Hi, friends! I’ve been in front of a laptop for a bit, trying to finalize plans for our dining room makeover. Yes, it’s time! I designed our current dining room in 2015, and while it isn’t “dated,” I’m inspired for a bit of a change. You know me. I love playing around and changing things up. Six years is actually a long time for me not to change something! Lol. And while I find myself transitioning to warmer hues throughout my home, the fun rainbow floral wallpaper isn’t quite jiving with the rest of the house anymore. I’ll forever be a bold color lover, but I’m having fun trying new things these days.
Current dining room…
So, let’s talk about what I’ve got up my sleeve, and what decisions haven’t been made. First of all, as beautiful as this rug is (or was), what you don’t see is a massive hole torn into it from our dog under one of the back chairs from when he was a puppy. It’s in rough shape and will be getting replaced. Still unsure of what I’m replacing it with, because it’ll all depend on the wallpaper choice I make.
Ah, the wallpaper, guys. I’ve been going in circles about it! I want it to cover the entire dining room, not just in the nook where the buffet is, so I have to love it. I found wallpaper I fell totally in love with, but it’s just so expensive since I’ll need a lot of it. Here it is…
It should come as no surprise, as I’m a sucker for a good floral, and I used it in a Mood Board Monday a while back. What I love about it is that is has a vintage vibe, but doesn’t look old-fashioned. It’s fresh and beautiful, and the colors are fabulous. I’ve been so drawn to that cognac color you see in the bigger/brown flowers. Just so pretty! You can find it HERE.
So, after browsing online for the past few weeks, I’ve come up with some alternatives. I’m showing the choices below. Just know that I’d also like to wallpaper the ceiling in a coordinating/different pattern, so what you see are options for both the walls and the ceiling. The combos will all depend on the direction I decide to take! I’m a bit all over the place, because I’m also drawn to wallpaper that looks like shelves of books, so bare with my brain. Lol!
Alright, let me break this down for you. Number 7 was my number one choice, but too expensive. I came across number 3 and got super excited because I almost love it more and I’ll tell you why.
It’s more of a forest than it is floral, and definitely less feminine. My husband totally trusts me, and let’s be honest- he didn’t care much about the rainbow floral so I wasn’t very worried. But I did want to keep in mind that it’ll be wrapping the entire room instead of just being in a small nook. I’m really drawn to William Morris prints (number 4) but ultimately don’t love it as much. I feel like I’m starting to see number 2 quite a bit so I wasn’t as drawn to that one. I also thought that number 2 seemed a bit more juvenile and less “grown up.” Number 11 is lovely, and I quite like that it’s generally pretty neutral while still being dramatic, but the flowers seem crisp white, and I wanted more of a cream. Love a classic plaid like number 12, I just can’t tell if it’s black or navy. I prefer black. (*Edit: just occurred to me that that plaid is a fabric, and not a wallpaper, but you get the idea). I liked number 5 because it has peacocks, and peacocks remind me of my dad:), but when it came down to it, I wasn’t drawn to the colors. It didn’t make me feel something. And the other colors it comes in, although beautiful, didn’t quite feel right either.
So, let’s talk about the more neutral ones you see. Those are the ones I’m considering for the ceiling! I love the idea of clouds, and number 10 and number 1 are great choices that feel sophisticated. I don’t want it to feel like a kid’s room. As for the books- guys, I love these so much.
Also considering those, although I wonder if it’s weird to have them on the ceiling as oppose to an upright wall. We shall see. I may very well use one of those on that skinny wall near my kitchen! You can see a peek of it in the dining room photo above.
Number 6 is absolutely stunning. Let’s discuss…
I’m totally drawn to this, especially with my art background. These sketches are taking me back to my college days and I think it would be stunning on the ceiling. I only question whether this will translate well in photos and maybe it’ll just look messy?
So much to consider! My mind goes all over the place when I design something from start to finish. I just thought I’d write a blog post during the process, because sometimes it’s fun to hear how something comes together before you see the “after.” Stay tuned for the wallpaper decision! I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going with, but I’m waiting til the samples arrive to officially make a decision. One thing I have made up my mind about? LIGHTING!
Lighting is my absolute favorite part of a room design. Here’s some I was drawn to for this. I wanted something fresh and modern against a more traditional paper…
Quick thoughts on these choices. From the get-go, I wanted number 3. I jut think it’s so funky and fun. I’ve been drawn to number 4 ever since it was an option for my sister’s kitchen makeover, but it has a bit of a Moroccan vibe which isn’t what I’m going for in here. Number 8 has such a cool shape, but it’s more casual than I’d like to go in the dining room. Number 6 is super awesome. My only hang up with that one is that it’s only 24 inches wide and I love to go BIG with lighting. Number 7 is so fun, and plays off the arch trim in the nearby living room…
But it’s linear, which means you’ll see it like that from the foyer, but when you’re looking in from the kitchen, you’ll see a skinny profile. Friends, I came across this one and about died:
It’s laminated fabric, and it’s a whopping 33″ diameter. I freaking LOVE it. Such a fun shape! It’s simple, but unique. And just the creamy neutral I was hoping for. Now I need to start searching for lamps for the buffet.
Lastly, wanted to touch on furniture. I actually really like our dining table, so that’s staying. (Although I will say, with Zane homeschooling in this room all year, it’s starting to see wear and tear). The buffet weighs a million pounds, so I don’t care to move it, and on top of that, it holds sentimental value and has great storage. I’ll just be painting it a different color. Color to be determined! The only thing I plan to change is the seating! The Jonathan Adler knock offs that I have are beautiful, but I want something a little less glamorous. Here are some I’m considering. Some more affordable than others…
Quick thoughts on the chairs. I know this is getting long. Lol. Everything in the bottom row is what I love most, but they’re either more than I want to spend, or out of stock and won’t be in for months. I’m too impatient to wait! I do like that the ones that still have a touch of gold, are more of a brushed gold than they are shiny (like my current chairs). And any that are velvet, aren’t paired with gold legs. My point is, I’m trying to keep the glam at bay, so it’s all about balance. We shall see. Mostly drawn to leather in here (Number 3 is an awesome leather option- love the shape). Just want to make sure whatever I choose isn’t too similar to our new kitchen chairs. Also, any with arms are in question because I want to make sure they can be pushed in properly. Stay tuned, friends! Let me know what your favorites are!
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Shwew! That was a lot of linking! I hope the links are helpful if you’re in the market for new lighting, wallpaper, or dining chairs! I’ll let you know as soon as everything’s been finalized. So excited to get started!
Cheers,
Where is the rug from?? So gorgeous!!
Thank you! It’s originally from Wayfair, but I haven’t been able to find it online for a while. So sorry!
Hey! Where did you get the original floral paper?
Anthropologie!
Can you tell me what color/brand you painted the green buffet?
In this post, it’s BM Chrome Green