiling Color: Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Double Door Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Pussywillow
Built in Hutch Painted in: Annie Sloan French Linen on the outside, Annie Sloan Provence on the inside.
Sideboard: Ballard Designs
Burlap Lamp Shades: Lowes Home Improvement
Drapes: Belgian Linen from Maison Dépôt …..well, not really…..{diy upcycled drop cloths from Home Depot!}
Everything else in this room is vintage or antique, picked up at various antique markets, flea markets, or estate sales.
Cheers, Cindy
I enjoy reading your blog. I have a question about the dining room redo. If you put wood over the flocked wallpaper, how did you resolve the issue of the built-in cabinet? The wood of the wall would overlap the edge of the cabinet.
It was very thin wood and didn’t make any noticeable difference butted up to the built in.
This room transformation is still a favorite for me, Cindy! I know you have since moved and are just getting a few posts out between working on your new home and running a business, but I love seeing your same beautiful style…
Blessings to you and your family this holiday season,
Barb 🙂
Thank you, Barb!
Just stumbled onto your blog while searching how to hang copper pots over my cooktop and I am in LOVE!! Your home is gorgeous and love how you have left some of the unique, interesting features that came with the house.
I have been looking for French country inspired lamps for the sideboard in my dining room for a year and haven’t found anything large enough and yours are lovely. I see that the shades were from Lowe’s but were the bases an estate sale find?
Hi Kathy! The lamp bases came from an estate sale!
You do such great work! where did you get the dining room table? I have a table with 6 cane back chairs and 96 inch credenza. Trying to decide if I want to keep it and refinish. I got it for free. Yours looks beautiful.
Hi Kelly! We actually bought the table and chairs separately at an estate sale in Mobile, AL!
Simple Beautiful!
I absolutely love your home. The dining room has been beautifully redone. Bravo!!
I absolutely LOVE your home, and thank you for listing all your sources at the bottom of each room post. As I go from room to room, I think the next one can’t possibly be as jaw dropping as the last. Wrong! I could move right in and not change a thing. So inspirational. I’m ready to get started updating a room in my home.
Thank you so much, Rita, for your sweet comment! It’s amazing at the impact just a few changes can make in a room!
I LOVE Your home! It has so many special one of a kind details….love the brick arched opening, the inset wall art and that stained glass window is spectacular! You definitely have the gift for helping a room look its show of its VERY BEST SELF! Just beautiful.
Thank you so much, Toni!
I have never had wallpaper not come off. It’s dreadful work removing wallpaper. I can only imagine how frustrating it was trying to get it down and then coming up with a new plan. The way you decided to move forward is pretty. I adore the chandelier and the brick doorway. The character the brick adds must be more amazing in person
Cindy
Thank you, Cindy!
Can you please tell me how tall your wingback chairs measure you have at both end of your dining room table? I want the look but having trouble gauging the height. Thanks and love love love your home
Hi Leslie! The height of the back of the chairs from the floor is 52″. The back measures 32″ tall from the seat. I hope this helps!
Hi Cindy….I am absolutely gob smacked at the transformation of your rooms. I am especially interested in the drop cloth drapes. What are the pleating increments you used? I am going for it. Thanks for inspiring me.
Thank you Beverly! The pleats are just ironed into the panels, using heavy starch. I think I ironed a pleat every 4-5″. Hope that helps!
Thanks Cindy that certainly will help. Also, I just love your foyer. Be still my heart. Unfortunately our next home will not have stairs as my husband suffers back and leg weakness. Going to try and leave before we have to install the Acorn Stairlift…lol. Do you think the Paverstone paint on brick would look okay with a mahogany stained fireplace surround? Thanks Cindy
Beverly, I think the Pavestone paint would be lovely against a mahogany surround! Sounds beautiful!
Where did you get the wing back chairs?
Hi Sabrina! The Louis XV wing chairs in the dining room came from an antique store in Mobile, AL.
Please what color is the builtin painted and it looks like the interior is a pale blue? SW Agreeable Gray is my favorite wall color, love everything you do. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Susan! The exterior of the built in is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen. The interior is painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg. So glad you love SW Agreeable Gray! I’m am slowly painting the entire house in this color! Thanks for your sweet comments!
