Dining room updates

I tried to think of a clever title for this post but came up blank because essentially, I’m just here today to share some of our dining room updates that I’ve yet to blog about.

Not too long ago, our dining room was looking like this…

But, with some paint, lighting and furniture upgrades, these days it’s looking like this!

In the ‘before’ photo, you’ll see that we still had the dark paint up from the previous owners and the lighting was the same that was there when we moved in as well. The dining table was borrowed and the dining chairs were mismatched and had seen better days. Definitely time for an update.

We began by painting the space and used the same paint and colour that I used for the kitchen, family room and bathroom (“Toasted White” by CIL – which I had colour matched to Behr Premium Plus Ultra: paint & primer in one – my favourite).

After that, we updated our table. I’ll link all sources at the end of this post, but after much searching, we chose the “Bradding dining table” from Pier1. And by ‘we’, I mean, “I” searched and showed ChefKev. “He” agreed and “we” were happy. Ha!

I We love this table! It’s so sturdy and has the most beautiful finish. We also love the shade/tone of the wood. I went with a semi-pedestal base (vs traditional legs) to allow for more space below. It may not look like it, but not having the four legs on the ends, allows people to spread out more. It’s been great.

For the head chairs, we went with the upholstered “Corinne” chair, also from Pier1. I really like the look of having one style of chair as the head chair and a secondary style as the side chair. I find it adds some visual interest and can be a fun way to play with pattern and texture without it becoming too overwhelming.

I love how the furniture tacks, the ring pull and the textured upholstery add so much character to this head chair, but are still subtle.

I went with a light leg to coordinate with our table. As you can see, our side chairs are black and we have wood floors. I was conscious of adding another tone of wood into the mix here as it would start to look busy and cluttered.

For our side chairs, I wanted something sturdy, comfortable and not too visually heavy. I also wanted the chairs to have some personality! The “Cline Bistro Dining Chair” from Pottery Barn was the winner.

These chairs are legit! They are perfect and I highly recommend them – bum groves anyone? And the texture on these chairs… yes! Subtle, yet gorgeous.

We also updated the light fixture and after many, many hours spent searching, I took a chance on this pretty little lady. I was worried it might be a design stretch (something I love to do being a Graphic Designer), so in an age that shows a sea of cage lights on Pinterest, I trusted my gut here and am so happy that I did. I absolutely love this light and how it looks in our dining room.

The light is called “Rosanne 5-Light Sputnik Modern Linear Chandelier” and is from Wayfair.

This baby is bright (which was needed in this space) so I’d recommend a dimmer if you get it. Having the dimmer has allowed us to have the perfect amount of light no matter what the occasion. Remember “entertaining”? It’s that thing we used to do pre-Covid (sigh). One day, one day. Anwyay, it’s perfect for that, but has also been good for our family game nights during pandemic lockdown.

The finish of this light is one of my favourite parts. Matte black rods, satin gold finish on the lights and a soft, matte glass for the globes. Yum!

We reused our current piece of art because it still worked. It’s a canvas from Homesense. It’s nice, neutral and soft.

However, we also added a new piece! It’s our first “real” piece of art (vs. a generic one from a big box store – not that there’s anything wrong with that – see above) but ChefKev and I fell in love with this piece from Roy Henry Vickers. We picked it up at his gallery this past summer.

Here’s a closer look.

This piece is called “Kitkatla Winter” and you can read the inspiration behind it here if interested. The print is so pretty in person. The totem poles screened in the background are a subtle metallic copper ink.

I had it professionally framed and went with a metal frame that had the look of wood. The grain goes so well with the texture in both the dining room table and the chairs.

And lastly, we kept our china hutch as it still works in this space as well. It’s an old Craigslist find that I did quite an update on! If you forget, check it out here – you won’t believe the “before”.

And that’s how we are looking today. We could still use a rug and it would be nice to have a big plant in the corner, but all in all, a nice update. The room feels so much fresher, brighter and cleaner.

Sources: Artwork • Artwork hooks • Circle rope mirror (similar) • Curtains • Dresser • Headboard • Magnetic frames • Nightstand • Owl lamp • Sleep sheep • String lights • Toy storage bins – white, green, blue (similar colour) • Toy storage unit

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