Dining room turned library, finally!

<p>Hello my friends and happy weekend! Hope you have a fun (or just relaxing!) one planned. </p> <p>We’ve made a big stride in <em>finally</em> transforming the dining room to a library space that I’ve talked about for awhile now. It’s only taken a couple years. ;) Hello…it’s ME. </p> <p>More than two years ago I got <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/01/dining-room-turned.html">a wild idea</a> to get rid of our dining room and make it into a more useful space for us. We were starting with a very dark, dramatic room: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K1rkU-_r7-TOY38cvPMCIuM3wWGO_I4FZUym8H6z2fv5k7eTzXqD9SlzofKxU4F9Ltf7swu7bSzQ4TW6CoGrWGBqv4ZlD_mslPKEwOdaAIugJvc57J7jNBiVatne3fzwTivo3sa5uh0/s1600-h/IMG_9633%25255B3%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="chocolate brown dining room" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFvHXDNfS7N2kxnwgrdReAwVmol-bio3vGqm56KZ7Bfb-CsOVazak3zKvp0FZI2Op949OxWBbqM6bUDgQLLGPJmT_bIPCS3iENTiAvlADwXt__b3cLytkIo6IPBKg9EhdWgVPz-7zJxI/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="chocolate brown dining room" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Keep in mind this was kind of in between – I was painting the chairs and we had just gotten new floors that reeeeeally made the room feel extra dark. The carpet we had in there before helped to lighten it up.</p> <p>Thing is, we used this room maybe twice a year for meals. That’s it. Otherwise it was fun to dress up for blog posts, but we never ever used it. I can’t stand that – honestly, the thought of not using space in our home makes me twitchy. I’m not one for “fancy” rooms either – most of our spaces are pretty laid back. </p> <p>Soooo…I started on the process of <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2014/06/dining-room-built-ins.html">building the bookcases</a> to transform this space into a “library.” My Dad and I worked on them for months and they made a dramatic difference to this room. Then for awhile we had our old round kitchen table in the space just to fill it. My husband used it as his office in the summer months so he wasn’t down in the basement. (Lately he’s been in the kitchen – I think we need some windows in the basement!)</p> <p>Speaking of an office – many of you suggested still using a large table in this room so it could be a desk and a dining room when we needed it. I considered that for awhile, but we always came back to the chairs. We don’t need another big table and we’re not the neatest people. :) I really didn’t want papers and the computer to be the first thing people saw when they walked in to our house either. I think it would be lovely for people that are good about keeping surfaces cleaned off but we’re <em>so </em>not those people. ;)</p> <p>I have been looking for years for chairs for this space! Our plan all along was always to add four chairs in a circle as a conversational area. But four chairs are expensive – no matter how good of a deal. So I looked and searched and scoured Craigslist and couldn't find anything I loved. I found plenty that looked great online but I just can’t pull the trigger on ordering furniture I’ll sit in online. I have to be able to test it out. </p> <p>My husband had two requests – they had to have arms and they had to be comfy. I finally found something that worked when I was in World Market a month or so ago and stumbled across the <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/charcoal+abbott+chair.do?camp=ppc%3AGooglePLA%3Anone%3A96244856339custom4home_decor%26custom0mirrors&adpos=1o1&creative=50632184099&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CP6qkInF-sECFehaMgodx1oAow">Abbott chairs</a> -- they are super, super cozy:  </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj7yNslSXT1jQuNyhFMI_XhZYDb3VGngyncls0UebIcOaUal8JjFQheuir9sS-b3CDlncqTBhIFHwiiG4nHJlxd8oT4P1nr9klA4hY0hDUnYMlQrtNdaQABIzw62dEyYgmx7hTTMu85o/s1600-h/IMG_0495%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="World Market Abbott chairs" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OaPTvxbcWOtJdHQXBl-a4EQX4JoNIw0OYN-Qr1ASpsQ1PJKd8gSGgibtjzg5ZTxnI59VqpzMtKEBFrt5yTDhQEWumn3lu_71P9x0dMby3oELJH7GsXtILgqaDE8AT_J3ugZEDhCHzB8/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="World Market Abbott chairs" width="500" /></a></p> <p>The bonus is they were on sale down from $300 to $250. Then I got another 25 percent off of that, and then I had a coupon. So I got each $300 chair for about $170 – score!! WAY better than the $300-$400 I was finding online. They only had two in stock so I got those and then did a rain check for the other two. </p> <p>But when I got the two home I quite loved how they looked by themselves:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2QTDJRi4GDrxrVY0RtefRdz2WbEwThofZnwdx0tSO_rs2HPoC8BmLVXZuHDHuDZqlLdxT2utBhuhAMC1PoZlf5_aGHv3Tv54OxRQYzk4bzRuml8c1UzlhyloRcUCduzxAXigemcRO2o/s1600-h/IMG_0515%25255B2%25255D.png"><img alt="revamping dining room into comfy seating area" border="0" height="744" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DkcFK74atrO5NXn8e_EqfofwXhxGKbHfHXGX5QDPs4uhr7QCYKquFx7c3ci-jA-m7bN6PQZtmlhT9wOdGHcfSrMpTVv2JI8CJjGarysOEy9d623C5E7q2qnwGTncFk8OIV8ar-RYp6Q/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="revamping dining room into comfy seating area" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It felt nice and open and welcoming…I was worried four would be too tight. </p> <p>A couple weeks later two more came in so I stuffed them into my SUV and then put them out with these…and it was waaaaaaay too much for the room. My husband loved it and I always try to go with whatever he likes when he has a strong opinion, but it just wasn’t going to work. </p> <p>These are large chairs but even smaller ones would have been too busy. And they are crazy comfortable – I can curl up in them and still have room, I love that. More than anything we wanted them to be a spot where people would actually SIT. </p> <p>I lived with the four for a few days, trying to convince myself that they worked, but alas -- they did not. I wasn’t sad about spending half as much, that’s for sure!