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Life On Virginia Street

Life On Virginia Street

DIY . Home Decor . Travel . Style . Life

Dining Room Makeover Reveal

DIY Projects, Paint Projects, Room Makeovers + Design Plans

The day is finally here for the dining room makeover reveal! I’ll be honest: I’m actually a little nervous about this reveal for a few reasons.

First, I started this room makeover in January so I hope your expectations levels have not been mounting as each month passes. Secondly, with the exception of a few textile additions, I don’t think it has changed all that drastically since the last time I gave you an update. And thirdly, I don’t feel like the room is truly done at this point, and still needs some final styling, but I figured if I didn’t reveal the room now, you may never see it again 😉 I also have a fall home tour coming up in the next few weeks and thought it would be fun for you to see a more summery look now before I transition over to my early fall decor.

I’ve included some details on some of the new features of the room as well as a source list at the bottom of the post for those interested. I figured it would be easier on all of us if it was in one central location. Keep in mind, for this reveal I also kept the color palette very cool since it’s still the dead of summer and I have plans to warm it up quite a bit for a fall tour in a few weeks. I thought it would be fun to compare the two looks at that time.

Now, before we get to the reveal, I wanted to show some before and afters of the space in it’s former lives. The first is from the MLS listing when we found the house and the second was from the summer after we moved in and I had done my first makeover in the house. It’s also worth noting that the look today strayed somewhat from my original design board.

Check out this elegant dining room update with before and after shots.

I loved the last makeover a lot, but it always felt off to me and didn’t actually flow with the lighter and brighter feel the rest of our home started to take on. It felt too much like someone else’s space to me. I needed a fresh look that flowed better with the new vibe in the rest of our house.

And now, the new lighter and brighter space!

Dining Room with Behr Silver Drop walls and blue and white accents

Formal shot of our elegant dining room with Behr Silver Drop walls and blue and white accents.

The Behr Silver Drop paint lightens up the Dining Room with a Darlana Linear Pendant Chandelier.

The biggest change of all was the light paint color (Behr Silver Drop), freshly painted baseboards and window trim, moving the wine glass holders, changing all of the outlets and switch plates from almond to white, and the icing on the cake: the new chandelier!

I actually borrowed the pillows from the neighboring living room and took the lamp from our entryway table. Those are purchases I didn’t want to make just to make and I hadn’t found the perfect items yet. So, those will be changing over time but I didn’t want to delay the reveal any longer and these worked well for the time being.

I opted to only have drapes in each of the outer corners of each window. I felt like the in it’s prior life, the dining room felt heavy and dark with the ten (yes, ten!) curtain panels. They blocked out so much light and were never utilized for anything other than to add some dimension to the space. They were never shut one time so it just felt so much lighter to go to less panels. I was worried it may look off, but I found a lot of inspiration looks and ultimately I love the new look, even if it may not be considered traditional. Something else to note: I used two panels on the rods in each corner because I felt like it was a much richer look with the extra fabric (and was doable given that the pairs were only $29.99).

Some details:Dining room makeover details that make all the difference.

Elegant mirror over a dark wood buffet table with blue and white accents.

Banana leaves in beautiful glass bottles have a huge impact in this dining room makeover.

The courtyard view of this light, bright dining room makeover.

Cute dining room bar cart to accent the room makeover.

You can see that, although the room pairs nicely with our living room, it isn’t 100% matchy-matchy:

Our dining room compliments our living room without being too matchy.

Neutral Living room with blue, green and white accents.

I know our house layout can be confusing to figure out at times, but this shot looking at the dining room and entryway (from the kitchen/living room area) may help put the space layout more in perspective.

Dining room and hallway view to give the full perspective on our dining room makeover.

And stepping a bit further back, the view from the living room is shown below. As a reminder, the living room paint color is Behr Castle Path and it doesn’t start until your in the living room, but it’s amazing how the wall wrapping into the space (which is Castle Path) takes on the Behr Silver Drop color that’s in the dining room. It’s a chameleon I tell you!

Living room looking into the dining room with light, bright paint update.

And lastly, one parting shot:

Stunning dining room makeover reveal using light, bright colors, whites and blues.

