I am so incredibly excited to finally be able to share this reveal!! We started working on this project months ago, right before I got pregnant with baby #3. I thought this would be a pretty quick & easy project but of course it dragged on way beyond what I thought it would, lol. It pretty much sat at a standstill my whole first trimester when I was really sick, and here we are approaching the third and I’m just so happy that it’s complete!
the before
When we moved into this house, this room was DARK. The previous owners painted the entire room – and I mean entire room – a dark grey. The walls, all the trim, the doors, the radiator, even the ceiling. I will give them credit as this was definitely a nod to the Victorian era as it was custom the paint entire rooms the same color, but in reality the room just felt dark, small, and like it was caving in on you – it gave me dungeon vibes.
I wanted to brighten the space up, make it feel larger and more airy, while also still having a cozy, relaxed feel. I wanted to bring in lots of antiques so it felt collected and a bit eccentric, while also keeping it clean and avoiding clutter. Lastly, I really wanted to challenge myself by adding both wallpaper & bringing a fun color into this room..both of which I stuck with, and I am so in love with how they turned out!
the walls
We started by adding wainscoting to the bottom half of each wall, which we have through the downstairs of our home but for some reason this room was left out. To create more flow throughout the downstairs, and add more visual appeal in here (knowing they would just be painted a simple white) we decided to add this detail. We purchased the trim pieces from Home Depot, and using a nail gun and a level just went for it. I was nervous that the nail gun would not work on our plaster walls, but it worked perfectly fine! Once all of the trim pieces were installed, we painted over everything with Behr Polished Pearl.
Next, we wallpapered! I knew I didn’t want to choose something too busy, but I also wanted to add some texture and warmth to these walls. I’ve always been really drawn to ticking stripe fabric – I love how classic and understated it is, plus it is such a quintessential farmhouse print. So when I found this ticking stripe wallpaper, I knew she was the one! I love how the tan color warms up the room, and how it add just a bit of extra flair without being too in your face.
the dining room table
This dining room table is an absolute work of art! We found it at a local antique shop well before we even moved into this house, and I bought it on the spot. I had them hold it for me for months until we moved in lol I just knew that this table was meant for us. It is clear that this table has a history and a story to tell..you can just see it in all of the grooves and scratches and pock marks etched into it. I wish I knew more about it’s life before it landed in our home, but I do know that it will be such a beautiful place for us to gather and a huge piece of our own family story.
The wooden chairs at each end of the table can be found here. The white metal chairs can be found here. These white chairs are the only thing about this dining room that doesn’t feel quite complete..they are the “for now” chairs. My hope is to replace them with some mismatched, wooden antique chairs, but with all good antiques finding those scores takes time and patience.
the “antique” rug
This rug was an absolute GEM of a find. It is hands down my favorite rug I’ve ever purchased that wasn’t actually a vintage or an antique. The edges are frayed so it looks like it has been well loved over the years, which vibes perfectly with our dining room table. The pattern is intricate and elegant, and the colors are very saturated. There is no fake fading or other details that would alert you this rug is brand new trying to look old – it really does look old. And I know as time goes on and this rug actually gets worn, it will just add to its charm and appeal. And I don’t know about you, but I think Rosie loves it too.
the fireplace
Ahh, the fireplace. Although we have multiple fireplaces throughout this 18th century farmhouse, this one is currently my favorite. I told you I wanted to challenge myself by bringing color into this room, and I knew the fireplace was the perfect spot to have a little fun. It was customary in Victorian homes to have brightly colored walls and/or fireplaces, so I loved that this detail would be a nod to the past.
Now, choosing a color was not easy! At first I envisioned some kind of muted, dusty pink color. Pink in a dining room sounds strange..but if you’ve ever googled the paint color “dead salmon” you’ll see that pink can go so much further than little girls’ rooms. I swatched this color along with a few other brownish, dusty pinks from Farrow and Ball. While at the store grabbing these samples, there was a fourth color that caught me eye that was not at all pink. It was a rich, berry burgundy color and something told me I just had to swatch that too. Well, good thing because none of the pink colors turned out how I had envisioned. And that red color? An absolute STUNNER. I should have known it was the perfect fit right from the beginning, as it’s called Eating Room Red. How fitting!
the chandelier
I knew from the moment we started this project that this room was just begging for a beautiful antique chandelier. I wanted something old, but it had to have the understated vibe I was going for in this room – nothing too glam. When I found this gorgeous Maria Theresa style chandelier on Etsy, I knew she was the one. She came all the way from Italy and is guessed to be from the early 19th century. I am absolutely in love with it – it’s almost like she’s been here all along.
the piano
A little fun fact about me: I took piano lessons when I was younger. I was lazy and never wanted to practice so my parents stopped paying for lessons (good on them). I have regretted it ever since.
When the opportunity came up to get this piano (from Matt’s childhood home) from my sister in law, I jumped at the chance. Deep down, I still believe that one day I will learn to play (I mean you can learn anything on YouTube nowadays, right??) Or at the least, maybe one of my children will take interest and want to play (cough cough, and also practice).
I could spend hours on Pinterest looking at how other people have styled their pianos – they are just so beautiful to begin with, and then add in a few carefully chosen decor pieces and the whole scene looks like a work of art. For mine, I added an antique water lily table lamp (found at a local shop), this print I found on etsy placed in an old frame I had laying around, a beeswax taper candle in an antique candle holder (also found at a local shop), a tiny bust of Benjamin Franklin I got off my parents, and lastly this floral arrangement that was actually a DIY!
DIY Floral Arrangement – to make this, it’s actually super simple! And will save you tons of money over buying these large floral stems anywhere online. Just head out into your backyard and find some good sturdy sticks that are a good size for your project. Then buy some inexpensive faux flowers (I got mine at Michael’s) and glue the flowers onto the sticks using a hot glue gun. So simple, major money saver, and the payoff is pretty grand!
the buffet table
This lovely table was actually one of the pieces we purchased from the previous owner. It is painted a medium grey color to, you guessed it, match the rest of the room. I actually don’t mind the color, so plan to leave it for now. This is a great piece to hold entertaining items, or random other odd ends I can’t find a place for in the rest fo the house (like a collection of yarn from that baby blanket I do totally intend to finish kitting).
So far this table is decorated very simply. I planned to fill her up with stacks of red Churchill china that I had found on FB marketplace..but oddly the seller ghosted and never shipped them to me. (Don’t worry I got my money back). Alas, the search for the perfect red china for this room continues. For now there are a few ceramic items I found at local antique shops (my absolutely favorite is the lady vase – isn’t she so regal?? she’s also the perfect piece to hold water for my diffuser). A few more mini president busts that came along with their pal Ben, as well as my most favorite, gorgeous Aria diffuser. She spills lovely cloud-like mist into this room and makes it smell like a dream everyday! And lastly, this lovely oil painting was also a local antique shop score. My favorite part? The little chickens free ranging ion the left!
There you have it, the grand reveal! I cannot wait to have friends over for dinner in this room! In fact, we have some coming over next week and I cannot wait to finally put this beautiful room to good use. I imagine many spirited conversations, lots of laughter, and countless memories made within these plaster walls. And when we finally redo our kitchen, this room will become our main “eating room” for our meals, just like the paint color intended!