Dining Room Decorating

I Need More Help From You

Most of you know I’m not a decorating diva.  My idea of decorating is organizing. lol So, I once again need your help.

You all helped me with ideas for the dining room. Here is a before picture to refresh you.

Here is the advice that I got from you that I took:

1) Remove the old lady swag above the window – Done
2) Move the craft cart (you can’t see, but on little wall by this end of the wall.) out.  – Done
3) Move the china cabinet to the corner where the craft cart was. – Done
4) Move the pie safe out – Done
5) Paint the table and chairs so the chairs all match – Going to do.

I painted the room a periwinkle color. I know that many of you think I’m a bit crazy for that move. But I have seen a room that inspired me and I’m going with it.

My plan so far:

1) Paint the top of the table and the seat of the chairs black.
2) Paint the legs of the table (or leave them alone) and backs of all chairs cream
3) Use a combination of black and cream decorations on the walls
4) refinish the chandelier cream, with crystals a cord cover. Here is my inspiration picture for that.

I can’t remember where I found this picture, I didn’t label it like I normally do.  I know it was on a blog and I have searched for it, if anyone knows who’s it is, please let me know so I can give them proper credit.

First question:  Should I use a medallion on the ceiling?  I was going to and I was going to paint it periwinkle, but my sister told me not to paint it.. it wouldn’t look good (and she is a great decorator). But I do like the looks of this one that is the white color. Do you think I should have it and leave it white or cream?  (my ceiling is white)

This is what the room looks like now after painting and before decorating

I bought my Hemnes sofa table at Ikea last weekend.  But…. they didn’t have the black brown color.  They didn’t know when it was coming in, so I purchased the gray color (which I don’t like) and I’m going to paint it black to match the table.  I am going to put this on the far wall, underneath the metal sculpture that is on the wall.  I plan to have an arrangement of things including the metal piece on the wall above it.  Here are the items I have gathered and want advice on how to use.   The black/brown metal swirl wall decor is just hanging on a big screw that was already there.

I was thinking of painting the metal sculpture cream color. Do you like it? Should I use it?

This is the  basket (I got four of them)  I got to go in the Hemnes table. You can see more of how they look and what the table will look like on my Saturday Shopping post I did on the Ikea table here… when I first saw this table and had no idea how I could use it in my house.

See the little lamp?  It is a candle holder. I found it at Old Time Pottery. I thought it was so cute and would bring the crystals from the chandelier (once I do it) together.  It will sit on the Hemnes table.

Here are some of the other things I got that I liked.

The black long picture frame has eight places for pictures. I am going to put a picture of each of our kids in there.  Not sure where to hang that yet. I could go above the window or a doorway if I wanted to. Or… it could go long ways top to bottom on a wall.

The small wooden mirrors I found at Ikea for just a couple dollars each.  I thought I’d leave the two black and paint the other two cream.  I thought they would somehow work in the wall arrangement on the big wall.

I also have this mirror.  I am not sure if I am going to use it in this room or not.  I also have considered painting it, although I am thinking this one came from my husband’s side.. and he isn’t a fan of covering up nice wood.

What do you think I should do?
Here is a better picture of the top of it.  I’m kind of thinking it would look good cream color.

I saw these two black metal shelves at Old Time Pottery and liked them. One is slightly larger than the other. I thought I could leave them the black or paint them. I thought they might work well on one of the smaller side walls. Suggestions? Do you like them? Should they go on a wall by themselves, or should I use them in the main wall decorating arrangement?

It might be easier to see what they look like from this picture:

I also thought I would hang the chore board / schedule board in here for the kids. I painted this frame the cream color to use in here.

I was thinking it could go on this smaller wall to the right.

The short wall that is next to the kitchen. The wall is larger than it appears in this picture. It is about 36″ across.

Here are the other walls that I need to decorate.  The wall to the left of the main wall, by the window.

I am planning on cream drapes of some sort, so some of that wall will have cream on it.

Here is my corner china cabinet.  The front door and hallway are to the right of this. The kitchen is to the left.