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhfGTIllRMeJEBg-PNcq9DEXbEWQNq-6CyIufw4k0mctpiSnbxo5RE31Up35SKKg5nbREeeohZRdn5bZj6Na_2cNpierkTKwhKC1aS6HLuWMJJ-Uo7bYsXplBeb7MQ72GXoZ5XnWrjiM/s1600-h/IMG_0502%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dining room turned library" border="0" height="774" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbKUD7nRIaH6CbWAd-_VY68TkGB9IMCNV1ItBMMZ4SEr6o2ehq0GKEF_8aqwHynyP_p1k09rzPTrkPw_tfq2h5_9vOAgsjyRB6ynXJE_0SBK_sV7Mqbp7cXsw_E3-96gILnF-R1oLGVM/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="dining room turned library" width="500" /></a></p> <p>One thing in particular that I noticed with the four chairs is that when you came in our front door you saw the back of a chair…it felt all wrong. And if this room was about four to five feet wider it would have been lovely, but I love how welcoming this feels.</p> <p>So we took the two back and it immediately felt right again. Ahhhh. ;) It’s a perfect mix – cozy and still open. Awhile back I put a lamp on the shelf for my husband while he worked. It adds nice low light for when we sit in here in the evenings: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRJqSQdbzwCSKauM0BIX70CzYBKcg5CslRQnPRUqA1o6q5r95kX7G_U7rHPOJmESF6c641DCtHz3PYvk2umGf4MSTOad4DRNVNTlNbRfqBT5iVRGetLj_-uyzZNrEF1taw88_sIpqxGU/s1600-h/IMG_0512%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DIY bookcases with storage" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_95cQYVPZJgmRTAaVylvyyH4sJzK2NPbcT0IS9GQ5DyF3Yn76_JT8XgGC46cO3xecFfvxye7ZDIUQu1L8jc0KJdPcOFsmHtMh_whmADLAOoZGISj5HSS4UZfYbWqewMb_f-5bH5cA46k/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="DIY bookcases with storage" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Of course the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/10/library-lights-finally.html">bookcase lights</a> on a dimmer are awesome too!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIrOKS9mK0Pi5TfxUx-GoYrOyopTGsva4X_i0A8P6SGKAFLi9yRaDlwsHROxntn2188Mhl06XeHxpHXC8ocBOG3t4lfIDHKz-8nYmb5IJhMavsqk6MLeWcdBpNRRr4FD1mu3abGK0Dqo/s1600-h/IMG_0513%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DIY built ins with storage" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrVZERgCRDfWWv0OG8WyT_GuUJ1gFg6EScCCOng7deuErvtf27qnyVMKsI1UkHCAcEesMMjm_pyu20RAUIfmhiJyQlh6gjMY460yhonrYncV_Tox67qWlSjw6swJR5FJpUEij11zRyHI/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="DIY built ins with storage" width="500" /></a></p> <p>A few months back I added this dresser that used to sit in my office to an awkward little spot in the room: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXLnxi937gEeTky1nM_sInNieMVfLdUpW3p_IMaAC0vMaAnPrFWqYSx7f-PQ8Y4t-BKp_K7gxQt_C4o7dyNVeVix5FhX7KK47Qxgg6Oh47eP0Q00-6jqhSioC0NTlkj93j3hmwKTZnBY/s1600-h/IMG_0526%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="black dresser white hardware" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUO9Qt85r1_kvqIhMCTH_YIgnb0BzFklu7-4s_US0Y0Q2Y_WXgXnjjLCycdp9iNaaxO41j3Cy1HDZaaSgEGezSDdMmLKubNjHL7DY2a_WWmOrg1z-VDuOQPfVx0P_TAIBl4efOx8Vf7R0/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="black dresser white hardware" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It’s in between the library (I think I can officially call it that now!) and the living room. There was supposed to be a small wall there but I asked the builder not to put it in and I’m so glad! I love this little spot now. </p> <p>So here’s a look back at what the room looked like a few years ago: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE4Zjg877HNQGFDZJwlPhS2BOGQmyIxSOSstl5iX5qHDB8jww-zxy3cYnVDSf5JLih2xhkngwB6SzDhRJehJ_lzlLP7CNcGiyrhnR5gcztoiWTZ8_VydaniMtDoySh0oa5UypPxjxsZE/s1600-h/003%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="chocolate brown dining room" border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTn1V2af9R2qvNInEQSEdL6oNs9cqqSzdWiBHc0iRWP8LPljPMHdUM6rG8D_bS0TkCkM-AzUCaJN5JSVYGLJR-kBtPN-rq7DzH6igcrL8UmkDE_gnU1Sq6bV2RiuFeQR0_gY4puaCFRz0/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="chocolate brown dining room" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I loved it (mostly) at the time, don’t get me wrong. But I love it so so SO much more now: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUZzivIdjI8TLssNUssgv63HxUhtacX4BV8jXo0JAfYHzl9taebx8fU1POWaD-Wzd6kJg2Mtlht2A-pxEBnvZ8GCaHrHkFLH7MNee6OrJu59K2wsFvTxuUHvU3cDi_PQcd_nELIOzIXU/s1600-h/IMG_0517%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="dining room turned library" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJWXl4tXCO3j5GM8gotsodcCAFj1ZylJ5d9iu9Nqtqy8fAeln3L2gyNCJw2rsUClyHJ3cJUEsgYQpum7Km7vpLbcHRDYnuTv5BCUWQEE1-Clg-15hyphenhyphenDbsYm5nXXR3t01JDxHk3g3kj2Q/?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="dining room turned library" width="500" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Big transformation, yes? I’m so thrilled that we have a spot to sit in here now. And yes, the living room is right next to it but I’ve known all along we’d use another comfy spot. This is more intimate and just adds another area for us to relax or sit and talk.</p> <p>The ottoman is one I’ve had for year from Meijer and I plan to build a bigger fabric ottoman on wheels to go in it’s place. We also really need a small table between the two chairs. I have my heart set on one of those tree stump kind of tables but they are <em>expensive</em>! I found on at West Elm that is perfect but it’s $200. Uhhh…NO. </p> <p>So I’ll keep looking till I find one that’s the right price and look. We LOVE this space though!! For the first time ever we actually spend time in here! I sit out there most mornings and eat my breakfast. The kiddo and his best buddy end up sitting there and just talking…I freakin’ love it. And of course, the animals are curled up on one of them every single day. </p> <p>The great thing about the two chairs is when we host big parties and I need this space for serving, I can just push the chairs around to the living room or by the windows and we’ll have plenty of space. It’s going to work really well I think. My sister pointed out (when I had her come to validate my thoughts on the four being too much) that with two more chairs that would be hard to do. </p> <p>Getting rid of the dining room isn’t for everyone I’m sure. But it’s going to work well for our family and I’m really excited how the space has transformed! Do you use your dining space or do you use it for something different? So many builders aren’t even including them in their plans now, isn’t that interesting? I wonder if the formal dining room will be a rare find in the future. </p>