Sources (click the links below):

Art | Round Gold Mirror | Darlana Linear Pendant Chandelier | Drapes | Rug | Wood Tray | Linen Chairs (old from Sears) | Dining Room Set | Buffet | Bar Cart (similar) | Art on Bar Cart | Capri Blue Candle | Glass Beads | Allegra Hicks Book | Endless Summer Cookbook | Throw Pillows, Glass Jars, Lamp, Curtain Rods, Glass Box, Ceramic Pineapple Rock are all from HomeGoods | Wine Glass Shelves old from Costco (similar) | Banana Palm Leaves from Hobby Lobby | Agate Coasters purchased in Italy (similar) | Wall Paint Color: Behr Silver Drop | Trim Paint Color: Behr Swiss Coffee

I hate to talk about more changes I want to make in the space, but over time, I may paint the buffet table (or strip it of the stain and go more rustic/driftwood with it), change the leg color on the linen chairs, and find a centerpiece for the table that works well with the low-lying chandelier.

I think I’ve talked about this before but I feel like all of our rooms feel so much different “in real life” because of the numerous windows in all of our rooms. The outdoors play such a big role in how these rooms really look that I need to figure out a way to capture that better so the shots aren’t so blown out in images. These photos were actually quite difficult to edit to a true color because everything looked so green due to the trees and grass outside. Someday I’ll figure out how to get that all to show in images!

For my fall home tour in a few weeks, I plan to warm the space up a bit, but for these last few weeks of summer, I think this cool-toned space is ideal. I’m so much happier with the lighter and brighter space and I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with my dining room makeover!

If you would like to follow along on more of my home decor, DIY, lifestyle, travel and other posts, I’d love to have you follow me on any of the following:

Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Bloglovin’ / Google

disclosure: some affiliate links used

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August 25, 2015 · 33 Comments

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Comments

  1. Erin says

    August 25, 2015 at 6:07 am

    It turned out beautifully! Well worth the wait. Great job!!

    Reply
  2. Kimm at Reinvented says

    August 25, 2015 at 6:11 am

    OH my gorgeous, I love it! Swooning here in Ohio over that round mirror, the drapes, and that beautiful wall color! I think the buffet would be amazing in a driftwood look. Can’t wait to see the fall look too!

    Reply
  3. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    August 25, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Such a gorgeous room, I love the new drapes and the chandy. Stunning.

    Reply
  4. Morgan {California To Carolina} says

    August 25, 2015 at 7:37 am

    It turned out beautifully. I love the dark gray room, it was very elegant, but I can see that the lighter approach definitely flows better with your home overall…and I’m all about a good light space. It’s beautiful.

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    August 25, 2015 at 8:01 am

    Where did you buy the curtains? The link is to eBay and they are not $29.99 there.

    Thank you ????

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 25, 2015 at 9:15 am

      Sorry – I should have clarified that! So, I bought one pair at HomeGoods and then two pairs on eBay. I’ve linked to them on eBay several times now and it seems like the price keeps going up. The pair I linked to was the very last pair I could find on the internet!

      Reply
  6. Summmer says

    August 25, 2015 at 8:04 am

    It’s so beautiful Sarah! I love the light walls, the light fixture and that art! The mirror and the palm leaves in the jars are perfection! You killed it!

    Reply
  7. Robin says

    August 25, 2015 at 8:57 am

    I love this room! It does flow much better with your living room now that it is lightened up. The chandelier is absolutely perfect for your dining room and dining table.

    We are thinking about updating our kitchen and may take down the wall that separates it from the kitchen. Eek!!! Tough call to make on a brand new house.

    As always, I love following along on your home journey 🙂

    Reply
  8. zandra zuraw says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:07 am

    LOVE the dramatic difference between your first make-over and this one! So much fun to see the before and after. The glam look was wonderful but this new one is so fresh and uplifting! Reminds me of a very chic but understated boutique hotel on the islands that feels like a private home. (Kind of specific but last year I had the opportunity to go to a luxury rental home on an exclusive island thanks to some generous friends. And this immediately brought back those memories! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:22 am

    It looks beautiful, Sarah. Such a pretty paint color and styling!

