Fall Dining Room

Chalkboard Wall

I've wanted to do a chalkboard wall in our home forever but as you will see from the photos, our walls are very heavily textured and I didn't think I would be able to write on them. 

But I just couldn't stand it anymore.  I really wanted one.  So, I tested it out first with a piece of chalk and tried writing on it, and surprisingly, it was no big deal at all.  Sure it isn't perfectly smooth, but I could write on it and it still looked fine.  That was all I needed to get busy and paint a side and I couldn't be more happy with the results.

Of course, this did inspire a couple of other projects.  Isn't it funny how that always happens.  When my dad died, I inherited some of his wine collection.  He was quite a wine connoisseur and even though some of it is no longer drinkable, I will never get rid of it and I wanted to display some of it proudly.  I also wanted to display it on the wall against the chalkboard wall color.  I looked for a DIY wine rack tutorial and found this one.  I did it a little bit differently in that I didn't use the same size bolts and I also spray painted them oil rubbed bronze because I didn't care for the color of them. 

Because we already had the barn wood, this project cost me less than $5 because all I had to buy was the bolts for .38 each.  How great is that?  I absolutely love how it turned out.

I've had a lot of emails asking where we bought our light fixture in the dining room.  I actually don't remember because it was bought 8 years ago when we bought the house.  However, I wasn't happy with it at all because it had frosted glass shades on it that forced the light up onto the ceiling instead of down onto the table for a cozier setting.  For years I just lived with it but I couldn't stand how cold the dining room felt with the light like that so I decided to see if I could just remove the glass shades and sure enough, you could.  I removed them all and added clip on shades from Lowes, which I loved and they made the lighting perfectly cozy.  For this project though, I went a little further and added burlap to each shade to give more texture to the room.

I cut out the fabric, sprayed the shade with spray adhesive, wrapped it and hot glued the rest.  Because I didn't cut it out perfectly, I added a piece of rope to the inside to clean it up a bit.  I just hot glued it on.  It just makes it a little bit neater since you can easily see up under the shade while walking in the dining room.

For the sentiment on the wall here, I printed everything from wordpad on my computer and traced it onto the wall using different fonts.  Yes, it took all day but boy do I love it.  I wish I could remember the name of each font I used but I don't.  Sorry.

I still have a couple more things to add to the wall but I wanted to go ahead a share it now.

I love it!  So if you've been wanting to do a chalkboard wall but thought you couldn't because of the wall texture in your home, I'd say go for it!  :)

Have a great day!

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Dining Room Table

One of the things I've loved so much about blogging this past year is how much I'm learning about home design, building my own furniture, and various wood treatments.  And I look forward to learning so much more.  Now that I work with wood for a living, I've also learned so much about different ways to age new wood, though, I'm certainly no expert.

Several years ago when I decided to build a new dining room table with the table legs that my dad made, I really didn't know that much about any of those things, but we really needed a larger dining table for our larger than usual dining room and I really wanted to give those special table legs a purpose.  The tabletop I put together then was okay, but, I wasn't happy with the dark stain and polyurethane combo I used.  It didn't absorb into the wood, instead, it sat on top of the wood and dried to somewhat of a strange shine.  Neither of which I wanted.  I also longed for a thicker table top.  Preferably barn wood, but, our supply was gone and the barn wood we could find was just the thin 1 inch variety.  Also perfectly fine, but not what I wanted for a top.

My go to wood source for projects around the house is the cheap craft wood aisle at Lowe's, the lower grade, with slight warps and knot holes, works fine for my projects.  It's cheap, even though sometimes you have to sort through the stack to find the best pieces, but again, cheap, and that's just how we have to roll around here.  As many times as I have made trips to Lowe's for wood over the years, I've never ventured into the "man lumber" section.  Well, wouldn't ya know, on a trip with hubby there the other today for deck lumber, I discovered 2 x 8's that were not treated, thick and in my price range!  Duh.  I thought that section only contained green, treated lumber. Well, that has opened up all kinds of possibilities.  And these were going to be perfect for a new tabletop.  I bought 5 of them (each 8 feet long) to make a 6 foot long x 3 foot deep table top.  They were 4.75 each......total cost was 31.00 bucks. 

I really wanted to age the wood to make it look like barn beams, especially since my sweet husband gave me the salvaged barn wood shelf I built for him.  I wanted to make them match.  So I decided to age each piece separately before I even made the top. 

First thing I did was cut each one down to a 6 foot length.  Then I took my sander and rounded all the corners and sides quite a bit so they looked worn down.  I did this with a palm sander and 150 grit sandpaper.  Then I took 220 grit sandpaper and sanded the tops down very smooth, then wiped down completely. 

Next step, BRUSH on Minwax Special Walnut stain.  I brushed it on because you can get so much more into your wood using a brush than using a cloth.  I let it soak in for about 15 minutes and then took a clean, dry rag and wiped off any stain that didn't soak in.  Then I let dry completely for several hours. 