Dining room turned library, finally!

Hello my friends and happy weekend! Hope you have a fun (or just relaxing!) one planned. We’ve made a big stride in finally transforming ...

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Dining room updates

<p>Hello my friends! It’s a lovely rainy fall day here, and what I think will be the last warm day we have in quite some time. I’m actually excited about that. :) I’m tired of sweating – bring on the crisp air, yoga pants and boots! </p> <p>I finally did something in another part of the house other than the family room…can you believe it? </p> <p>A while back I took the drapes down that used to hang in the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/search/label/living%20room">living room</a>: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RjEyDLFRA-gPtsMcrFEgux6Qc8DjXRMRIB4VDmGo0oyF91AXMcpOVjbzHd8zVoLExv8Kze7paC5zK_PiOmNI-sYrcn4IWvfi7FN2BvDk-lnUBnolxkgjZZ1yJilkofanuX2R_chUWEE/s1600-h/IMG_1405_thumb%25255B7%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="" border="0" height="722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGdLjPqK3f0UbCscVYAtvY0kJdFhoCM4G7AHM4R5Uw_d4RRrryMU4XZ9Emm8gwQSHw-g6J06AuQT_76AloOvG6bstGdp7kloz33eX1mIPCqcgYKr2Uvq_4CUhCszQubrzaQaBfTpLUNs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="500" /></a></p> <p>This was in the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/07/pink-walls-begone.html">pink wall era</a>, so glad that color is gone! (They weren’t really pink but sure photographed that way.) </p> <p>Anyway, I took those drapes down after I added new <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-craftsman-window-trim.html">trim to the windows</a> up front: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1pby2l600QhgDas8NhhNaZr7RySmjlSZ4FFm3DI4X71ewZ7w0_t7yq9fxtWTGaEFOlT_63OaxIAXvQKMfHoRZvrrNg-9Ud47_rH-0BXLOWncTV6joSm1IN2mzO0TKD2BmfMadgU_zP8/s1600-h/IMG_9214%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_9214" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nyKDSTJC-Q3M2RIuhIhvUYIkrVar_J2y_zahB4GQUwqbYbu5alxUzA0s7JEfEjTUyBnkhDhzMJhpzS7u9ux49QsatTNdEmyRD91aY2picVCMmtbR9xoWWtGoe1SMQ6kSaIHCSP01qe4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_9214" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I like them simple like that – so much so that I don’t have any plans to put new drapes up, at least for now. </p> <p>I got to thinking that our dining room windows could really use something though. I do plan to trim them out the same way but in the meantime they were looking pretty bland: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qRYgJMyFJnNuNpWxr7CQO8vncRWOoA-VbZu_2_jYqc5aQ9mA4gG2pRwW2ETGyo7LbawBfRzs9kyeDvxgZFsllqL7uqNOcwvloYqf3wXEGl2Clp4k2eFKNm24vjwp9W8Aaru5JzDus1k/s1600-h/IMG_0005%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuLQ6wQQbf2pLwFYceFXP7DKF1AlsHWF-HWYEiGNsC1FtE9f3JYwlXMA9szMaEVVLRCxodo8pAvAzApiORr4vEag0S0N-EkieaiOmQFWMTG30iQ6XPAJL6Hb2A8kA1ZbA_hz7jSELino/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="500" /></a></p> <p>This was my before picture as I started working – excuse the mess. :) </p> <p>I took down the drapes that were the dining room years ago moved them to the family room: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MuK4nKCShrSJnTS7JjZWvKliiAD7nM2oL_JL0H9yMuRKTniZ8K_oDDnfwLflhe1J8kvj-LH89-VQgGNuaXuhZAZf6ShdDTSSaemp6PFgvxPFXCfOvZ5c1HSgkMYLs5QYUJa7vLBLtWk/s1600-h/IMG_7185%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7185" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbZgfTlOgz_KnGOuekEPzgvJof0WIq5vGvC2_rcNjaJbsNnMoFAsTa2Ms6IKsFH3t2XX2QX_rF7W9SpX70EXCliHZ_TFFkouEcIoI_elR35cgBLH6RtdJksIHeqkHYGnMyXRO-3-kfw8/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_7185" width="500" /></a></p> <p>When the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/search/label/family%20room%20reno">wall came down</a> those drapes did as well. </p> <p>Anyway…I’ve had naked windows in the dining room for quite some time – I’ve been wanting to replace them but it hasn’t been a priority. Then I realized a couple weeks back I could use the drapes from the living room that I took down months ago. Are you with me?? ;) We’re coming full circle here. Kinda.</p> <p>Of course it can never be as simple as just hanging drapes for me. There’s always all kinds of little things that pop up along the way. The first thing I did was move the roman shades back down to inside the window frame. Years ago I mounted them outside just for a little extra light. It’s felt messy looking to me lately though and it only gives a couple extra inches of extra light so back they went. </p> <p>I had to patch where the shades were hanging:</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASaJ-7wtK9XgY72UmF5Znl_W2iAqLWtXNCsQ3IfxunXbtTjwOxE3FuNPLEPJjlE2a1H8Q3w52K9G8HDyZWbKwRsgksr0gKhtF-ryrdHX_utfdP5EzbJQkdhb6zNo6Vim4GnAEhz5AbQc/s1600-h/unnamed%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="pink spackle" border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRQlJ7xeFykpe2QekR4mePeKGbbn9PJqsMfyaKAr-Iaa-x1LQPMzaG5rCN3BrDcAK67VNRGhgzugRas56bwouxjRQYRhLun3sz0eHphYYOhOS3Dqt4O1CIZomP7Y4bVEnOVxxoR_vwj8/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="pink spackle" width="290" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEH2CicssLQacTzAbMTN2-K-5XsvoXTxrvMADnNzLMFDJI3agnYQ7cbc18twJTLc8ub9TROmEiufkICFnjvN9yQg1sofTTppP8mApLCarFa73aFh5Pk5f3TA4A1bYO46wgR-6w7fCVEQ/s1600-h/2%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dap spackle" border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAquEY_NYowooAVUn-0G5IBwOECMV9pO4jELO0YrjUCA8Ws-ErFJCJFJBwdsrBAU94w2RE5QW0PeRmzyZo9HoAqUY0Q_c5aMrNJwdytlW3Q0e1dGDoTg72vK-MoglzcmxV2VGe8cTks4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="dap spackle" width="290" /></a></p> <p>When I took the brackets down they took chunks of drywall with them. Not sure why that happened – usually you’ll have problems with that if you put them up right after painting but I didn’t do that. </p> <p>Anyway, I patched those up with spackling – this kind goes on pink and is white when it’s ready to paint/sand: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNonA95hHyktTlnoBzqM8uJmPlnfndVBi9FKj_nJbd0LDlG0mrfNNvBR4K5PJUWrlI_pC17_OrEjGIrQSi5OE-H5pjQXQR0DniHbXeoHu2iyexZTyxcnj8QdaT3p1c0HhLek8laThDhc/s1600-h/IMG_0010%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijmjqvbEx3wuiQHZChd5NmT3XLJgbDmEKj5nV4OkJPkFrvspI6b_iZfXZp8bDQ21FltPFOk-zJtabuWb4Za5JxjP89cQcCa2L4k74hYOwkX_zQ1BVTXK_s_8_f5q1Ch-g09neXqwvThQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="400" /></a></p> <p>Love that!! </p> <p>Hanging drapery hardware isn’t hard, it’s just a matter of hanging the brackets the exact same distance on either side of the window. I like to go out at least five inches from the window and usually at least a few above as well – I couldn’t go too high with these because I didn’t make them long enough. </p> <p>I just trace where the holes go in the bracket and then drill a pilot hole: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH4C1cG_7HUvpGC2t4DRzfJ5NbavpGr8GFKVY-UPgm-rqfI_qS2FFMmn0c61zqo3KdI2-AQi6QbIpw-9jLIxe_7BYRdVm08jMtjHntnWohEoZxnmrpaPBirDHBaTRKK9nFk57XKepJLU/s1600-h/3%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="hanging drapery hardware" border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHPJc0VqSKXfZPjidYZIWzyaEYKUTa5t7RDQA845_ZplEwePHYoMD7OsJnOvAiYTbVbU1LilkiHewvWI9onq1cIAMg097hYJW-lPF7_ErJ-6wZACLiMI7zAG21q_0UzGQ1f3d9nEMxvo/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="hanging drapery hardware" width="400" /></a></p> <p>I always drill a hole first before trying to get a screw in