    Reply
  10. Emily @ Table & Hearth says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:49 am

    Gorgeous! It totally looks like an extension of the living room now! I love the slight tropical vibe in here too 🙂

    Reply
  11. Debbie says

    August 25, 2015 at 11:48 am

    I like what you’ve done! Love the new colors on the walls, curtains, and art. I’m also now leaning toward going lighter in our home. We have espresso kitchen cabinets and light wall paint. I don’t have plans to change the kitchen cabinets since I still like that look. Where I think we can go lighter is with some of our furniture. Our coffee table and dining table are dark wood and it’s in my wish list to change those to a lighter wood that’s modern rustic and grayish hint.

    Reply
  12. Caitlin @ The Deilghted Dwelling says

    August 25, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    You’re style is amazing! I seriously love every room in your home and this one just tops the charts!! It is gorgeous!!

    Reply
  13. Jordan@the2seasons says

    August 25, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    It looks great and so fresh! That is the same color we have in our dining room and I love it.

    Reply
  14. Kim says

    August 25, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    Love the room,the only thing I would do would be to replace the sliders with french doors. Will really make a huge difference

    Reply
  15. Abby says

    August 25, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    Beautiful!!!!!!

    Reply
  16. Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    I absolutely love that room and think it looks gorgeous!!

    Reply
  17. Carol says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    What a lovely, fresh update from the previous darker walls. I like how it looks comfortably sophisticated playing the dark pieces off the lighter walls, curtains and lighting. Always a fan of adding some greenery, it finishes the room!

    Reply
  18. Kaylee says

    August 25, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Could you tell me more about Silver Drop? We are HOPEFULLY (fingers crossed) closing on a house in the next couple weeks and I’ve seen so many pictures of Silver Drop that I think I might want to use it, but I don’t love when grays get so warm that they look beige/tan. Would you say it’s a true warm gray or does it look tan in certain light? I’d really appreciate hearing about it!

    Reply
  19. Erin Clouse says

    August 25, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Absolutely beautiful! I can’t wait to see the fall reveal. Fall is truly my favorite season. I totally agree about the curtain placement. It may not be traditional, but it fits your space and helps make a more dramatic impact than the previous setup.

    Reply
  20. Amanda @Hammer and Heels says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    Wow the before shot is SO different!! I agree — I love the lighter brighter space you created. Can’t wait to see how you warm it up for the fall tour 🙂

    Reply
  21. Krista @ the happy housie says

    August 26, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Gorgeous, Sarah! I love how light and bright and airy it feels – what a beautiful wall colour. And of course, that chandelier. Stunner!!

    Reply
  22. jessica says

    August 26, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Here’s an article that I read recently about photographing rooms with windows! Involves a little editing but the result looks great! http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/04/photo-editing-trick-fixing-blown-out-windows/

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 27, 2015 at 11:38 am

      Awesome! Thank you so much! 🙂

      Reply
  23. Tamara @ Provident Home Design says

    August 31, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    I love it, Sarah!! It’s beautiful! I especially love the paint color and drapes! Wonderful job!:-)

    Reply
  24. Christy @ 11 Magnolia Lane says

    September 1, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    It looks great, Sarah! Sharing with our Facebook readers tomorrow.

    Reply
  25. Sue @ Home Heart Harmony says

    September 13, 2015 at 3:07 am

    I love it! This is my first visit to your blog (found you on Instagram). I’ll definitely be back! Xx

    Reply
  26. Sheri says

    October 6, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Where are the curtain panels from?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      October 6, 2015 at 9:06 am

      I got a few from HomeGoods and a few on eBay (the same style, but my HomeGoods didn’t have enough in stock).

      Reply
  27. Blaire says

    December 14, 2015 at 2:51 am

    Love the area rug! Where is it from, Sarah?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 14, 2015 at 8:04 am

      Thank you! It’s from West Elm.

      Reply
  28. Kristen says

    May 19, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    I was wondering if you still love your rug? West Elm still sells it. Is it an indoor- outdoor rug or softer? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      June 6, 2017 at 1:18 pm

      We had to sell it because our cats would bite the weave and try and pull out the sisal 🙂 But we loved it! I feel like was definitely softer than a typical outdoor rug because of the chenille portions that are woven in. I hope that helps!

      Reply

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