Hi,
Love the idea of extending the chain on the chandelier, and adding a hook to get it centered over the table.
Also, Pinterest had a post about removing a popcorn ceiling. The man duck taped a metal scraper on to the end of the hose of his shop vac, extending the scraper’s edge just above the hose. He then proceeded to easily scrape off the popcorn ceiling as the vac sucked up the mess!
Might someone tell me the wall paint color/sheen?
Hi Sandra! The wall color in the dining room is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, flat latex.
Cindy, can you also share the sheen you chose for the trim or the cabinets. I personally do not like high gloss finishes but sometimes an eggshell contrast is a compliment. I am curious which sheen you prefer on trim and doors especially. Thanks…
Hi Cynthia. I always use semi gloss on wood trim and cabinets.
I can’t imagine those pink curtains! I love all your renovations though, and like you say, the place has good bones. You & your hubby are so talented! Also love the brick wall!
Thank you Florence!
Hi Cindy, Previously I’d asked about dining chair coverings and you suggested slipcovers…GREAT idea! Now I’m thinking about converting our single car garage (of a three car garage) into a dining room and I plan to use your lovely space as my guidepost. We have drywall and will need to create two walls and enclose a storage area for a walk-in china cupboard (sighs of delight here). I’m thinking about the flooring just now and wonder if you have any thoughts about laminate flooring as what exists in this space is concrete. We have a wonderful dog who leaves scratches in our wood flooring and I think this might be the solution to that issue. We will be putting in two huge windows (one on the south and one on the east) so it will basically be a sunroom. Which brings up another issue: paint fading…do you know any brand of paint that doesn’t fade? With all the light we’ll have I’m thinking Colbalt blue for the walls with white woodwork, doors, etc. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Kathy, your space sounds like it’s going to be gorgeous! There are some fabulous laminate flooring out there that work perfectly over concrete and I think that a will be a perfect choice for your project. I don’t know of any paint that won’t fade over time if direct sunlight hits it, especially for long periods of time. A suggestion would be to hang sheers over the windows which would still allow the light in but would slightly diffuse it so that it’s not so strong. Good luck!
Hi Cindy, what a talented lady you are! You have lit the fire under me to tackle my own home! I want to paint my window sills white and get rid of the ’90’s look and update baseboards as well, I was wondering if you painted your windows with a paint brush, or did you spray them with a paint sprayer so they didn’t have paint brush lines? Same for baseboards and doors too?
Thank you for inspiring us!
Nicole
Hi Nicole! I have used a brush and a sprayer both, and there are pros and cons to both. Using a brush is less of a mess, but it’s a slower process, and usually takes two coats. The sprayer is much quicker but you have to prep the area, taping and covering off areas that you don’t want overspray in or on. I guess it depends on the job. The foyer that we are working on now is pretty extensive with a lot of woodwork, so we took the time to hang plastic, tape areas off, and we sprayed it, making quick work of a huge job. And the sprayer does leave a nice finish. Hope this helps!
Oh my! I discovered your site just today and my dear the house is just stunning!! I mean it. I’ve searched a lot of sites but yours is now my favorite. You guys have done a beautiful job. I hate those popcorn ceilings, too, but here’s a trick I learned that makes this so much easier and not so messy. Duct tape a 6 or 7 inch spackle knife to the hose of your shop vac. Turn on vac and start scraping, holding the knife to the ceiling ahead of the end of the vac hose. You can clean a ceiling in no time!! You’ll be hearing from me often because I just love all your French religious icons and statuary and your style. We are cindered spirits!!
Much Love, Suzanne
Oh my goodness, Suzanne, thank you so much!!
Cindy
A truly lovely room. From the Heavenly window to the delicate chandelier. I love the tones of the room and all of the texture plus your choice of accessories. Very inviting well designed room. I am sure Edith & Evelyn are proud.
Best Wishes
Nancy
love your dining room with the gorgeous stain glass. love the chairs too but I think the massive end chairs giant over the side chairs. its like when u see huge football player and the wife is 5′ 2” pretty but too out of proportion. maybe its just the angle of your pics…will be going tosherwins for pussywillow and and agreeable gray. luvya
Your blog is my new obsession…much to the dismay of my handy husband 🙂 What an amazing eye you have for design!