the wall – if I hit a stud then I’ll need to predrill anyway. If I don’t hit a stud I know I’ll need to use anchors, so it’s a time saver to just do that first. </p> <p>I got the hardware up on both sides and then realized the middle piece was going to hit the small molding I had around the window. Sooooo that had to come down…more patching and then painting to cover up the original chocolate brown color underneath: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4yh7wfxkUPOOtd0iEIRS_DCYSpQH463RoBqWTRis7KwSJVqO1VI1kcYuJDWax2HYv4vCNo-dhYftDz9hXcs6mW9LCUx6y7pZLW_L-ItgApz5Qgst99rMzyZP5BElcRxlYEhbfl6h3hM/s1600-h/5%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NcDq7eDVpyj3ma0tzT1eYBvxAz8xJHf0eyXxtINgBYRbWiFP1QGjxSi2mYmb9o6uQ5yj2dXmBDvQNgBoenmm_Qx6agssoI0ckdEG96jvBo9q_MZ4aD3iPVGjuk7WrMRs4nXueakgWvQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Remember those days??: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGD6ITu3qjUT5gE-qYU30XKEAf3TUbe53PLnN37gSbwSe1f6YkTSyK7CKnu9rhCm9X8ujYZNfrq4TEt5YltXB9RYle0mobG6M7nz9gXYnFdCiaMwMBMf9kHMnT8Q61fyS70dT282Oh8g/s1600-h/003%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="chocolate brown dining room" border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7hx0USPfldsWmFRASbEAojEnd1ITyxRAkJ0wNj3M6x4ngHBhv_3xjf0QJUH-D7R08A7OM4fajzmivCZFx_NCa7s5pGu4mi8_g98AdtxZzR0vB84sMV8F7cH93qPPRnBFoBZb6_Gsz0c/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="chocolate brown dining room" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I don’t miss it. :) </p> <p>So THEN I get the drapes hung up and realize I didn’t like the stripes I added as a leading edge years back. I was using two panels on each side of the windows so the stripes were on either side of each one and it looked circus-esque. Not what I was going for. </p> <p>So I took them down, cut down the sides quite a bit and hemmed. I just left a bit of the stripes and I quite love the dark on the edges now: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KhcMG4zx5uErgYNaNN1LnDgWo6Qsa0QdxFvhXU2WFSSfLacaeC_yyKszCSVRL5BgMtf2Eg5ikg40jqMlUCRGToP0m8Le7LYkzFkAoR7UxKqGcRRv4948olFi06U5CE-qTCGE0fgN7GE/s1600-h/IMG_0026%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="retreat blue citrine" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUadgvWngp8z5rvfHpW6UlkAegvR48lZw49C1hKZHRqg_HbN9vsOgJmgi1WDz7CIxep2L3fS-vdMfu3ziA25zGbgPzLRYa5ztMgM2r8evYqzsrWuIMGZCeYu2SWj4CrBB0pxmjMk1NFs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="retreat blue citrine" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I get asked about his fabric a lot – it’s a P. Kaufman fabric called retreat blue citrine. I’d like something a little simpler in this room eventually but until then these will do nicely. :) </p> <p>I “trained” the drapes like I showed you <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/04/easy-drapery-tricks.html">here</a> years ago:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlALFXIEScgUB32mbWSzF3glord8MH6zF_TNZdfoQTUFYZLIAfnTKSuiwW1IPOP3zeK02T7-BFQpgw7jieym0sm2MXzr6lJ58LDr0RS-W6foydISBd5rBjQt8K7mhyphenhyphennIzgHeTEVEgk2yM/s1600-h/IMG_0007%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="training drapes pleats" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Mqu_IHQNrhHwrnv7mW1_TVJ31SMc5yHhw70SlzsMYVyCG4S9ZDju0UOIcM1jg-xZIPQNyFuWdLR7Z7EmEocGmRNCHawHQYI2mYVvXISFqQEpV5vU82fw9eGKBRljZoNQ_A-XJykkIyM/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="training drapes pleats" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Combined with my fake pleat method it makes them hang much prettier! </p> <p>They add some warmth to the room and make it feel much more finished:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Js_SlgFykyBnQvfkQNKemVH4bLK7GXALDYsBuwBz-dlpDL74iaAeTxjipbCEqNlmZ8qsm_Gt3chVZ7BPDWARm9ZCqgbzRTBAipDZSYVABq3ZFpXbjyvIOr3eI-a2OGHhh8s8CJZRxrw/s1600-h/IMG_0020%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="p. kaufman fabric" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTatahn2BQmtWROMyB5GJ8mVpllUOQCgBJzpgNN_zRw1xvhlNbQ5Zus_bOl0MhFH7wnZ394H_mqHT13vBI8ZsXF-T27DXzTAbCrcxUmFUl3-81I0xdY4Xwt2ievE4U6L8FrdodaBp_TzQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="p. kaufman fabric" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I’m so glad I took some of the stripes off – they look SO much better with just the simple color along the side:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JJvFjZNSl2T9mHJYayPotKzNr2aahIMpBxU7sn6I-uYpiGsBLfG1o56qiHQ49TXHjkpqusK-_z31CcNM6Mt_6uOjOLS_VEzpSDvg5iKWrAv5jNQXmtSQNQXPlF8AR6T6zIFmz_EAPkw/s1600-h/IMG_0022%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="leading edge drapery " border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6V1B6NII47YFF9GOVhAhAfl16Yfj7v7fvUkb_6WI2JS-UpxC7yle5luh9ElZ3fS04o13PhGDu5A-m7b7cO5Qs7eel9LJSKxLFtj_Q7ttXqNJYj3z3LCuF34u_mWmcgGQAeY6EaDoGrA/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="leading edge drapery " width="500" /></a></p> <p>These are two skinny panels together on each side – I cut the fabric down the middle for the other windows. I didn’t sew them together and you can’t tell. :) </p> <p>I hung these along a full drapery rod so we can close them if needed: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO93tqGYEYd5WED6Mr6VOfkxPTgXz_bldMvs9mzcwKTHXktpX1_d7nmvC68OpUemYn6WlkrsebSUX3GnhFjXh1bN0unn422HnMFk5iYlzrUeEeidq948hWD7DK486kY6fDkg4OJMWhoGk/s1600-h/IMG_0035%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="built ins dining room" border="0" height="662" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPCeXNnx5g5IGSXAZVTQ-1aONWqaL7oMruc5VZie4t1Q9GjoXhSkiiNvEdUQCs2x3508A1WomNerFAriuztkKIsHpHr4zQLQ1b-05lDzMQr4yMbiKbK2MIMyzcD0weybrQvkgvQJzJQw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="built ins dining room" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I hear we’re going to get another nasty winter and I like being able to close drapes for some added insulation. It helps!</p> <p>The colors are lovely – the blue edge matches the background on the built ins almost perfectly. Someday I will add the window trim in here but I will still probably keep drapes up even after that. They definitely add some coziness to a room!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONagF0g8QSy-FCIgfxcmcu8CResD9Z2E2ZvT9UdTNMCwP2mjKeZZJPd6LfskptS7Dih7nLm6WW0yAcEFh3M5JryBF6nS5yBk8VxGJkbKzX7x6mLfSknnBmfukrt7kIVeUMx4C1_rWI-0/s1600-h/IMG_0016%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dining room DIY built ins" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoX_fS1Rj3ahuHR_a1c5j6_BNsDhCposxrOG6IBayu7LkmNS9SB02ncakddb6eC3qryGHyFGRAq2UBlfgQ9ubjS-kQbpht5h4UnfvOuA7uoSTBfG2q4WuWHe5UJvZVPbWUnWZSdnPKHc/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="dining room DIY built ins" width="500" /></a></p> <p>This project ended up taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but it was free so I can’t complain. :) Another fall nesting project done! </p> <p>Do you prefer drapes or none? Do you use yours if you have them? We use our bedroom drapes every weekend so the bedroom is crazy dark, love it. If you want your drapes to be full and pretty while closed you’ll want to add to your yardage to make them wider. I don’t spend money on that since they are usually only closed at night and it’s just us who sees them. </p> <p>OH and we were waffling on keeping a table in this room but now that our kitchen table is plenty big I think we’re going to move ahead with our <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/01/dining-room-turned.html">original idea</a> of comfy chairs and a coffee table. Whoot! I think it will look lovely! </p>

