The day I posted my last post, I finally closed on the house. In fact, about 15 minutes after I posted about how impatient I was, my attorney's paralegal called to let me know we were good to go.
The first thing I did was remove the weird shower curtain rod + too short regular curtain rod above the living room window, as well as what we have dubbed, "the Jesus curtain" which I'm pretty sure was a shower curtain, but it had bible verses all over it.
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| two different lengths, two different rods... the stuff nightmares are made of |
Currently, the window is naked, and a new rod (one that'll fit) has been purchased. It is the same exact rod that is in the dining room, which I just love. In fact, I love just about everything that is going on in the dining room now. Gone is the tomato soup orange-red, the apple-trimmed cafe curtain, and the feeling that the room is a lot smaller than it actually is.
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| The only thing this color should be on is a Barchetta (it's never too early for Rush humor) |
The dining room is now light, bright, and definitely updated. First, I covered the walls with Behr's Ultra Premium Plus paint that was color-matched to Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb Gray. I had no idea that you can just walk into Home Depot and ask for a color from a different paint supplier, and had samples mailed to me from Benjamin Moore first, which cost a pretty penny--the shipping was more than the paint sample! Now, I just find colors I like, go to Home Depot, and buy an armload of samples until I figure out which color I want. Consumer Reports rated the Behr paint as their first or second interior paint, not to mention that Home Depot is a mere 30 minutes from my house (the nearest Benjamin Moore store is over an hour away). It's a light grey/beige that looks equally good with the blues, wood trim, and beige ceramic tile in the room. Since you can also see the kitchen cabinets due to the open floor plan, it was important that those colors work together until I figure out what I'm going to do with those cabinets.
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| The only red things left are the apples |
My dining table has a story, of course. In the summer of 2014, I went to Massachusetts to visit my mom. Whenever I visit my family there, I stop at what I think is one of the best Goodwill stores in the country, just over the border in Nashua, New Hampshire. I walked in during that visit to see this gem in the window with a price sticker on it for $9.99. TEN FREAKING DOLLARS! It just so happened that it was marked down on the color sale for that week, so for five bucks, that puppy was MINE. Unfortunately, as the employees moved it from the window into the area that one picks up large items, one of those tripod legs snapped from it's attachment. When asked if I still wanted it, I said, "well, if you can knock half off..." The manager said, "Done." So that's how I got my dining room table for $2.50. My friends Jason and Trinda helped to take it apart and load it into my minivan, and we made the trek back to Pennsylvania with three kids and a table. Some Gorilla Wood Glue and an overnight of clamping fixed it right up. It has been well worn and loved, and still extends another foot for when we have guests.
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| I love, love, love my table. Oh, and the seats of the side chairs match the stain |
The first time I saw the chandelier on the Young House Love website, I gasped. It's flipping gorgeous. When I saw the price at West Elm, I wasn't sure if I could swing it. I slowly started saving for it, but at nearly $400, I wasn't confident that I'd have enough money to buy it before it was discontinued. By my birthday in September, I was about $175 from my savings goal when I gifted myself $100 (hey, it's my birthday, I do what I want). The following week, it was on sale for 20% off, and I snagged it for $75 off of the original price. Sometimes waiting has it's benefits. Everything else came from Overstock.com. The table runner and fruit basket came from trips to HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx, respectively.
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| curtain detail |
This window is eventually going to be a door to the backyard. Currently, I either have to walk around from the front of the house, or to go through the garage, onto the back porch, then out that door if I want to access the back yard. I think a door and a stairway here would provide a faster route, and once there's a patio there, a great extension of our dining room to an outdoor dining area.
The dining room is no where near completed yet. I still need to put something on those walls and maybe add a buffet or something that'll add some personal touches to the room. I love how it's turning out.
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