Thank you Jessica!
Hi Cindy,
A sincere thank you for your generosity and inspirational spirit. Your presentation is so clear and detailed. Your photographs are meticulous, they each capture and reflect your love of your art. I feel more informed reading your blog than after hours of searching others. So glad I joined you
Brenda
Oh my goodness Brenda, thank you so much for your kind words!
You and your husband are amazing! Everything is beautiful! Question, what brand of dropcloths did you use? The color looks more gray versus yellow cream. Again, your site is beautiful, can’t wait to see more!
Thank you Carolyn! I use the 10 oz drop cloths from Home Depot, and I wash them in bleach, so it does bleach some of the color out. Hope this helps!
Cindy, did you line the dropcloths or pleat the headers? I see they are on the clip rings but how did you do the header exactly? I love these!!!!
Hi Cynthia! The drop cloths in the dining room aren’t lined but I did pleat the tops in a very easy way. All I did was iron the pleats in the top with a steam iron and starch. Once hung they hang beautifully. Hope this helps!
Lovely . But really needs color . Beyond neutral. I understand a restful color palette , especially In the bedroom , but I like the dining room to inspire a bit of lively conversation . My 2 bits …..
Margarite, sorry you don’t like the color palette. Isn’t it wonderful that we all don’t like the exact same things? It would be a boring world if we did! Thanks for commenting.
WOW, you 2 are quite a team! I read the comment where you ssaid the drapes are dropcloths!!!!!!!! That is genius and gorgeous too! I would give about anything for a bigger dining room. LOVE to entertain but can barley squeeze 8 people in our dining room:(:(
Thanks Pinky!
My husband and I just purchased a small condo with popcorn ceilings and oak cabinets in the kitchen! You have inspired me to try my favorite style of French
That’s wonderful Marylynn!
This room is absolutely stunning! The transformation is amazing! I found it in my Hometalk email, pinned it there, then came to your blog to see the entire story. Now I’m going to go read about the other rooms you’ve magically redone! Thanks for sharing! Hugs, Leena
Thank you so much Leena!
Wow! its great! such an amazing tips to transform your Dining Room. Thanks for sharing.
Everything is so beautiful! I love your blog! Have a question about the drop cloth drapes. Did you pinch pleat them? It looks as if you did. I want to use drop cloths to replace an expensive patio panel which my cats have ruined. I want fabric I can wash and cheap enough to pitch when I need to replace. Maybe you have a tutorial but didn’t see one. I always look forward to your postings.
Thank you so much Nita! All I did with the drop cloth drapes, is wash, dry, and iron. I then hemmed the top and bottom for a more finished look. As I hemmed the bottom, I added metal washers about every 12-14″ for added weight to make then hang better. I also didn’t hem them with a sewing machine {I hate sewing}, but used fabric glue. Once that was done, I ironed the pleats into them at the top and hung! Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for a quick answer. I think I am going to try this as yours look so very nice.
This room speaks to my very heart and soul! If I visited there I’d never want to leave. Such a beautiful job you’ve done. Colour choices and accessorizing are on point. Lovely.
Thank you so much Bev & Samantha!
C’est tellement joli, tellement empli de charme ! Merci de partager ce bel univers !
Merci beaucoup Christelle!!
Hello cindy!! I am loving your blog!!! What a beautiful transformation! !! I live in Missouri also!! We live in Weatherby lake (kansas city)!! I am loving your end chairs at the dining room table!! Where did you find them??? Did you recover them?? If you did do you have your process on your blog somewhere?? I would love to find some like this!! Great job!!!
Thank you Kristi! Unfortunately, I didn’t reupholster these chairs, I actually found them at one of my favorite antique stores in Mobile, AL. They had already been redone in burlap and gold leaf. I wish I could take credit for them, but I can’t!! Thanks for following along!
I love every transformation and can’t wait to see the master.
~Cindy~
Just stunning !!! Thank you for sharing your beautiful room with us, I too like how you share the details of the remodeling !
I had one room with popcorn ceiling, I found spraying water on it to dampen made the scraping easier!!
You are right older homes have good bones! I was watching a new home building, it was amazing what they had done in several hours!
Paula
IN
Thank you Paula!