Next step, again using my sander and 150 grit paper, I sanded again, paying close attention to the corners and edges.  The trick is to get those areas to really look worn down.  (Do not sand off all the stain, you just want to distress it a little by removing some of it.)  And then again with 220 grit to get everything nice and smooth.  Wipe down with another clean dry rag to remove every last bit of sanding dust.  Then I took another clean, dry rag and used Minwax Paste Finishing Wax in Natural to wax each board.  Then wipe to a nice smooth finish.  It will be so smooth and lovely.

Then I just laid each board side by side, attached beams to the back with large screws to hold together, attached the table base with angled wood corner braces that attach to the table top and each apron underneath, turn it over and that's it.  Here is a before pic of the dark table that I wasn't happy with.

And here is the new tabletop.

I am so thrilled with this top!  It's thick and sturdy and matches the salvaged barn wood shelf behind it perfectly!  And it lightens the room, 

which always seems dark because of the dark floors.

I don't think I could be more pleased.

 I don't know about you, but when you get something new for a room, does it inspire you to completely change the room?  It sure does me, so, that's what I did.  And I'm very lucky to have a hubby who doesn't mind if I do these things, as long as I keep costs very low.  

I also took down the monster shelf I built for my platter collection that was in the place the shelf is in now.  Again, another one of those things I learned.  It was too big for the room (if that's possible) and I wanted the table to be the focal point.

BEFORE

Um...icky photo.  Also before the new camera (and learning not to take photos at night.)  I laugh when I see posts and photos from when we first started this blog a year ago.  Clearly, I knew nothing about taking photos.  But that's what it's about, right?  

Learning as you go along.  

Here it is after removing the shelf monstrosity.

So much better.  I kept the white console table my dad built for me and moved it across the room.   The huge rolling pin is vintage and was a gift from my hubby.  :)   The mint growing in the chocolate terra cotta container is orange mint and smells so good!

 We got rid of a few other pieces of furniture.  When hubby comes home with vintage furniture pieces, I tend to cram them all in the dining room because it's so big and I want to keep everything he finds.  But I'm learning that less really is more.  You know?  I also made a lot of changes on the walls, just by moving some things from other rooms into the dining room.  It's an inexpensive way to change a look.  

A few months ago I saw this amazing huge chalkboard made from salvaged molding on Maria's blog.  I know, I know......another chalkboard.  But this was the king of all chalkboards, so I gave away all my other ones and decided to build one like Maria's using new molding instead of salvaged.  I have to say that I adore Maria's style and blog.  I recently splurged and purchased one of her vintage french linen kitchen towels.  It is so lovely that washing and drying my hands in the kitchen has become a simple pleasure.  ;)  Anyway, I'm currently working on several tutorials, one of which is how to build this giant chalkboard.

Another change was the curtains.  We've always had the wood blinds, which I love.  I've received so many emails asking where we purchased those blinds.  We bought them at Lowe's when we first moved into our home.  I'm not sure if they are still available because it's been so long.  I don't know the name either but I do know they are bamboo.  I bought these sheers at Wal-Mart for $16.00.  I changed out the curtain rod with a skinnier one to accommodate the curtain holes. 

Our dining room and kitchen are my two most favorite rooms in our home, probably because it's where we are the most.

 Done!  If you are still here after that long post, thanks for visiting today!  Stay tuned for tutorials, back porch decor and a fun vintage school map project for one of my kid's rooms!  Have a great weekend!

Diana

P.S.  The paint used on the walls is Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore.  :)

P.P.S  Please check out this post for the tutorial and photos on how I built this table. :)

Console Table Handcrafted By Dad, A Craft Project & Bread Boards

Hi there!  How was your weekend?  I finished up working on a table that my dad made for me before he passed away.  I painted it white and put it in my dining room.  After he finished building it, he had a little gold tab engraved and attached it underneath the top.  It says, "Handcrafted by Dad".  :)  Here's a look.......

 I'm so happy with it!  

I wanted to put something fun and different on it and since I've seen lots of projects lately involving spray painting glass jars, I decided to do a version for myself.

I had an old set of glass milk bottles that were just hiding away in a cabinet.  They were beautiful but the glass was so old that they were pretty scuffed and etched so I thought they would be the perfects candidates for painting.

I bought some foam stickers from a craft store and stuck those on the bottles.  I used numbers with special meaning, sentimental letters and did one that said milk, just for fun.   I primed them first with Valspar white primer before recoating with Valspar white spray paint and a clear glossy sealer.  The other color is also by Valspar and is called soft grey.  Here's what they looked like when I was finished.

I LOVE the way the spray paint made the letters on the milk bottles stand out.

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

P.S.  I have listed 8 sets of mini bread boards in my Etsy Shop and 8 burlap bread board bags.  :)

The Dining Room Gets A New Table Runner and Sideboard

Hey there!  Hope everyone had a good weekend!  We had a great weekend all around, celebrating my oldest son's 19th birthday and enjoying a garage sale extravaganza in our little town.  We got some great things, one of which was this old sideboard.

