Well. This is a blog post I didn’t think I’d be writing in all honesty. Our dining room has always been bottom of the list of renovation rooms. For the longest time we used the excuse that we were going to be building a large kitchen onto the back of the house, creating an open plan kitchen-diner in the process so there was no point.
We’ve since redefined that plan as we simply don’t need so much living space and instead plan to turn our existing dining room into a kitchen diner (without extending) and make the current kitchen a utility room. Those are also plans on the backburner for a while whilst we work out how best to finance things. In the meantime I think we’re both getting a bit fed up with the current state of the dining room so there’s no time like the present.
What’s wrong with it?
I’m so glad you asked! It’s become Boo and Maddie’s room – they sleep in here together at night time and both eat in here. We haven’t sat at the table to eat or even had guests to eat there in probably 3-4 years. When you have a dog and a cat there’s a never-ending supply of hair/mud/dust and the room is generally pretty neglected. I gave it a half-hearted coat of paint below the dado rail just before we got Maddie but that was almost 6 years ago now and it’s all looking very shabby.
We’ve also got a fairly big structural crack in one of the walls underneath the patio window that needs sorting, a rough bit of wall to repair where the previous owners practically ripped their TV off the wall, and some bare render where we had the light switches moved. The woodwork is covered in a thick cream gloss, there is beading missing on the floor whilst what is there is pretty damaged.
What’s staying?
Because I’m going to be doing all the work myself and trying to do as much of it on a budget basis, I’m afraid there won’t be any major structural changes since this isn’t how the room will be forever. We have artex on the ceiling which is HIDEOUS but I don’t have the confidence in myself to skim it and I don’t want to pay someone until we’re ready to turn it into the new kitchen.
The leaded glass is staying in the patio doors and windows, again because we’ll be converting these into bifolds hopefully and it’s a false economy to replace the glass for clear (as good as it looks in the kitchen since we did that!)
The floor is also staying although I may have a crack at painting it. It’s currently a laminate which again I don’t like but it’s practical so worth hanging onto especially with all the to-ing and fro-ing Maddie does in the garden.
So what will I actually be doing?
I’ve decided to have a go at wallpapering and will be collaborating on some rather lovely wallpaper all the way round, underneath the dado rail.
Above the dado rail I’ll be painting, and all the wood work will obviously have a coat of paint too.
I’m a little bit undecided about the fireplace as yet but some combination of stencilling and painting.
Changing the plug sockets and light switches.
Taking up the old beading and fitting new.
Removing the bookcase and I’d like to try and fashion some kind of eating platform for Boo against this wall so we can get the dining table back.
Trying to find a way of updating the dining chairs without replacing them.
Maybe painting the floor.
Now, this isn’t going to be a super exciting secret kitchen in a week kinda project but hopefully it will still be fun and inspiring and I’ll need you all cheering me on. I’ve started a little dining room highlights over on Instagram where I’ll be documenting all the updates as I go. So let’s get started!
Yay to this! We have had spaces we were fed up of but didn’t want to spend any money or time on because eventually they would be completely re-done, and have done mini-revamps like this and it has been so worthwhile, every time I have thought, I wish I did that sooner! I am certain you will not regret it….tho not sure about painting laminate with a Springer…isn’t that asking for scratches?! I am sure you have researched it though so please do ignore my scepticism. Can’t wait to see what you do! I can see that fireplace surround being painted some dramatic colour with some amazing stencilling on the inside! xx
Author
It’s SO funny – literally just washing the walls and the woodwork today I thought “Wow, why didn’t I do this sooner?!” I think sometimes I struggle to see the vision until I realise what other people are getting up to and then I start to realise what’s possible! The jury is out on the floor currently, I’ll see what I have energy for haha! Thanks lovely Xx