Dining room updates

Hello my friends! It’s a lovely rainy fall day here, and what I think will be the last warm day we have in quite some time. I’m actually exc...

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The best things I’ve ever done

<p>Hello my friends! Our recent family room renovation has had me thinking lately…about the things that I’ve done in our house that have made the biggest difference. Some are little that only cost a few bucks. Some are bigger, but all are projects that I look at every time I walk by them and say “I’m <em>so glad</em> I did that.” </p> <p>There are a lot of them, but these are my favorites. :) </p> <p>This one is just “looks pretty” item but it was so easy and cheap! Last year I added some <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/06/diy-craftsman-garage-door.html" target="_blank">$10 hardware</a> to the garage door to make it look more like a custom carriage door and less like the basic one that it is. I LOVE how it looks every time we pull up to our house: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbdCEUacp9H7CqDi78qi1nszpY0nWkrln8yJakFb3MDCy4i0VLd76HUuFgq6RjViAXZ-cIUZLvF2fyw3qu_tk2npbU_5BBzEKOIHPwqlwvcAcH7pbHXRl2_OP59SmEJyh2t3uGLJnsbE/s1600-h/IMG_5683%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="diy carriage door hardware" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7aw4i0LeQ4o-sNEuJi3MXUBxBBn47ZgmmWlYOAT0Ad13YhmfSjJNvTAyGDrXwmZN3XCE64of7_dzX56LI7oTLKreq2cm9ryRMwj_1UIp8gu3ZAGtooJO_gq-_EfDx2WJso8vfa44qVU/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="diy carriage door hardware" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It’s such a little thing but it makes me so happy. They’ve held up well too – no rusting at all. I’ve heard these kits went up in cost a bit but I believe they’re still under $30 – not too bad. </p> <p>One that wasn’t so cheap but was still cheaper than paying someone were the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/10/library-bookcases-done-boom.html" target="_blank">DIY bookcases</a> in our dining room. They are the first thing you see when you walk in our house and they make a BIG impact: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUKBGQpGWspk0AcAJbaOPNhMj_sduEX8OJ7Og73yyeh7qI6NG_HOT3ojgmfkELUBUBcG7lKn3YKTQtT22A_h37SZFjLsW6uPN_y02hCFjArSTN3yme1IOEc4ims6bxDGDWy1HRJJdz48/s1600-h/IMG_7236%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DIY built ins with kitchen cabinets" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQJ9-Ou62xrWm8z0sCdVj6ko_-a9ts39PzLcZFCEkpx9BepqLpCfEJKZcce6-cG_MlNu15V8CNeW5i8xZKdS1Zdkneb8nCO1q-KlS2l6wpC6RQLfhWrmFw9j1uoUoMr_168vaTQohQxc/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DIY built ins with kitchen cabinets" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Our plan all along was to make this less of a dining room and more of a lounging space – but I’m playing with the idea of a larger table again. We’ll see. I’m SO proud of these built ins – not only because they’re pretty but because they are a perfect functional solution for us. The added <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/07/dining-room-pretty-organization.html" target="_blank">serving ware storage</a> is an extra bonus. </p> <p>Another cheap and easy project that I am SO glad I did – adding <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-private-window.html" target="_blank">some privacy to our bathroom window</a>: </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwRMVix5dk5xZtuOd7liRQkyAmYoJryM0vH32IwivuDgMhrognA0dHOkE8JqkRcdBnnIflBbLLS_4RfYVqGu2DhMKH7RMGDHZibc5_vIOZIWvQaDkGuiAtQnIinbLcgFWzqnVa3-We3A/s1600-h/IMG_4679_thumb%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="covering window for privacy" border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQ7DwwY8h8LrdTcHs2bfeDuyUd-KfHxnqyExOoY08D95jauq37RS96F2U5jky_snEpeH-wKVooASrMHE5Q47yjpAI87iCFV6bZ5A9B3qP9BA4N0c7s4hYgQageC9JWD3AArMD-LUIWgY/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="covering window for privacy" width="290" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E6oVYs62e5uCcZpZWsb6t-xZz8x344HvauXCvNEgn93tzrY_B65XDrWbUg6sJx7rwSUJ1qAfEAjve5CFCG9waYxuzOsnv19ByEsLA7Bq5Tc_EzdxaNBQy2BVDnG0uf5O2rmEgAnegSE/s1600-h/IMG_4693%25255B14%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="privacy window" border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4ogJkJcXkNG1uTCKvMBgGtr6Gbzd9A-QldJF1GfaYMIJVUgL6PR8JwtR6eZ1IkZriddluF7yuuMhz7jYeN-Ev6phbN8Qf6J8EdO4cBxWxoKg-kuu5KU6lKUty7fvo88ODWm_aaVgqjg/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="privacy window" width="290" /></a> </p> <p>It took months before I stopped ducking when I walked by it at night, but now we’re used to it and I LOVE that it offers privacy but still lets the light in. And it was just a few bucks! I thought I not being able to see outside might bug me, but it doesn’t at all. </p> <p>Of course a BIG one, the project that got me thinking about all of these – the removal of the wall between our family room and office. Oh that was a happy day!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKuIyk0xck_CbPiOUko8OAR8lT-0Q1Kq46BCs0RqWPS4YARfkioeR1skCA1BSWQsqj6A7PfiJ74SIenCXFATavvs2gdSoWYP1SQfGWEB7Hiwp5-IZkD1CvBqpAasSmOPbe99bbHE12VI/s1600-h/IMG_9385%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="removing a wall" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc4eh8esExx3EmHIhSFY7FuOWUJGMi9ds7ZXfJVgmd8nZobqcVheZriI1OvTC5XYsfnEQJ8dnErG7LwssrZwtYRUKPkP-ZYq3g0jmUofFwp0d_RESpK7JxDCdazCPc1wGc3ri51SFOV0/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="removing a wall" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It’s come a long way since this photo but this shows where the walls were. From the very first day all I could think of was that it should have always been like this – and I knew it was the right decision. This project is the most expensive of all I’m mentioning here, but it’s nothing compared to the estimates we got to add on to the house. (And it was a whole lot less mess too.) You can follow along with the progress on this room <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/search/label/family%20room%20reno" target="_blank">here</a>. </p> <p>Years ago I wanted to brighten up our kitchen and I started by covering the black outdated tiles on our backsplash with <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/06/beadboard-backsplash.html" target="_blank">white beadboard</a>. It made a HUGE difference in this room: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVhhmX8u2SV7hnPG1Bp7w3aPGQZmTbjTMyyg0QvS-Uy_ADf2v9ozg7AQsL16h1wTRp0R7ge8ldXIz4OLcB-46BFn58upvkdgvyIa8v6MqLCj3dIWoioofsb9RmkmbBPNx4946a5zgxp4/s1600-h/IMG_5555_thumb1%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="beadboard backsplash" border="0" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUzti_U4Ym-_s0p7qUmkJ3ykMS2tocePOT1Ur5Oq00gtULQw6Usimp4bfEzCwU6fGPchLNdgRpILq97044b4Fd0gHH28sjJbwddDzayR7ftbkfcM8px-OCJYZqmpcD2EybJTaf3GQ04c/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="beadboard backsplash" width="450" /></a></p> <p>Yes, someday I will paint the cabinets, but in the meantime I can’t believe the difference it made in this space. All for less than $50 if I remember correctly. And yes, it’s held up incredibly well, I have no complaints! As long as it’s painted in a glossy white paint that you can wipe up easily there shouldn’t be any water or mess issues. </p> <p>Another big project was our <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2014/04/master-closet-reveal.html" target="_blank">master closet storage</a> that I created out of kitchen cabinets: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIs2rB8UzcXrWHepRu8TOVn4TqZ-WhPAx0MKPRzyL8mJDBhTvRw0lhOjh0eAty8oLFfyVx6Fk4zDEVGLs-aKOOQfy3r1gtMm-uEY06RAJS-zotEWlpNYw4cbDPiX3vFQHOJlMp57q5Ixs/s1600-h/closet2%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="closet system with kitchen cabinets" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeYKfAzfsH4X4WTDrnpVT5_6C2Qw2ZviW9Fd-dzP7kgsRxRmeg_P59wujl8O7nMK9B8kPw59Mmr65_Gxn2xyAuFhNg2JtH_e1X2CtF60sTpQXGnWXH0j98OzPV13CD7wVmvGdlCr0I_4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="closet system with kitchen cabinets" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Our closet was truly the thorn in my side for years and years – an utter disaster area and I was so fed up with it. I wanted more storage but wanted it to be closed storage – not just shelves that I knew we would clutter up like before. The cabinets have worked BRILLIANTLY. Ugh, why didn’t I do it earlier?? I still have plans to add shelves in the corners for even more storage. Again, the cost of the cabinets was way, way less than a custom closet system. </p> <p>And finally, I know I mention it a lot but <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-take-carpet-off-stairs.html" target="_blank">ripping the carpet off our stairs</a> was one of the BEST things I’ve done, both for looks and functionally: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ub8mCOG7Her0dB4Rk0TqsEySu9-UIw45CYLxSx4VzMksotVtaib6eejTZGy1vjDf8jEIViS_ll322Sf4mx4WduwVVQnwj3vMzMuozevLED_MUKblGy1wpGJTpf6v2SAdRyMp9mogGP4/s1600-h/IMG_9274%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="taking carpet off stairs" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAARbNrjI6JerCuzOtLDlppkwxkQt_3pdvJZyfPtM7meKrKsDhHaY7XUxg4qxHB4gWqO34H8xoSO5g9S9Bu5r-ci0c_yOjyD1fobj_p2twoOOeG5U-PQmKvlhS2NkiVATHyb4WgCWn9mU/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="taking carpet off stairs" width="500" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>It is SO much easier to clean wood stairs than carpet! Just last week we had a drink spill down the steps and it was so easy just to wipe it up. All I do is vacuum them once every week (or two!) because we have three cats and a dog and you do see the fluff balls after awhile. Many have worried about how slippery the wood stairs are and I can tell you without a doubt that our carpeted stairs were more slippery than these. We each slid down the carpeted stairs a few times – it hasn’t happened once with the wood (knock on wood!!). This is just the case for our home, but I still think in general it’s easier to slip on that curved edge of carpet. </p> <p>Because we had real wood under our carpet this project cost me less than $50 – I just needed some wood for the landing, stain and supplies. It was one of the cheapest projects but also one that was a lot of work. Pulling up the carpet and tack strips was no joke – but so worth it in the end! </p> <p>There you go – my short list of the things that have made the biggest difference in our home, both in appearance and function. Function is HUGE for me – if it’s not going to work well for our family I’m not going to do it no matter how pretty it is. </p> <p>Are there things you’ve done to your home that you think made a big difference? Things you want to do that you know you would love? </p>

The best things I’ve ever done

Hello my friends! Our recent family room renovation has had me thinking lately…about the things that I’ve done in our house that have made t...

