Dining Room Update
As you may recall, last January (2019) I had a group of friends over for lunch and asked for their critical feedback on some of the rooms of my home. See luncheon post here. Their recommendations for the dining room was to “lighten it up”.
The larger wall of this room is facing east and gets the gorgeous morning sun, but due to the front porch and overhang, the lighting is mostly indirect. The “bay” of windows faces north and has the porte Cochere right outside. Again no direct sunlight.
The first thing I did was paint the walls all white. I was very fond of the soft gray/blue that was above the wainscoting, but all the women agreed it had to go. My favorite painter, John, came to the rescue.
The next change I made was to replace the Mr. and Mrs. chairs with upholstered camelback ones from Ballard Designs. I waited for the best sale and then placed the order, but not before I had them send me swatches as there are many different fabrics to choose from.
I wanted the fabric to blend in with the walls and trim, which are painted a creamy white, not a stark white. Dunn Edwards Cottage White SP113. Fabric is Pique Salt Sumbrella.
The chairs arrived and I was so delighted with the quality. The fabric feels rich and the workmanship did not disappoint.
For the balance of the year, the dining room was fine, but still felt heavy due to all the dark wood ~~table, chairs and buffet.
The holidays came and went and with decorations and tablecloths, the room was satisfactory. And I was still pondering what else I could do with this room.
Thanksgiving 2019
Then an opportunity presented itself last month. My dear neighbor was moving and had a yard sale. I scored 4 upholstered Parsons chairs for $50.00! I was so excited I bought them immediately. However, the fabric, though lovely, would not go with anything in the dining room. Plus they were stained and worn.
I contacted Ballard Designs, hoping their Parson chair slipcovers would fit (who knew Parson chairs would be different dimensions). I ordered one as a trial. Long story short, after experimenting with different white slipcovers, I finally purchased 4 of them~~ at $44.25 each!
Ballard Designs did offer the ability to have custom slipcovers made out of the Pique Salt Sumbrella, however, the cost would have been over $200 per slipcover. My total investment for the 4 chairs and stock slipcovers is $227.00
I still need to steam them to get the packing wrinkles out, but I am so happy with how they look. Though the fabrics are different, I believe the shades of white are similar. Slipcovers are Super White Twill.
I still need to properly accessorize this room. The painting above the fireplace is okay, but just not quite right. My friend, Janie, recommended a softer looking painting. I am confident I will stumble upon something that will be perfect. Also, any other suggestions from all you talented designers out there, would be GREATLY appreciated.
So here is the before and after. What do you think?
As always, I am so grateful for your kind comments and feedback. I am off to steaming these slipcovers so I can move onto a different project!
As we all settle into our new “norm”, I am sending the best wishes for your health and happiness.
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While I find both rooms lovely, I must say the before room is my favorite! I work in the healthcare industry and I find the stark white that most people prefer today cold. If you had trim painted another color or the original wood, I think the white would be fine. The white parsons chairs they are a bit casual for the elegance of your dinning room as well, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to think the before was the their favorite, I may not have been as honest. You have a lovely home and property, and I always enjoy visiting your blog. Marie
Marie, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. The hope is that all opinions are welcomed here on my blog. I am a believer that each of us is different and the world works so much better if you can share your thoughts without concern. When different thoughts are shared in a civilized way, then the best solutions can be achieved. I am hoping somehow to add a monogram to the slipcovers to dress them up a bit. The reason I did add more white, is this room is east facing, however, with the overhangs from the front porch and the porte-cochere, it doesn’t get a lot of direct light. I, too, liked the previous wall color and may return to that. It’s fun to mix things up a bit and sometimes, it takes a few passes to get it right. Again, thank you for your comments.
Mary, I went back to your luncheon with friends post today. Don’t know why anyone would have suggested painting your dining wall…I loved the color you had! And like I said earlier your dining chairs were GORGEOUS in that dining room. You have a BEAUTIFUL estate home!!! I know everyone has their opinions though….but you had it right except accessories. I’m honest even though it might not sound good and I’ve decorated alot of homes for people.
I always love getting your comments. It’s funny that I know how to restore and remodel a home, but I feel inadequate when it comes to decorating the interior. I can pick out faucets and light fixtures and tile, etc. but a chair? or sofa? I break out into a cold sweat. I so appreciate your feedback, truly.
I loved the before dining room. I love Classic Rich Formal for dining room. Crystal and brass sconces large was all your dining room needed on table. And different lamps and frenchy picture. Don’t like Parson chairs. I will say the buffalo fabric would look good in cottage decor or sunroom. I wouldn’t have gave my opinion but you asked.
Nancy,
Thank you for your comments. If the consensus is that the Before dining room is better, heck I’m up for that. I can always use these Parsons chairs in my breakfast room. They would just need some cleaning up and I can certainly return the slipcovers. I always appreciate honesty. Hadn’t thought of the lamps either. You have given me much to think about!
Looks lovely. I think the only thing missing is window treatments. I too like all the light windows bring into my home. So I put drapes on the outside of the windows. I extend the rod beyond the window so the drapes don’t cover any part of the window. For some widows I only have valances I do the same, I put the valances above the window and maybe an couple of inches over the top of the windows. The difference and warmth it brings is enormous!
Karen,
I have gone back and forth on whether to do window treatments. Since we have complete privacy (no one can see in from the surrounding area) and since there is only indirect light, I have not done anything on the windows. But I will hang some fabric on one of them and see what it does. Great suggestion!
Oh love your slip covers! I love Ballard so much. They opened up a store not too far from me and I’m really loving seeing all the stuff in person.
I wish there was a store close to us. Sometimes it is hard to just order online and hold your breath until it comes in! Thanks for the comment.