Dining room finally usable. Blank slate. First steps?
Finally! My dining room is free of my temporary kitchen -- the microwave, mini-fridge and baskets of food are gone. The chairs are on the floor instead of stacked up!
I've not yet added the china cabinet mentioned in this thread on heirlooms.
The little cafe curtains are temporary, on tension rods. That's a huge investment of $12 until window treatment time.:-)
I want to get the furniture right before windows, but I'd like input on window treatment style. Unfortunately, there's a 1939 working air return in the floor under the front window. I worry that because it draws air in, it will draw dust to long drapes.
The walls are original paneling and wainscot (it was already painted when I bought it. I had the entry into the kitchen area and foyer widened and the floors refinished. Added a light fixture. That's all that's been done to this room.
The chairs are Crate & Barrel outdoor -- want to hold on to those until my grandchildren (a 2 year-old girl and 2 boys coming this spring) are older.
I like a cottage, simple look. Where to begin? What does this all-white room need? Let me hear your thoughts!
Thanks.
The arch you see leading into the new vestibule used to be the arch into the dining from the foyer -- but it was too low for building code! We saved it, raised it and moved it.
Looking into the kitchen area. The window isn't centered on the wall. The house was built so that something could go in that space to the right. That's the only space where I can place my mother's china cabinet.
Here's the link to my Houzz Ideabook for dining rooms.
Comments (51)
DYH
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Overwhelmed - kind of a blank slate
Comments (29)You have a wonderful home. Lots to work with. I'm not much good at this but I do see a plan. It is possible that someone else has suggested this and if that is the case then I am in agreement with whomever it was.(I get confused with all reading, I am a hands-on kinda person) I like the couch in front of the fireplace, placed at the same angle. I was wondering if there was room to offset the couch away from the carpet, and place the armoire in the corner. Is there enough room to place the loveseat in front of the armoire? The armoire is very visually heavy and if it can be placed in the corner it will balance out with the light coming in from the window. I was also picturing the mirror over the fireplace with a red painted frame. If the armoire doesn't have room to be placed in the corner and has to be placed somewhere else where it still looks heavy, you could put a large oblong fairly low white container and place somekind of white arrangement with a trailing white plant that would bring your eye back into the room towards the fireplace. I don't know if this will help or if it works in decorating. When I was in photography, a rule I was taught to read a composed picture. You would look a picture and read it from left to right, just like you would read a book. Anything that is/was placed in the upper right hand corner would create tension and that is where your eyes would go. That wasn't always a good thing because it would take you away from the "focal point". Since you can only view the fireplace room from one direction, I hope this may help. Have fun, don't stress. Oh and as for the oak. I have natural pine and I have found that the darker, grayish shades of paint seem to look the best. Since green is in the family of the complement to orange, I would stay away from green for paint. It will only make your oak trim stand out more....See MoreHelp! Floor plan- Blank Slate
Comments (34)Dilly, ultimately about the kitchen, but regarding your statement that you wanted the deck off the living room because that's the nicer side of the propery: Decks almost always block the view of the landscape beyond from inside, replacing your view of garden (or valley, marsh, etc.) with a clutter of chair backs and legs, table and legs, railing and posts, BBQ, cushion storage, and of course...decking. No matter how expensive and how well done, at the best of times it will be less attractive than what it's blocking (and in many climates a desolate unappealing wasteland in winter). Besides you'll always have plenty of chair legs, tables, etc., inside to look at. How about instead: * moving that deck elsewhere, where it has a nice view of the good end of the property from a different orientation, * taking some of the current deck space *for the kitchen,* and * having the living room feature a pretty view of your garden while still having good access to a nearby deck? (BTW, balcony-type walkways can connect doors to large open deck areas without destroying views)....See MoreKitchen Layout Help - Almost a Blank Slate
Comments (20)Here's a mockup on your to-scale (ish?) drawing of a new bath that keeps the toilet in place, similar to what benjesbride was talking about. I didn't bother creating anything new for the laundry, but her drawing shows a very nice idea! You could also leave the NE corner open for a dining area or study area and erect a wall at a later time for a bedroom if desired, as you suggested. The measurements are estimates but should be pretty close. The bathroom would be approximately 6x10.5. Theoretically, you could extend the bathroom farther to the east and extend your kitchen another foot or two, but I worry about creating a pinch point between the kitchen and the staircase. Incorporating that central post into the island could also create a tight squeeze between the island and bottom of the stairs depending on the actual measurement between the two....See MorePNW-blank slate yard
Comments (46)"... I know it won't get as tall as what you drew in ..." What I drew was a rough scheme, not a plan, so you shouldn't take it too literally, but as a guide of relative proportions. I think most people would want the front shrub (position #3 in the sketch) to be evergreen so as to carry the house through the winter. I'm not hard and fast on that as some deciduous can provide a lot of winter interest, too -- dried hydrangea flowers being one of those. I don't think I'd also want the next plant (#2, which wraps the house corner) to also be hydrangea. It would be too much similarity, making it harder for either to make a distinctive statement for its particular position. If it was me, I'd let #2 be a perennial, especially a long blooming or colorful foliage one if you can find such a thing. "I'm wondering if I should rethink this plan." There is a much greater chance of the answer being, "Yes," if one focuses too much, too early, on smaller details and aspects of the project. (A love of plants is one of the common early distractions!) It is best to start by looking at the big picture and taking stock of one's goals and objectives, which should be recorded on paper. Before thinking any more about plants, it would be good to have final resolution on the bed line, bench placement, any path or paved area for the bench. The bed line for the foundation planting seems to be resolved, but it seems there is not yet a commitment for the perimeter planting bed. If you take new pictures, please do it in the standard format of taking a complete, whole scene with the camera remaining stationary for the entire scene. These directions are for capturing the foundation planting area. It merely pivots but does not change location. The front face of the house would be one scene and the left side of the house would be another separate scene. Each scene is taken by lining the camera up with the center of the scene. (For the front house face, it would be lined up with the front door. For the side scene, the camera would be lined up halfway between the front yard corner and the basement driveway corner. Usually, the camera distance from the house needs to be positioned about at the city sidewalk or the curb, depending on how far that is from the house. Since your yard is shallow, it's probably the curb. Once the camera is at the correct position, takes a panning series of slightly overlapping shots, shooting from far left to far right capturing all portions of the yard that can be seen from that spot if one were just standing there looking with their eyes and not the camera. After that, it is usually best to walk across the street and take another distant shot that captures the whole yard (relevant portion) in a single picture so we can see what it looks like from the neighbors' point of view....See MoreDYH
8 years agoDYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI took a photo of the other view--yes, there's still junk in the sitting area in the kitchen and yes, there's folded dog gate by the stairs to keep my poodle away from the workmen who return tomorrow.