I also have the wall to the left of the window.

I am also thinking of getting the initial “J” and painting it cream to use in the main wall arrangement. I like how those look.
Although I like a lot of the decorating ideas that I see with the chalkboard, cream etc… in them – most of them are the older antique look. The wore edges, older decor, shabby chic I think.  I don’t like the antique look. I don’t want the older, or made to look older look.

Here is the room again, to refresh your memory.

So… help me.  Where do you think things should go? Should I paint them cream or black?

I need you comments and ideas!

Help Me Decorate – The Dining Room

Organizing Is My Thing – Decorating Is Not. I’d Like Your Help

Since we have decided that we are going to stay in this house, I am now finally ready to decorate it.  I moved in here 6 years ago when Dave and I were dating.  After we got married he and his kids moved in and the plan was to sell this and move to a bigger house.

After trying to sell it two different times, we just decided to wait a bit to see what the economy was doing.  Houses still are not selling here and we found out what a similar priced house was appraised for. That was the decision maker. There is no reason to lose big money at this point. We don’t HAVE to move, we just WANTED to move.

So…. that being said, I am ready to make this house my own. I’m just not good at it.  We kept all the paint neutral thinking we were selling. I never got curtains, only blinds for the windows.

I want to take a different room and over the next several weeks have you guys help me! I want you to link any posts or sites of examples.  I’m not going to make it a link party, but you can link up in the comments.

Let’s start with my dining room.

First.. let me start off with saying, this is our every day eating dining room. We don’t have a formal dining room.

We don’t have enough matching chairs and have tried to look for matching ones, but couldn’t find them. We have to have at least 7 chairs for all of us to sit down.

The window.

This is the pie safe that my husband bought. He loves this. It holds all the plastic cups, plates and bowls for the kids. The top left drawer holds napkins and the right drawer has trivets.

This is the wall that I am thinking I am going to put some kind of bench on so that the kids can change their shoes when they come in. Then I want to put a wall organizer (mail slots, calendar, etc) for the kids.  I don’t have any other hall space to have something like this.  Yes the craft cart will be leaving the room.

The dining room is just to the left when you walk in the front door.  My launch pad is on the other side of the wall. I am planning on revamping that also.

I am really toying with the idea of splurging for the Pottery Barn Wall Organizing System.  Do you know of something similar that is less expensive, but looks as nice?

This is what I’d like to do:

1) Paint  – What color?  I’m ok with fun or bold.  (right now it is a tan color, these photos are a little dark and hard to tell what the color really looks like)
2) Put a bench in to sit down and take off shoes and have a “launching pad” for the kids above it.
3) Wall decor
4) Curtains, valance.. something fun and original?

My Tastes

1) Not vintage or old or antiques
2) I’m not into blue as a color scheme
3) I’m not into country
4) I like a little more modern, but not super modern.

What I can and can’t do.

1) Table stays
2) China Cabinet & pie safe stay
3) pictures can come down
4) Craft cart is going to go
5) I have to keep things as economical as I can.  I don’t have a lot of money to spend for all I want to do in my house.

You can leave links with your comments and ideas, or ideas from web sites or other blogs for me to see -  here on this post (it is ok to leave a link in my comments)  – or if you’d like to link up your own sites ideas for me on my link party, feel free to do that too.

But you can also leave any organizing or cleaning blog post link up to my link party.

I LOVE your comments!!

Thanks for your help!!

Office Organizing – Colors can make your office Great!

Colors are important to most of us. They can affect how you feel, how you think. You want your office to be fun to go into. Make you feel productive and happy. What colors make you feel good? What ones do you love?
If you notice in my office I have bright colors…but I didn’t paint the walls, I didn’t add expensive curtains or carpet. I got cubbies in the colors I liked and made my own “Ikea” tower with the cubby units from Target. (Love cubbies!!)
I also added pails that I found at a garage sale and the little ones from Target. I have a hot pink magnetic board on my desk (an upcoming review and giveaway by the way).
If I go into another color mode..I can change it up real easy.
But when I walk into my office it just makes me feel happy!