As promised, here is the next installment of my little virtual tour series. Today, I give you (drum roll, please)Â the dining room:
That beautiful floral arrangement that you see in the photos was a gift from a very special someone. The flowers really elevated the dining room, adding a nice little shot of color and freshness, and made things more festive for the tour. Lovely.
Here’s a close-up:
The dining room has really come a long way—it was gratifying to have this room finally feel more complete and pulled together in time for the tour. While there are things I would still like to do (I’m thinking of repainting the interior of the built-in china cabinet, and I’d like to add roman shades to give the windows a little bit more of a layered look), the dining room has really evolved since its starting point. To help jog your (and my) memory, here is a “before” photo:
And here are the “after” shots:
While the things I’ve done in this room have all been cosmetic (painting the walls and trim; purchasing a new rug; adding new window hardware and hanging new curtains; adding new and more appropriately scaled furniture), in my mind, it’s a pretty big difference! What do you think?
I’ll be back with more photos later this week. 🙂
Anna xo
Congratulations on a successful tour-the transformation of the dining room is truly stunning and dramatic…the beautiful flowers from ” a special someone” add colorful punch and vitality! So glad all went well- I am sure you are filled with a fine sense of accomplishment!
Thanks, mom! xo
We are so impressed with the transition. The flowers add the finishing jewelry to the room.
Thank you! I’m pleased with the progress so far, and reading your comment encourages me to keep going! 🙂
Love the before and after pictures!! Just beautiful! Casual elegance at its best! Found your site from reviews on OS. Thinking of getting the same rug for our “home away from home” in SW FL. Are you still happy with the hand woven jute rug???
Hi Jill, thanks for your comment and your nice compliment, and apologies for the tardy reply–my spam filter has taken to blocking real comments!! To answer your question, yes, I’m still very happy with this rug. Granted, it’s not in an extremely high-traffic area, but it has held up really well and looks great. I’ve enjoyed it!
Lovely transition! I am sure you and your family enjoy happy times.
Do you mind sharing where your original “inspiration” photos came from? Are they from Cote de Texas or Gerrie Bremermann by chance? Much obliged.
Hi Julie, thank you!
My original inspiration photos both came from House Beautiful. These were scanned photos of pages that I had torn out of the magazine. One of the designers is Sara Scaglione–the dining room she designed is from a home in Texas, so it’s very possible that it was featured on the Cote de Texas blog. You can see the rest of the home that Sara Scaglione designed here, on the HB website:
<http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/relaxed-design#slide-1>
I’m afraid I don’t know the designer of the dining room in the other inspiration photo–I didn’t have the foresight to record that info when I ripped the page out of the magazine–but I will try to find out!
First, your dining room is beautiful and thank you for sharing. I am looking for a natural fiber rug and I love the look of this rug in your dining room. What color is the rug. It is hard to tell whether it was the natural brown or the bleached rug.
thank you
Hi Darlene, thanks for your kind comment! I chose the “natural” color option. The “bleached” option on the Overstock website must be new–I hadn’t seen that color before, but it looks really pretty! Here is the link to my post with other details on the rug:
https://www.thewriterandresidence.com/dining-room-rug-photos/
Good luck with your search!
Hi, I found you on Overstock.com. I’m considering purchasing the same rug for my bedroom. It looks beautiful in your Dining Room, along with the entire look. I definitely think I will purchase it now, having seen it in your space. I think I noticed a radiator in your dining room. I have one as well as have been hesitant on a long panel window treatment because I don’t know how to address that area. Can you please tell me or show me how your panels work in that space. Thank you! And again, I love what you did with your Dining space.
Hi Kimberley, thank you so much for your sweet comment! I am still very happy with the rug, and i hope you will be too.
As for the curtain panels and radiator issue: I do have radiators directly below my windows. I opted to switch out shorter curtains that were on the windows when I moved in with longer panels — to me, the longer panels look more elegant and modern, and they help the room feel “taller,” if that makes sense. The new longer panels simply flank the radiator on both sides, and they go all the way to the floor. I also hung the curtains higher above the top edge of the window–again, to make the room feel taller.
Here is a photo to show you what I’ve done:
https://www.thewriterandresidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_0690.jpg
Hi,
Thank you so much for getting back to me and for posting a new pic. I like how draped the curtains over each side. My radiator is larger and not centered with my window, which doesn’t give me that option unfortunately. I’ll just have to get creative I suppose because I do love the look of the long panels, and I agree that hanging them at a higher height gives the room more height and looks more elegant. I’m so happy you are still very pleased with your rug – I’m very excited to get mine! It’ll give me a good jumping off point for the bedding and window treatments. It’s been a long and slow process but I’m on the upswing with my total bedroom reno., which I did all my myself, starting with tearing out old and nasty shag carpet, sanding wood floors painting, etc. What a job – but rewarding! Thanks again for sharing!
You’re welcome, Kimberley. And congratulations on your progress! Slow and steady wins the race! 🙂 Maybe a soft Roman shade could help solve the radiator challenge? An outside mount, maybe, hung slightly higher and wider to give the windows more presence and you more privacy… just a thought. Thanks again!
You’re reading my mind. My house is 100 years old and I have beautiful millwork that I’m struggling to cover up. A soft roman shade was what I was planning on hanging – but won’t have the same effect as a long drapery panel. But if I do it right, will look beautiful!
I think it could be a really nice option, given your radiator challenges. Gotta love old homes, though. 🙂
You’re reading my mind. My house is 100 years old and I have beautiful millwork that I’m struggling to cover up. A soft roman shade was what I was planning on hanging – but won’t have the same effect as a long drapery panel. But if I do it right, will look beautiful!
Hi,
Your makeover is beautiful! Well done!
I saw your review on Overstock about the rug for your dining room? Was curious how it held up? I also wanted to know if it was more true to a burlap color? Any insights would be appreciated.
Thanks so much, Kelly! The rug has held up well for us. We are planning to move house soon and the rug will be coming with us. I would say that the color is very much in the burlap color family, with some variation that gives it some nice interest and texture. I haven’t tired of it. Hope this helps!