BTW - I have the TV on during Property Brothers. Jonathan said "no one under the age of 60 has a china collection (or was it cabinet?)." The young woman told him that she does, so don't call her old!
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8 years agoI agree with most all of starnold's impressions and suggestions.
I'd read about your dining chair choices in the thread about how to keep your home looking fresh. I wasn't familiar with the styles, but seeing them I think they look great in your room, especially for the reasons you chose them.
The one point where I sway from starnold's thoughts is regarding a rug. You mentioned the Dash & Albert rugs and I think one would work well in your room. Especially in winter it could lend a sense of warmth. They're lightweight and would be easy to clean and roll up for storage in summer months if you'd prefer a sparer look then.
We have had a D&A all weather rug beneath our lakehouse DR table for 8 yrs. With all our company -all ages- it still looks like new. My DD with two kids has used one under her DR table for nearly as long. IMHO, they are much nicer than any such rug that I've seen in brick & mortar stores.
I don't have pics of the one in our main lake DR, but here's one we use in the guest suite. In addition to offering protection to the floors when chairs are moved around they offer a subtle touch of texture & color.
DYH thanked UserDYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI appreciate the comments.
amck2 - thanks for the feedback on Dash & Albert! And, I love those chairs!
The HVAC guys are coming today to put the regulators on the heat system for the master suite and clean the ductwork. I'm going to ask them whether that floor return is still in use. I put the reusable filter on top of it, rather than in it, due to the constant construction dust. It isn't nearly as dirty as the one in my living room. There's also a small return in the bottom step. I can't tell what it's doing. Maybe they can offer advice. I have no closet space to spare to install a new return.
I need at least 9' beneath the table and chairs, lengthwise. But, I could use an 8'x10' and go to the edge of the floor return.
Here's what the dining room looked like in the realty ads, staged with a small table and two chairs. I gave away the overhead fixture to the carpenter doing all of my trim work. They used a wide angle on that archway!
The ceiling is plaster with an original medallion.
Here's my 9'x12' rug and artwork from my previous home. The botanicals above the china cabinet don't show up. I must be honest...I grew tired of green and gold after 10 years.. I'm ready for a color change.
DYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI looked through Houzz again, searching for rug inspirations to go with black modern windsor chairs. What I found was interesting - bare floors ruled, but there were a few with rugs.
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoThese aren't windsor chairs, but there are three runners beneath this table. I think I'd use one runner that was different for the middle, if doing three.
Traditional Dining Room · More InfoI've noticed black painted trim on window sashes (trim on the above door). In some cases, the windows are metal. I wonder if painted window sashes would help/hurt the look of my dining room. Since it's open to other rooms, I suppose I'd have to paint the sashes throughout--not sure I want.
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DYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI changed out the mirror to another one that I used to have over the fireplace in the garden room of my previous home. This is the first time I've hung it up here and it may work.
The other objects are just space fillers for now. The big lamp on the plant stand is there to represent height. It won't stay there.
This lamp was originally on the jelly cupboard at my previous home. Does it work?
Is the mirror too ornate?
Sorry if I'm tedious! I used to be a computer programmer. I change one variable at a time....IF then ELSE! :-)
DYH
8 years agoI swapped out the pottery for waterford crystal and a lamp on the Belgian jelly cupboard. Better or not?
The china cabinet is now in the dining room. I've not spent much time on it, yet. I've placed my best cookbooks in the bottom, but haven't yet unpacked appropriate bookends to place a few upright. Feedback?
DYH
8 years agoDYH
8 years agoDYH
8 years ago
PRORugKnots | Area Rugs
8 years agoAn 8x10 rug would work the best for you dimensions. You mentioned you're tired of green and gold...what colors and styles are you looking for?
DYH
8 years agoDYH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoTook four tries to get it to post!
I tried this on the window wall with the Belgian piece, but it wasn't in a useable position.
This is where it will get used for buffet serving. I'll have to look through my storage for anything that might work before making purchases. There are three good consignment shops near me that I can browse, too. Friday Art Walks begin when the weather turns warm, so I prefer to wait on art until I can see what's going on with the local artists.
DYH
8 years agoDYH
8 years agoIngrid--here are photos taken this morning. I sat on the china cabinet side of the table and had plenty of room to pull out my chair. My friend sat on the sideboard side of the table and had plenty of room, too.
DYH
8 years agoDYH
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