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Dining room built ins

<p>Hello my friends! How are you? My sister-in-law and nephew have been here all week and this is our last day with them. I’m excited we have a sunny day (I think ALL day) to do something fun! </p> <p>In celebration of two anniversaries recently – ten years in our home and my blogging anniversary – I’ve been sharing the progress of some of the rooms in our home over the years. By the way, I totally forgot about my blogging anniversary when it hit – six years at the end of May. Whoot!! </p> <p>I ALWAYS struggled with our dining room. I don’t know why. Part of it was that shortly after we moved in I marched myself to the furniture store and bought a complete set of dining furniture. I liked it OK – but I wasn’t madly in love with it. I just wanted to fill the space. Now I know better and would wait it out, but you know how that goes.</p> <p>Long ago I added molding to the walls (with Liquid Nails! No.) and jazzed up the ceiling: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqailOQ_TcOLYhhJ5OimbTJUkFgQM-1NO7SncCzVOdXyCl9UC7Y92na0Hg4UM2CXnJT3x7LFx2UOjdWFBueqcXHsSXGsbRatSCgkR-CDcb7KAV8TrDhpsOcSe_lObUKIVQUZ2Nh1QzG8/s1600-h/DSC02842%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwwSCkLqt70-Ojywa4VoBHR3bhRbViF-U8qLXykDSmRD5lluX08yaB5DqRBz1GEtd6b5mMcyuEQdyOeR3PeeH_F9ZPKIoky69t0m90BgLKEqhOGLZoIrZLKK4iHxlgXHEpckQOmgDevg/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I also recovered the seats of the chairs almost immediately to add some color to the room. It was very beige/brown. </p> <p>You’ll see here that this was my gold and red phase as well. Ah yes…</p> <p>I still wanted some more contrast so I <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2008/10/third-time-is-charm.html" target="_blank">changed up the drapes</a> and added a solid red to the bottom: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinew2WaIhk2rFfUJkYHRQUngq9XG4hjt0BpQAVzFSfhQgzxX6EAS9HJe5yz68SWQM4jLiO8VqoXimyWwksUbOZEGAfMbUJ_Vn_6i1gWvvXASMZUDMSwcTteeX8bsW9WgIpX_lcVflv66k/s1600-h/DSC05869%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="two tone drapes" border="0" height="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweE2XXCS6Ngy1Vdo3A_kg9b_hdu4zt4U6WIhWzSQgBHh8u441l8OblJ-7FoDyMN1OQX7H2o62-73V3Qewx1O6cTUFt3O-4PVWwM1qGeCtQm9_Z0OpBG-OaeOpWVrts0YfrSkebc-iWqY/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="two tone drapes" width="500" /></a></p> <p>Then things just got crazy and I painted <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/10/dining-room-reveal.html" target="_blank">the whole room</a> (the entire. room.) brown: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXxCFUEoLe2ILTOez5-E8_gTyBNBCBkAPSVSGrrckRV0LghK6U5TOc3VlWFf2aNJ1QXU2Myl0tnhrf3XatlTsIVCDbxJIEgwy63QlSfLvtVfm5WgJwemO3ZwjeVsjY4o0_Uko0bJtauE/s1600-h/011%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="brown dining room" border="0" height="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFqam9MrCDF0oHfubpm8fG51yog9HhoPC1zpjbsPAlTrlzLL2EFWFmE4awGNU6il1vR2ARxQfzlV2EX8Tai1d5vW4dpMC0BpnfXof_6PN4_LFk2lrr2LgwRAKLOijCdJ3bPrnMhsjCPA/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="brown dining room" width="500" /></a></p> <p>You know, looking back, I don’t hate it. It was dramatic and pretty – I say you can go dramatic in two rooms safely – the powder room and the dining room. Or all the rooms, it’s your house. </p> <p>I always struggled with the fact that this room opened up to our two story living room so I just added a piece of trim down the wall to separate them. Probably a major design crime but you know, I like to live on the edge. </p> <p>But the thing is…it was DARK. Shocking, I know!: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintylJT-b2b7ZvD6gePr4yZIYwo2iBBAk6wgkC3xVfE79f7kFhwyubbJAfMIAfygSMCnFHhsyBGxuG0PRdcU0ubUO3gySUwQDMztM-kWKAeOmQ1oSdr3KGFJ2ZUx22IpX73iIeRULHTTY/s1600-h/003%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="brown dining room" border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj3hUU63lu_rYdxQaZ6qShyphenhyphen6a7OOSa3FMyEeSheW7etJA53TLaRCERJJklJgB7VZPrJC3jevzU1qxXeCAeseLfLdEuXScPWVihbgYPWB7cKOvSqpNE_Uv62i_VzbLIc3-_RwrsYWgXw0/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="brown dining room" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I didn’t mind it much till we had new floors put down after a water issue. Then it was positively cave-like. Dark on every surface in the room and I couldn’t take it anymore. </p> <p>A new idea formed in my head over time that I talked about <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/01/dining-room-turned.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I was tired of not using this space. I wanted to make it more functional and change up how we used it. </p> <p>So the DIY built ins began: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZPjmay7z4l_4Rp7Ekg56gkFxcZ7bc2fJSdTiO5ywXLHTsUcMtiuwU4gGzvIoMfcNoZwuhLT_mK6UrPovxGldGYISxjl26AYGjCoTf6Kl9rbEBiV9AyRnGy6fltsvUndqxyFwIGS1Ib0/s1600-h/IMG_1669%25255B3%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="how to build built ins " border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kkr8mnfsr0cB9nTkN_VH1uuHCWPrEZIQ0j-kEG45OWh6trthAvZhLrteP21AJvzwslGjp3YBGqgSdklX-hdZViHIfu-XrLPb73TlUIEMnE162ONWtATofjhgNjLn0KpDE40FHMDFhdA/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="how to build built ins " width="500" /></a></p> <p>You can see the synopsis of how my Dad and I built them <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-build-built-ins.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It wasn’t hard, just time consuming. It took me forever to get them finished – eight months total I believe. </p> <p>I had a design in my head all those months of thinking about it and a big part of that design was lights at the top of the bookcases. It took months to find something that was affordable but I finally found what I wanted in the <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/10/library-lights-finally.html" target="_blank">outdoor section</a>: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTIeiZQLfsB2mUN38EMHCjTXJMQZXJwB62BeKGrunSmu63-J8hbXxRqoIsfYTS30ARTJCK5x8vtResZgXtISgRrm4vuHKxXOBIUxT_aPzjdW17LyOm6iij6lkehfjS36S_mEh6N5YQ_A/s1600-h/IMG_3360%25255B4%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="inexpensive library lights " border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCEwkyQ-yUJI31v5x1dQiVRs196C2ygadx62tIAHY5gAX-9H9vKVNcc4z_WTjSiP_6D3tFlgOawwVgX114MIOZ5BFqE3GnMU0LyWjYyhwbc2BA49TcwXYaqEKR-v1Ta_zkA5i2oEKDRs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="inexpensive library lights " width="320" /></a></p> <p>And now…I love it. This room is one of my favorites in our home. </p> <p>I could not be more pleased with how it turned out: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sagqUNkG9l90KgvzlwdD8jw4JMzfc1sqBYwgy2v4kuqcv9XbV9uo13XzB8PLoKccSQIUl4t7QUCeHv2PiBWHdT21fD_XjgLhyiNM8Uqw1aVEPz4Xqs9YQkNmpFcJu2-5NTBh123qLIs/s1600-h/IMG_7236%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DIY built ins" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMKCdfga71AXdTvaofnD-046UX2f9ZOVNnF5KcykKx9rwbzr0U8pb9oVMjkqQ3NSKbioxqEUm0jZrWCytfRRxH0K6QQabqCA8pHf3CZKD8VcoP-AlC8OReVf2kGohrL0khDoo5N80YIY/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DIY built ins" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It’s been about a year and a half since they were finished and they are holding up great. I’m really proud of Dad and I for tackling it. :) </p> <p>Funny thing is, the plan all along was to put a coffee table and four chairs in here, but we moved our old kitchen table in here a year or so ago and it’s become my husband’s office in the summer months: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFkUCpe24N19VuU4d87RLlcSSEsBjVixuKr4vdOZrH780TQ1oQJ94xtYjJuJ3E3cSHo-0_ow_5Gw2nOpUNh6xpFupgU9jCIXqGnqvtqZH9ILz3SupuR79Fa9Z0k-vnn60tSTHBuglCts/s1600-h/IMG_8836%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dining room built ins" border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUw3tIZR9ds5eVSGeBR4Vx4nyiF4Ybfjbo3bH1JyVKXV3G-mCSjKvmQVQF7pM90XRqc8aFuojhRMro3-jjtYPH5H61HrKH2LDXoRHio8W3cM9tzp_w0r5yl972JOpx62Gjc90f243ukc/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="dining room built ins" width="500" /></a></p> <p>He has a basement office but can’t stand to be down there without natural light in the summer. So although his stuff laying around kind of drives me batty, I love that we’re actually using it. Many of you have suggested adding a more casual table back in here and the idea is growing on me. Plus, finding four matching (comfy) upholstered chairs is so dang expensive! </p> <p>I can’t forget the other view of the dining area – it’s really more of a landing/hallway of sorts. I found this before shot of our stairs that I didn’t know I had: </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5URb-_KrxgqJl6XX9XT4yCVvsDLdDSJajVb4T91reEYlC33-q6g5NMltaB94gBn49VkWsP2XASSZIzpRrU5jqO9l00fBxwHSHi5HqRcsx_WjlEUHS9Fry9hVpmTorIMH_TOnL0ObxSc/s1600-h/DSC02917%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-MIbHa7WIOzkuHRE2Qc7vIYuymRK-fL_nN-OGIeJ9dGTwOt1qeshJYURhvuvXXYWeI3cdziSKFGfc-i5uJ6Zkj6vtRZYAnRYp5HQdra7LSFCOmRFAIImgJHy0j9YZ4AXhtbg3G0gAYw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="" width="450" /></a></p> <p>And I showed you this more recent after here: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBlC1YSk_24GvxfMUxsfwhw8XjnS3TaDgn23r01PDY-PmmP-snAN9vBsncghKTiHMz2hQ3Rkh0NRjcNhanKPVJGZQORMkcEPXFnpaZ0DrxLnL2mycfPx1tw_ZBccgPzgHdzhi9pPmdvQ/s1600-h/IMG_9274%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="wood staircase " border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcBOXjTQyGmUiCRsdxluUCsO1YSCN1nhCic9VFSn_qAItMkIXTxBJIvsncVMYjyo7JyR3Y1W5PsoeFVwNpxSLuxYK_Bk6uX8J2cjDrSlaF4vRhPQNJkk5A1H-NpsxI4t4hN0QfBdEgCA/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="wood staircase " width="500" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Such a difference! (Here’s <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/03/stair-redo-how-to.html" target="_blank">the how to</a> on pulling the carpet off of stairs.) </p> <p>Many of you have asked how much I spent on the built ins and I’m not positive of the cost because we did them over such a long time. The kitchen cabinet bases were $320 total and the butcher block from IKEA was $130. I’m guessing we put in another $150-200 in trim and wood (I used basic pine wood for the actual bookcases). And the lights came to $140. So a rough estimate is about $750-800 for 12 feet of built ins. </p> <p>I would have paid three times that to have them done. Easily. </p> <p>So there’s a look back at what is now one of my favorite spaces in our home! It was one of my problem children before though. :) </p> <p>Do you have a dining room? Do you use it? Have you considered changing up how it’s used? </p> <p>P.S. Check out my tips on decorating bookcases in <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-accessorize-bookcases.html" target="_blank">this post</a>. </p> <p>Have a great weekend! </p>

