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3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House

HOME DECORLIFESTYLE

A (Little) Dining Room Make Over

17 January 2017
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Even though we spend about 40% of our family time around our dining room table, I didn’t like it.

No, don’t get me wrong.  I liked spending time with my family, just not particularly where we did it.  It’s not that our dining room was eye gougingly hideous or anything, but I just wasn’t passionate about it.  Like at all.  So much so that I realised that I never photograph it.  It’s only in the background or there are photos taken in the dining room looking onto the lounge.  Because I like the lounge.  I think it’s pretty.

Anyway.  Exhibit A…

The dining room – taken as a partial background on Christmas Day.

Please note the curtains fail to ever actually close properly all the way across and it always just look a bit crap having the chest of drawers pushed up against it.

One day this holidays, Seth decided that he’d had enough.  No longer will we cover up a window (that looks into our garage) with shoddy old curtains. Nope.  It was time for a change.  So we moved around the chest of drawers and the dining room table so that it’s the other way around.  A small change maybe, but it’s so much easier to get around now.

But then we were still looking at this poorly hidden window and poofy curtains.  It needed to be taken care of if we were ever going to have anyone sitting round that graffitied dining room table ever again, so Seth made a canvas to fit perfectly into the frame of the window.  As one does.

And then what?

Well, we looked onto that blank canvas for a couple of weeks before deciding what to do on it.  We felt abstract was probably better than statement pieces (because tastes change dramatically over the years) and also, statement art is just not really our thing.  After checking out a few options on the ole faithful Pinterest, we decided that I should try and do the artwork.

Why?

Well I asked that question too and Seth made a point when he said that he has made a whole bunch of things in this house, it was about time that something was mine.  Point taken.  And because I did painting as my art major all the way up till matric, I gave it a bash.  Boy was I nervous.

We used all the left over wall and door paint that we had lying around in the garage, which helped to make it super affordable but also made sure that the colours tied in to the rest of our space.  Then I used regular old dishwashing sponges (that I ripped up on the edges so that there were no straight lines) to smear the paint all over the canvas.  I also had a bit of inspiration from a magazine that Seth had brought home – as you can see here.

Wow guys.  I had no idea how many muscles you use trying to whack out a painting in an afternoon.  My gosh, I’m still sore.  So, so, so sore!  I grumble every time I have to move.

But I’m actually super chuffed with the result!  Now we just have to either expose the wall or paint it white.  Although I’m pretty sure we’ll expose the wall because I do love a good bit of exposed brick!

BEFORE

AFTER

A (Little) Dining Room Make Over was last modified: June 2nd, 2017 by 321Blog
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17 comments

Katherine Johnston 17 January 2017 at 11:35 AM

Hey great job! How on earth did you replicate that magazine pic so well?! Looks better already 🙂

Reply
321Blog 17 January 2017 at 12:49 PM

It was a lot of trial an error, but stoked that it worked out!

Reply
Jodie 17 January 2017 at 11:35 AM

Very pretty 🙂

Reply
kim 17 January 2017 at 11:38 AM

you are so talented…love the mini makeover

Reply
321Blog 17 January 2017 at 12:38 PM

Thanks Kim – it’s actually a lot easier than it looks 😉

Reply
Debs 17 January 2017 at 11:51 AM

I love this so much, you did such a beautiful job. Now can you please come to my house in Durbs and do one for my babies nursery? I have attempted one (i’ll tag you on instagram) and i hate it. Failing that, I need some tips on how to make sure the paint mixes well from one colour to the next? I did art at school so I should just do what you did and sit down and DO IT but I am scared. HELP!!

Reply
321Blog 17 January 2017 at 12:49 PM

You can do it!!!

I’d love to see what you did on your nursery wall, please do tag me! I know what you mean – it is super terrifying but when you sit down and actually do it, it’ll work out OK. And worst case you can just paint over it right? On the mixing colours note, I put the colours on a plastic plate and then just sort of smooshed them together. There was a lot of overlap and trying over and over to get it right, but the more you do it the easier it will get I think. By the end I realised all the things I was doing wrong 😉

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Tertia Burns 17 January 2017 at 12:11 PM

Stunning!! You did an awesome job!

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321Blog 17 January 2017 at 12:36 PM

Ah thank you!!

Reply
Craig Lotter 17 January 2017 at 1:03 PM

That canvas came out pretty cool – well done!

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Leanie Foot 17 January 2017 at 2:39 PM

I have to agree it looks really great! A good thing that you took art classes in school for dear life i can’t even paint a tree never mind something like that!

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2017 at 8:41 AM

Don’t stress – sometimes abstract is easier! I can’t paint a tree, but I can do weird stuff like this that isn’t actually anything at all.

Reply
Chereen 17 January 2017 at 5:25 PM

Love it! Such a great idea! You’re making me look at my lounge with fresh perspective…

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2017 at 8:33 AM

It’s amazing how we get used to things and think we can’t change it – but just changing up the furniture sometimes feels like a holiday!

Reply
Lalannie 19 January 2017 at 4:41 PM

You paint as well…
Beautiful!! Excellent job.

Reply
Megan Keith 22 January 2017 at 10:50 AM

Wow! Your dining room is looking stunning! Your painting – beautiful! We’re focusing on our home this year, decor wise. Nothing matches, and everything could do with a little tlc. So we have started with our dining room table and chairs – we are reupholstering, tightening chair legs, painting…doing it all! And we are loving doing it all with friends who are actually teaching us how! Megan xx

Reply
321Blog 23 January 2017 at 9:22 AM

That sounds like so much fun! Especially having awesome friends involved so it feels more social than actual work!

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