My Momma is here! Yay! She got here last week and we are enjoying her visit very much. Of course she’s a southern momma so she’s been cookin! Homemade pretzels, bread, and gumbo ya’ll! It was delicious!
Don’t you wish you had some? Today I wanted to share the progress I’ve made in my little dining room. The first time I showed it to you it looked like this.
There was a dark traditional rug and the dining set was also very dark. That’s when I broke out some paint and lightened things up.
It was refreshing to see it looking more like a cottage but it still needed some style and a personality that was more ‘us’. So I added some.
Here are the little changes.
The most dramatic change is turning my table in a different direction! Something so simple has opened the area around the chairs and makes the whole room so much bigger! Before there was a slim sofa table with a wine rack under it and even though it was small it still felt crowded. You always had trouble getting in and out of the chair against the wall and the over all traffic pattern around the table was very congested. That small change alone makes me love this room even more. I feel like its a brand new space. Can you feel all of the extra room?!
I moved the green sofa table to the living room, shoved the wine rack in the attic and there was pa-lenty of room for my french server. Whoa! It. Looks. Awesome. Not to mention it has functional storage. Which my life needs in a bad way.
The second tweak is the curtains. The original blue ones were okay but they weren’t rockin my world. Yes, curtains can indeed rock my world. I love the chevron fabric I put on my chairs but to have it on my windows too felt like an overload. I have been in love with all things Ikat (who hasn’t?) but it was difficult to find a good bit of fabric at a reasonable price. These gorgeous curtains are…hold on to your socks…$500 for a pair of panels.
So I was in a holding pattern while looking everywhere. On black Friday I went into JCPenney’s and (finally) they had some cute stuff. I found these panels and paid a whopping $16 a piece for them! What?! I know! They have an Ikat feel and while I wish they went all the way to the floor, I really do like them.
Don’t be afraid of pattern! This I am slowly learning. Its really fun and adds a lot of character!
If you missed my post on this burlap wreath be sure and check it out. I use it everywhere, not just my front door! Something must be right when chevron, Ikat and burlap are in one room. Its enough for me to implode with giddiness.
The art has also seen a change. Even though Long Island is my home I want to incorporate some things that remind me of Louisiana, this 73 year old map is a perfect little detail that makes me smile. Could the colors be more perfect?!
Oh, this map makes me so happy. If you’re good you can find my hometown, its at E6 or is it 6E?
Then, there’s this adorable print I purchased from this Etsy shop. I blurred my address for obvious reasons. It is so fitting for our little cottage. Both the map and this print cost me under $40, so affordable for personalized art!
So with the room feeling bigger, adding the french server, new personalized art, and Ikat inspired curtains I have to say we are very close to it being complete! I can’t wait to show you a few changes to the living room as well.
These few simple and affordable changes are saving me thousands of dollars in investing in new furniture that would ‘work’ in my little cottage. And that makes for one very happy hubby. Which is a great side benefit!
So what do you think? It turned out well? Any turning furniture for a whole new roomy world? Have you spruced something lately to give it new life?
Thanks for stopping in!
Kelli
Linking to:
Little Cottage of Mine 