Dining room built ins

Hello my friends! How are you? My sister-in-law and nephew have been here all week and this is our last day with them. I’m excited we have a...

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Dining room (pretty) organization

<p>Hey hey! How the heck are ya? There are some beautiful projects linked up at the before and after shindig – check it out <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-before-and-after-party.html">here</a> to see them or link up yours! </p> <p>Today I’m back in the dining room – or is it the library? This room is a little confused right now. :) Last year we decided to do away with our dining room (that we used twice in seven years?) and make it into a more functional space for us. I shared the progress on this DIY built in project early last year and the final result <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/10/library-bookcases-done-boom.html">here</a>. The “book” part of the library is done…but we still need a cozy place to sit.</p> <p>I love the built ins for so many different reasons, but one of the BIGGIES is all of the glorious storage they provide: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_PK1YA1pfY9sYTV2NQWar1BLiKPt1XDIyvTZ3w1vBaKVQ3e945-Iqm3FjCFFvBgvWDJDgE1EHDVBtoXM-ceO1BsiGOp1utkfGd_-U5wqftMw5lA4pUpvvUp8jvYif6WWu7ICHw9Sxhk/s1600-h/IMG_3476_thumb%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DIY built ins cabinets as bases" border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfQ_V7MfmePyNcZc67nz2vTUt62yG_it0l7iQ4V1lYxqxqBMfu7OJdElqcBTE2Cn34O-jDueb7iNncPtGk5yBnaQACH-ZXNbSknAC3lnkQccng1hM_meMkAXQWgLEayVJYjIJjCC4Pe4/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DIY built ins cabinets as bases" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I chose to use upper kitchen cabinets as the bases, which I’ve done a couple times elsewhere in the house. They aren’t nearly as deep as a regular cabinet base (12 inches instead of 24), but I knew they would still provide plenty of storage. </p> <p>I use this area for most of our serving stuff – the items we don’t use every day or even every week, but I like to have it all for special occasions/holidays/parties. You know – all that pretty stuff you hardly use but still need (want)?</p> <p>When I finished the built ins I was so excited I just shoved everything back into the cabinets and called it done. For a long time now I’ve been wanting to clean them out, purge some of the stuff and pretty it up just a tad. </p> <p>I started by pulling every single item out of the cabinets. You know, the whole it gets worse before it gets better thing? Yeah: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKWR9DZAymj8t7LJOztbYQIsFUUyOWBWfRi33QT0WzDzdIjbPeMSZILc0B-S0aon5MsRD5JObvH4eh2y0FBYFOlewY1WxgepoHNf8Lbqwq6XigrwcdzWpEOhaL9_FKqQxk-hTedZp0yc/s1600-h/IMG_5982%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="decrapifying" border="0" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9kElAcx3NHLMzpQzkb3-rl2zo2TovNVwbdw0XMc4FKKltoUGLAdGXhjtZza6xSwAtiJhUBep7m2FFA0art7hFJJ3RUkZLJDPqp4MVuIxDlIgCek3XpmVD26Kde4SLDeoNLe9i3otsAs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="decrapifying" width="450" /></a></p> <p>Well the dog wasn’t in the cabinets, of course. He just has to be in front of the camera every. single. time. </p> <p>And this is another reason the room is still in limbo – the table and chairs from the kitchen were <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-kitchen-nook-complete.html">moved in here temporarily</a> and have stayed. Hubby sits here to work most days lately instead of the basement so we’ve kept it for now. I’m itching to get those comfy chairs in here though. :) </p> <p>So I cleaned them out and then <em>cleaned them out</em> – vacuumed all the leftover sawdust (nice) and wiped them down: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtakQgmevPOvvvnc7ymGtIGdm77XFSn1SByRXAC3Pe9TY_BkLRycZUbB9th7mxzU6Lc7CxMyQUMnv-nr0S-tFcS8YHRGN4YapZ80gujIbEFT7DN3-fJVJTyvUMEBnVsgJkLv5zbnN6k7s/s1600-h/IMG_5973%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwrCTlI5uP_tWUa16y-0OGtv4zCYAUBgkz8duBSPquq9ehuzogUl4C4b7iRwAAB8aIAQ0YyGkeFPsXJt5FTLkfJMI5wHFPROg7mh2eh7CVMDJvPfaoEnK6OM8frMuSKila9_6Qo0rLgY/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="450" /></a></p> <p>Side note – no I don’t paint the insides of the doors. SOMEONE (me) doesn’t have the patience for that.</p> <p>I pulled out the top shelf in each one to cover them with some cute contact paper I had picked up for this project a year ago:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtli7DDAMzyTuAW_aMoBT8wlV_E4_UEEjdj6pNjMM7oue1P14Up2Y6pcQ0rw9iayBANBpvXXNEu4SWSm65Hc-q8SbAaQCVr-EA4-EXaGldt1V0yklGE7rE2438CM3MY0sCn2_TVTNKAVo/s1600-h/IMG_5975%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="contact paper on shelves" border="0" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_baLjgZcQjMwgO8AogFYrFsrnGGHJUkJ5AfzxMICi1TE4g54iIQJp2AyN7MoiABAAhUZIKu3bjuASVqjoEHVsafp8VptQ4Su6cB7wmgeYE74h9r_EPsnDy4sKAvhxka3j82al3DqFMA/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="contact paper on shelves" width="450" /></a></p> <p>But I ran out of it before I could do the bottom shelves. I was just going to leave them as is but it looked wonky. Sooooo I quickly taped them off and did one coat of the color I used on the backs of the built ins – Storm Cloud (I think it’s Sherwin Williams?): </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuEiyAXAAkaozNMJ4VTJZqmFtRSTZlL9bZ0KhrIgjlbqKVSlkKy9vn_ex7SGXhwqHMQrd7ukYKo7nGH6Y_fs8beO9vcfTVit_ZWwBwu3js4UJDTYZE4gHG5Tp9OF-KhP3XmxHFppBeaM/s1600-h/IMG_5979%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="label cabinet doors before painting" border="0" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuMJPFYh8PLo3TUOHVl6B4JV2dg90hXuUQBulaN2-DuL6J9EY612Au4wEw_Ntk0GpwohOWR1aobUMcZwSFLP03khKgXw7YcAvN7kf2Za6ZcJyTwrSe7kIUSdMQyFKu5Nkq_HV3yRpb7k/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="label cabinet doors before painting" width="450" /></a></p> <p>Do you see that little piece of Frogtape on the back of the door? That’s been there all this time – I used those to number the doors when I took them off to paint them. I highly recommend doing that because otherwise you’ll have to do a lot of adjusting to get the doors just right again. </p> <p>Anyhoo, did I need to paint the inside the cabinets no one but me will ever see? (I mean, obviously I have no life.) No. But there’s something to be said for having an organized space look pretty too. It only took me five minutes for each one, so it wasn’t too bad. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnuAmIQ-NZK8DHwXEYzwkgIWoFa5ti7ttDOxYiSpd09JfYYJlGRRvcvMsWplO6L_QNy9PKgNJVaTaKzPks0I2PGznHnkY0wSnpCwEcCnVyH_41C6e7QqkLWq8SyqVABvx-ODuJ3gjAsE/s1600-h/IMG_5977%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="storm cloud gray" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1QWJAfUsMooehi8Utw3eogMKXjBydCEoX2pyGAfXP02fYIaLTvvT6a1VPgWT_sYqjRN3NH_0QAgfYdXzzgfSjsGyu5lL9yPiMxQC5ZDfMMYwgPZtsip-B5cRjl3CKXlnULswahE8m7E/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="storm cloud gray" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I only had to do one coat each too – which totally surprised me. The paint is the SW Duration kind and it covered great.</p> <p>After it was dry I did a super quick purge and then loaded everything back in. I have a cabinet for holiday stuff: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mrDV0682kM69z7G1V6wjytJZQ2Epcu3VXBjoQj35mkhShHaGjsy3dpKbHycVkIH_I8tPHVJ6ow9jQ6wnPOTkka-WHjfTGjbUtvnkvCaCGuljNBumtCmFK7Oj8i78w8VP3C2gBDQS5Fg/s1600-h/IMG_5984%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="organizing holiday dining items" border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC1VBjq-pd_WB_wbpHuc28rVVP43PVtpnuEsFNyqymnzvWk6uMV66xV95bp7Yudjj2LmJjZHzAFE3PlYMdpGyoq4VJdh-GQxwKeIvBre2pgmXJxPHFPtYVDLzJTXEZOzhwAIEc7mC3gw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="organizing holiday dining items" width="450" /></a></p> <p>One for vases/pitchers/birthday party supplies (there’s no rhyme or reason to this as you can see): </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GHByJY2O2mFOEXv5OzviV3i3BVybNKOeGXSof5I6z5Su07XSeBJLzQaA7BDeMAkZ9DJZjvKIjp_zYL244RinlKpyuvaAwOYSs8drKkMdvy23yDEaltPhvZKOjUVj-_JmZPPzQ6SAjAA/s1600-h/IMG_5986%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="organizing serving ware" border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd9EXDKX3TxccipVjAqyeLjEU4OOXTJezoxlz1zOfpMHjSaYI_X1pgRKzikpByOEhPqNjsP5eAoBbIL1hwyv2lo_FupBY4vPjq1EewhK2ehrBimQ5_-XhKd_DJsEzPxmcb9lpVaAdecs/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="organizing serving ware" width="500" /></a></p> <p>One for random serving stuff, with room to spare: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw_S7WsryN-C8vH7CYRKzgKRzbeyVg0nolstMltgHA7Y5ziW6p_1Qw5xIHS_LljOsa0mr5be3wpXDTgvJOiiwikmxJgdFOWcDdRnzVjzXxG-cdpwqFDGGlS8uyZpZ533RGdUUUKMhhm4/s1600-h/IMG_5988%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="organizing serving dishes" border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD4zjlMdQG7Llc_0vEu03qxMvnUsH_HM8YUcyInCl3KzdMcgrEAOkOjoSrCZwL1He8dCn-ph2Y0ZOtHaZKoe1fijhNq5N1Pjxr-lTPt-brudiZZeHRTPvECy5jdWcS76ElgktRuqXeps/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="organizing serving dishes" width="500" /></a></p> <p>I have more in the kitchen that will fill that space, don’t you worry. ;) </p> <p>And finally, one dedicated to dishes. My vintage glass plates (from Goodwill) for showers and small get togethers, our white dishes for big meals and some serving plates and linens as well: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPAZYT4I76_Pe2u4cgXKrGzJTkFwTLN_nuw0BGY7N0LdqqCFREE0mF47QRyrYG_jjKyQgC9VTesSxiJBxSKMNmv8bT2h0NrWj1pD-_A6StqXSfRHBYbOLPHB5MfLjdiiLaerHEv7OZpA/s1600-h/noname%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="organizing serving dishes" border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLm1RqS1ayEfNzQyXZ7i9wjLnTjZDDVXxJn07ng1yXoXMz6y5z-LvCbM5ndlkGWTZ7SgXuyo4ZUL6A0fqbV7waQ6jbp1e-OtKuiSjeadgM52d0cY26cDh3fKiizUeTznP08_wpNkJdU8/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="organizing serving dishes" width="500" /></a></p> <p>And, I gotta say, it doesn’t ever get any less weird that I share the insides of our drawers and cabinets with you, even after five years. ;) </p> <p>It is SO GREAT to have a spot for all of this stuff! Most of it was in the basement before – now I like having it close by in a pretty spot:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEt83ee_kW7vXR4n4ij6cudMiH3XMWaUeGGWtmYfZhbHEzDqsEr-elFFPzsbKMOGnYrG49tr1fRMcHUEA2NNAUx3fWiXl99iTdpRYeJXIXFwiAGCMxFEp4G-KeyYHeKGshuYhFc4rkUM/s1600-h/IMG_5994%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font color="#4c4c4c"></font><img alt="DIY built ins using cabinets as bases" border="0" height="751" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XxqWun2wAnCtRCcVimuOcELjE-zp072a3Xo9xwfJqYku4qg3v4Jfn0DV5vsjVi652O38IJuq3AL8bBWvelw8la2w9qS_shsAChSzEYao2ZeaISZgQcSAM9Q381ZiW0bczunvBal7OFw/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DIY built ins using cabinets as bases" width="500" /></a>I still LOVE how this all came together. So very much. </p> <p>We’ve lived here for nine years and I feel like I am on the cusp of having a good spot for everything – it’s taken that long. If you’ve been around for awhile you know I have to live with things for some time before making them right for us – the same goes for how I (try to) organize the STUFF in our house. </p> <p>How do you organize all the dining stuff you rarely use but want to keep? :) Or do you use them often? I think I need to throw a party.</p>

Dining room (pretty) organization

Hey hey! How the heck are ya? There are some beautiful projects linked up at the before and after shindig – check it out here to see them o...

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