I love this so much! Our styles are very similar, but you definitely have way better antique finds! Someday, when my home grows up, it wants to be like your home.
Aww…thank you so much Jessica!
Same~ love everything.
So beautiful; you are amazingly gifted!! I lived in France for one year…and am getting inspired, finally, to get going on MY reno and decorating. I’ve been so overwhelmed with choices (and prices) that I’ve been stagnant. Thank you for your fantastic inspiration!
Thank you so much Rosemary!
Fabulous! Classic bones to work with and beautiful updates!
Thank you Lin!
I’m sure i saw that house on a RE site before you bought it. Lucky, lucky house to have such talented owners. And lucky you to have a house built of good materials.
The dining room is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much MJ!
I just adore the things you are doing to your house. Beautiful!
Thank you so much Linda!
I’ve loved every step of this project! So elegant and totally beautiful. You couldn’t get this same character and atmosphere in a new home.
Thank you Leslie Anne! You’re right about the character, I guess that’s why I’m so drawn to “vintage” homes!
Everything is stunning! Wow, you have a great eye! Thanks for sharing. By the way, did you paint the dining room table yourself? If so, do you mind sharing the paint you used? Thanks so much! Excited to see the rest!
Thank you Gloria! Yes, the table was found at an estate sale and is made of pine. I painted with with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White, heavily distressed, and clear waxed.
Thank you, Cindy! I’m encouraged and will attempt to paint my heavily varnished cherrywood table and chairs. My intent was to use old white. Now, I will!!!
Your home is just beautiful! You give me hope that we can do some minor remodeling ourselves. Thank you for opening your home up to us.
Thank you so much Pam! If hubby and I can to these projects, I know you can!
Cindy: Your dining room is incredible! I love reading your blog and seeing all the details of your home remodel. Shame on me for not letting you know earlier how impressed I am with your talents.
We too are remodeling a home built in 1968 – it’s 4000 square feet and we’ve gutted 2200 sq.ft so far! Such hard work with many rewards tho!!
Many questions for you!! Hate to leave them in one comment!!
1. Did you paint your dining room table? If so, with what? Love it! I have one I want to paint but I am a chicken!!
2. Did you test your popcorn ceilings for asbestos before scraping them? We have them too! Half the house has been scraped to date. Not a fun job!
3. Your drapes are drop cloths – oh seriously – you are amazing! Would love to see the details.
Thank you so much Debra! You are right, hard work, but always amazing feeling when a room is finished. Our home is 3800 sq. ft., and we are patiently {at least most of the time} trying to take it a room at a time. Otherwise, it gets a little overwhelming! Yes, I painted the dining room table. We found it at an estate sale. It is made of pine, so I just painted it with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White, heavily distressed it, and then clear waxed. It always amazes me at the transformation paint can do! Yes, we tested for asbestos, there are home test kits you can pick up at the big box home improvement stores. Ours tested negative, but you still need to take precautions like masks, goggles, and good ventilation. Don’t you just hate scraping that stuff?!? Ugh! Yes, the drapes are drop cloths….there are some things that I truly hate spending money on, and one of those is drapes and hardware, which can be so ridiculously expensive! Until the drape fairy comes along and provides them for me, I will probably keep using “drapes” from “Maison Dupot”! Actually, I really like the way they look!
How nice of you to take the time to reply! I assume you made your drapes! You amaze me! You should to do a post on your drapes. They look very professional.
Cindy, This room is absolutely stunning! I love the color of blue on the buffet – offers just the right grounding and color. Makes me want to sit down at the dining table and hang out!
Geri, Top Hat
Thank you so much Geri! Come on over, we’ll open a bottle of wine, and solve the world’s problems!
Absolutely gorgeous! How can one room be so fortunate to have so many wonderful features – I can hardly choose my favorite. Although I have to say that window is something to behold.
Thank you June! Yes, that window is definitely a beauty! Thanks so much for following along!
It is so beautiful and what a difference from the before picture. I love how you give the details about the paint colors and where you get the flooring, etc.
Just love it.
Thank you so much Deborah!
Hi Cindy …another beautiful transformation! Can I hire you and hubby….what a team!
I look forward to your bedroom reveal!
Robin
Thank you Robin! We are very expensive to hire out…..we work for naps and cocktails!!
Beautimous!