Some projects just take forever. Still, progress is progress.
Did I mention I was remodeling the dining room? We didn’t change the decor of this room, except to replace the light fixture, when we moved in seven years ago and I’ve long been excited about the prospect of updating its look to something bolder. This year, I started peeling off layers of ancient wallpaper during the steamy summer, thinking I would easily finish the whole project by Thanksgiving. Yeah, well, at least I didn’t give up!
After removing the trim, I logged exactly one hundred hours of scoring, spraying with vinegar, and carefully peeling away miniscule shreds of 2 antique wallpapers from the walls. Then came spackling and a double layer of primer followed by new ceiling paint. I’ve had the wall color picked out for years, so I was absolutely giddy upon applying the first coat of Behr’s Sailboat Blue. Wow! Six coats later (it has a lot of pigment, so many thin coats were needed) I was in love.
Next came the installation of a new light fixture, some other electrical odds and ends, and the painting of one mirror frame and three pieces of furniture which required some disassembling and reassembly.
And then came the hard part. Stepping outside of my comfort zone, I decided I was going to put up the new bead board (aka wainscoting) and trim molding by myself. How hard can it be, right? Well… fortunately, my friend, home teacher, and retired finish-carpenter DeMar came to my aid. I did all the detailed measuring and brought the wood over to his shop where he ran the big saws and gave me some advice about panel installation and how to cut the molding. After several more days of hammering and one really massive headache, the hardest part was done! Caulking and painting were a breeze after that.
The vintage travel posters arrived from Home Decorators Collection this week and I unearthed some family heirloom cameras to display. It’s all coming together. There are still bits and pieces to find- like some lamps for the buffet- plus phase 2 of the project is slated for 2012: saving for and buying a really nice dining set.
So, there are still things to look forward to but I now present the former look of the dining room along with its current update. Come on in!
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Thirty Marens Agree 
It’s absolutely stunning. I love it.
BIG WOW!!! I am not sure I’d even recognize it as the same room! Wainscoting is fantastic – an unusual height, yes? taller than a chair rail but lower than a plate rail, I think it shows off JUST the right amount of that gorgeous wall color. I dig the posters. Everything looks amazing. You are amazing.
Maren this looks great! I love it.
Thanks. Tona, yes, I hand-picked the height. It’s taller than the other wainscoting in our house, but I needed it for better visual balance. My original plan was 4 feet, but that was just too tall.
Gorgeous and stunning. I’m embarrassed to show what I’m doing with our place now. I have the raw elements, but none of the visual design details you are so good at that really pull the room together. It is amazing!
Do you think that you would have had to paint as many coats with a different brand of paint, or do you think any navy would be that much trouble?
No, it was this particular color in this brand. I have also used a similar color but it was a Pantone paint from Lowes called “Princess Blue” and it only took two coats. Just a variation in paint brand and pigment chemistry.