So what made us decide to give our dining room a makeover, you ask? Well, after 14 years, it was hard to hide the imperfections and the wear and tear of the dining table and chairs. In addition to that, with the custom built-in’s we had installed in our living room, we wanted to carry the same brightness and cohesiveness into our dining room. We started talking about giving our dining room a makeover back in March of 2021 and with all the shipment delays due to the pandemic, it wasn’t until recently that we finally finished our dining room…well almost. We still have to select artwork to dress our walls with and paint our moulding. But for us, it’s nearly done and we are thrilled with the transformation!
Prior to the makeover, our dining room had a dark and moody vibe to it. A navy blue accent wall, light gray painted walls everywhere else, and dark wood furniture was what the interior space looked like. It was a cozy space we enjoyed. As I look through all of our pictures, I see so many tablescapes created for birthday celebrations, holiday get-togethers, and other holidays in between that brought us so much joy. We were happy to have been able to donate our eight chair dining room set to a neighbor who was thrilled to take it home for her and her family.
Custom Round Pedestal Dining Table
There were two things I knew for sure when giving our dining room a makeover…keep it light, bright, airy and select a round table. Our prior dining table was a square high-top table and this time having a round dining table was ideal. I wasn’t opposed to getting a dining set but preferred to pick out a beautiful table and find chairs to complement it. That was no easy task! Between the sub par quality of tables and the high prices, we couldn’t find one that we wanted to invest in. So we visited one of our local furniture stores who can customize pieces for you that are hand-crafted by the Amish. I knew I wanted a round pedestal dining table to seat up to eight people with a light finish. We selected a 60″ round Quartersawn White Oak with a Frost Stain that has a 12″ leaf.
One thing about this dining table is the sentimental value it has. Before my grandmother passed away last year, she gifted all of her grandchildren money. Her only instruction to us was to buy something special and that would remind us of her. One of my many fond memories of my grandmother was sitting at the table eating. Whether it was at her house or at my parents, we were always together eating as a family. The builders who made this table happily took my request and etched out her name…”Mama” underneath the table.
The Custom Buffet
For the buffet, we knew we had to go custom. We wanted a long enough cabinet that can be used for buffet brunches and dinners and enough storage space to house all of our entertaining essentials. We ordered a buffet with the same type of wood and stain finish in a 108″W. With the buffet cabinet being so long, it would not fit through our front door. The delivery men had to lift the cabinet and enter it through or dining room window. We always tell each other – between the buffet and our long and heavy sofa, it’s going to be something else the day we move to another home.
We decided to forgo the wood countertop for the buffet and selected a Quartz countertop (Calacatta Veronica) and finished it with a bevel edge. These are definitely pieces that will last forever.
For the buffet cabinet hardware, we agreed that ‘Sietto White Glass’ Cabinet Pulls and Knobs was a perfect choice.
Dining Chairs
We decided to change from an eight-seater table to a six-seater table. We felt it would look too cramped to fit eight chairs, even though they can fit if need be. After searching for dining chair options, I had narrowed it down to two (shown in my mood inspo board above) and I had a poll on my Insta stories – which many had selected the chair with the Miranda Kerr ‘Love Joy Side Chair’ that has a Diamond Velvet Pearl fabric with a White Lacquer finish perfected with soft gold metal caps on each leg. With so many vendors selling these chairs, I price-matched the best one but it did come with a price..so to speak. Delivery was supposed to be 8-12 weeks but with delay after delay, it took 8 months to receive them! I was so tempted to cancel but I’m glad patience came into play because we absolutely LOVE them as they perfectly complement the dining table so beautifully.
I didn’t want to have six of the same chairs – it would look to hotel banquet-like. Originally, I was looking for high back chairs – similar to a wing back but could not find ones with the right leg finish or fabric that would complement the rest of the chairs. My sister encouraged me to go with the Miranda Kerr ‘Alabaster Love Joy Bliss Chairs’ in a Woven Pewter fabric, featuring an Alabaster finish, and also features the gold metal caps on each leg. So I ordered a fabric sample and was thrilled the two fabrics showed so well together. I also love the fact that the back shape is different from the side chairs.
Lightening Fixtures
When it came to the lightening for the dining room, we needed to evoke a bit of sparkle with all the wood furnishings. So we selected this chandelier from Crystorama from the Bridgehampton collection that features upward curved arms strung in curtains of faceted hand cut crystals.
On our previous buffet, we stationed two table lamps on both ends but with this design, a way to add more sophistication was to go with Crystorama Metro 2 Light Wall Sconces. They are such a lovely match to the 8-Light Antique Gold Chandelier. These lightening fixtures have a classic yet modern style that is timeless elegance.
The Vintage-inspired Mirror
For a few years, I had my eye on the Gleaming Primrose Mirror from Anthropologie. I knew that when we had decided to give our dining room a makeover, this mirror was going to be part of the design. The grand scale of this 5′ ft. vintage-inspired mirror makes such a grand statement in this room. The reflection of light bouncing from either the direct sunlight or the shimmering lights from the Crystal chandelier, bounces off a beautiful reflection throughout the space.
The Area Rug
We never had an area rug in our dining room before. Design wise, we needed it here to brighten up and ground the contrasting light furniture to the dark hardwood floors. It took months for me to find one that had the perfect color and design pattern. Thanks to the ad’s we get on our insta-feed, Tumble Living showed up and not only was I excited about it, I loved the concept too! I can literally fold this rug into our washer! No carpet shampooer machine needed here.
Wall Trim
Details make the difference and dressing up your walls with moulding is one of them. Decorative moulding and architectural millwork can be quite costly. Unless you are a pro at DIY – an alternate solution we found is moulding kits by Luxe Architectural. It was so easy to install picture frame moulding. This wall treatment completely elevates a space and gives it such an upscale look. We did however, have the chair rail installed.
Below is a source list from a few items listed above. The lightening fixtures and cabinet hardware were purchased from local vendors but I found some other sources that carry those particular items. Likewise, with the dining chairs, I purchased from an online vendor and they no longer carry them but I sourced another vendor.
I hope you find inspiration for your home.
Wall Paint: Benjamin Moore Paint ‘White Dove’
Buffet Hardware: Sietto White Glass Cabinet Pull and Knobs
Oval Back Side Chairs: Miranda Kerr ‘Love Joy Bliss’
Host Chairs: Miranda Kerr ‘ Alabaster Love Joy Bliss’
Mirror: Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose
Area Rug: Tumble Living ‘Olivia – Ivory/Neutral’
Chandelier: Crystorama Bridgehampton 8-light Antique Gold Chandelier
Scones: Crystorama Metro 2 Light Antique Gold Sconce
Picture Frame Moulding Kit: Luxe Architectural
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