I have always wanted a sideboard for our dining room, so, needless to say, I was thrilled, hubby was thrilled!  I actually liked it in this aged condition but decided to give it a fresh coat of white paint, strip the white paint off the drawer pulls and then spray paint them oil rubbed bronze.  And guess how much it cost.........5 bucks!!!!!!  Here's what it looks like in it's new home.

Pretty nifty, huh?

This piece, along with the old soda crate hubby found and the linen table runner I made from my tablecloth fiasco, inspired a little mini dining room redo.  So, here's a look at the table runner I sewed.

I used grey linen that I ordered from here.  I originally bought three yards because I had planned to sew a tablecloth instead, but, after I was finished and put it on the table, I didn't like it at all.  I think it was the thought of covering up such a special table, so I cut it down to make this table runner.

After being inspired by the look of these tablecloths, I decided to make a patch from drop cloth and then stencil my favorite number on it with grey craft paint.  Then I sewed it onto the runner and fringed the edges.

To go on top of the runner, I filled the aged soda crate with our pretty white napkins, a variety of vintage mismatched salt and pepper shakers, my mini bread boards - one for each of us, and cute little bowls to sit on top of the bread boards for dipping oil, butter, or whatever we decide to eat with our bread.

And because the vintage ladder was driving us crazy in the master bath (we kept tripping over it cause it's a small room), I decided to bring it out to the dining room and hang those gorgeous coffee sacks hubby got me from it.  And since it is no longer in the bathroom, we can enjoy looking at the ladder more often.

Here is a look at the entire room with all it's little changes.

I can't wait to have our family dinners in there now!  I am just itchin' to get the fall decorations and candles out!  I had so much fun this weekend with hubby, my kiddos and all our fun garage sale finds. We are nearing the end of summer vacation and I dread that.  I enjoy having my kids home with me so much.

Have a great day!

P.S. I will have more bread boards towards the end of the week.  I sell out faster than I can keep up with but I feel so blessed and thankful that everyone is enjoying them so much!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart! :)

A Dining Room Redo With Special Meaning

When my dad passed away years ago, he left behind his beautifully built wood projects, one of which was a set of four dining table legs that he skillfully turned himself. He was so proud of the work that he did and I was amazed that he taught himself how to build furniture so I'm learning to do the same thing in his honor.

My family of 5 needed a much bigger dining room table so I decided to build one using the legs that my dad turned before he passed away. A post on the details of building the table, later. I have always wanted a farmhouse table with that charming, worn look created by being passed down from generation to generation, so, I decided to top the table with inexpensive 1 x 8 pine wood planks bought from Lowes. I stained them with a dark walnut stain, coated with polyurethane, lightly sanded, distressed and attached to the top of the apron and legs of the table. I painted the legs and apron a bright cottage white and took a palm sander to them to distress them a bit, as well. It turned out perfect and makes me smile when I see it. And I like to think of it as the table that my dad and I built together.

I like to mix different styles of dining chairs and already had these so I painted them all white to unify the different styles and distressed them to match the table. The fabric I upholstered the seat with is painters drop cloth that I taped off and painted wide stripes on with taupe/gray colored paint I already had called smoked oyster. I added textile medium to it to soften it up a bit but also to create a paint that could be washed, if needed. I wanted the fabric to appear faded with age, so I brushed it on very lightly and left some areas not completely filled in.

I sewed two pillows with the same fabric and placed in the two end chairs that are different to bring the entire look together. It's a very inexpensive update for chairs needing a makeover. I love the beachy, casual appearance the stripes give the dining room.

The "beach" sign on the far wall several photos up was inspired by an image I found online here so I created my own version with wood from an old crate my hubby found, craft paints, stencil and sandpaper. I attached sisal rope to the back with a staple gun and voila, beach art for free! Here is a close up.

The plate rack on the wall was inspired by, of all things, the movie Something's Gotta Give. Great movie, by the way. At least, I assume it was, I was too busy pressing the pause button to look at that amazing beach house! Anyone else do this?

I saw this while watching the movie (photo above is a movie still) and fell in love with it, so, I spent several weeks designing my own version and then built it, pretty inexpensively, by using pine planks, bead board panels and crown molding. And I must say, I'm pretty happy with my version. I filled it with my collection of plates and platters. :)

The wall art is just a piece of 1/2 inch thick plywood painted with chalkboard paint in which I wrote a quote by Fernand Point, a french chef.

As you can see, the dining room is quite large, which seems to be a characteristic of very old homes, so it was certainly a challenge to fill it. But I did, inexpensively, of course. I wonder how many times I've said the word "inexpensively" in this post. Anyway, the rest of the room contains items that mean a lot to me and my family. This room was so much fun to redo and I think I achieved the farmhouse, coastal, vintage, casual theme I was going for, and I know my dad would be so proud. Thanks so much for looking!