tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post8025296480978967540..comments2024-03-27T19:04:31.290-05:00Comments on The Amazing Trips: home sweet home (part 3: the dining room)The Amazing Tripshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761348688069779544noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-60237756283614542932010-09-17T11:38:23.293-05:002010-09-17T11:38:23.293-05:00Hubs and I are redoing our second home. This time...Hubs and I are redoing our second home. This time, bit more of challenge. Love the lot, floor plan, hated the finish. Photoshop turned out to be my best design aid. Take many, many pictures, in natural light. Load into photoshop and play what-if. Start to narrow down a color palette that you pick from for each room. Print out 8x10 prototypes. Tape to walls in the actual rooms. Sit back, relax and look at the photo several different times of the day. As you get closer to finalizing your color palette; buy quart size cans of the paints you like and paint swatches around the house. Watch the color at different times of the day. Don't be afraid to go a tone darker.<br /><br />As for your basement; I would be inclined to make it my #1 priority; get the kids someplace out of the way. And, do it so you know it will be redone as the kids get older.<br /><br />Painted paneling always seems to look cheesy; but ... pickling the paneling can lighten it up and update it. As for the floor; is there concrete under that carpeting? Maybe you could do a concrete floor finish? Google images "concrete floor finishes" for some ideas.<br /><br />Have fun! Oh, and please put your photos someplace we can open to full size.<br /><br />Making the place your own will be tons of fun.<br /><br />~dianneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-2554239605772027952010-09-16T19:42:04.547-05:002010-09-16T19:42:04.547-05:00Sorry to contradict you Ana. but Jen & Charlie...Sorry to contradict you Ana. but Jen & Charlie are BOLD, they need BOLD to compliment their selves.winecathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07033530470009978632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-85596968725555079372010-09-16T19:40:01.356-05:002010-09-16T19:40:01.356-05:00I'd say go all red. Friends in Boston who hav...I'd say go all red. Friends in Boston who have an old, old house went all red, It's stunning. Then see which drapes you like best.<br /><br />Sorry ditch both lights, you need something more Arts & Crafts to compliment your beautiful furniture. Have you thought of looking on ebay. I've gotten several table lamps but take a look at the chandilers. You'll be amazed.winecathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07033530470009978632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-32676503055094172432010-09-15T11:20:28.386-05:002010-09-15T11:20:28.386-05:00How fun to be remodeling! My husband and I TOTALLY...How fun to be remodeling! My husband and I TOTALLY (as in down to the plaster, and some studs) remodeled our 1920s house over the past 6 years and then built a brand new house this year because we vowed never to do it again and we needed a yard for our son. ;-) But it was fun to do once! I had a burgundy dining room and a orange-ish red kitchen. I loved them both. Go for a splash of color. Not sure if you have Menards (like Home Depot) out there but they sell in stock faux wood blinds that they will trim to fit. We were able to buy blinds for our entire house (including 2 special order ones) for $700. Way cheaper than any custom blind options.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07091021503612464756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-6840930530987515792010-09-15T04:11:59.067-05:002010-09-15T04:11:59.067-05:00No ideas at the moment for your decorating issues-...No ideas at the moment for your decorating issues--still trying to figure my own out after six months in the new house--but a thought about lack of closet space. Where I live, you don't get closets in your rooms. Heck, often times, places don't even come with kitchens, just a room with kitchen plumbing and maybe tiled walls. No bathroom cupboards or mirrors, either. Just the porcelain. This isn't the case just in houses, it's also the case for rental properties as well, including apartments. So, from that aspect, it's funny to me when people complain about lack of closets. We use wardrobes and cupboards and such. And if your rooms are spacious, you're extra lucky, because you have plenty of room for the extra furniture! To be honest, I like it better this way. I'm not limited to organizing my rooms around where the built in closets are. What a PITA. I put the closet where ever I darn well please, and it's as large or as small as I like (and will fit). Much easier, IMO!t in hdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-64413332616201784722010-09-15T00:50:42.236-05:002010-09-15T00:50:42.236-05:00I definitely vote for a rich, dreamy, Moroccan red...I definitely vote for a rich, dreamy, Moroccan red. I think I'm going to paint my kitchen that color when I have the energy to tackle a home-improvement project!<br /><br />I, too, would put the red on the bottom. I like the idea of oatmeal on top, but I wonder if white trim would look good with all the creamy colors in the room?Sarah Lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-18108886906369921872010-09-14T22:36:13.732-05:002010-09-14T22:36:13.732-05:00Just saw the photo of the kids standing in that cr...Just saw the photo of the kids standing in that creek. You bet your bippy that we California Triplet Friends would love that, too! Wow!!More The Merrierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14491938808745007462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-26475022672415918992010-09-14T21:31:39.353-05:002010-09-14T21:31:39.353-05:00Oh, I just thought of another thing...
A good fri...Oh, I just thought of another thing...<br /><br />A good friend of mine had the typical fake paneling in the basement and spackled all of the lines before they painted. She said you couldn't tell it was paneling afterward.My Boys' Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814627526655717162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-10008892137289378832010-09-14T19:54:37.671-05:002010-09-14T19:54:37.671-05:00Love the new house! My vote would be to paint the...Love the new house! My vote would be to paint the room red and do the trim in off white or white. Doing a different color above and below the chair rail makes the room look really choppy. My dining room was red for 8 years and I just repainted it (Providence Olive from Benjamin Moore) because I got tired of it very quickly. I am sure it will look great - whatever you decide!Whitneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15239338233217967711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-66784544192385642362010-09-14T19:09:27.991-05:002010-09-14T19:09:27.991-05:00I love all of these suggestions!!! Thanks everyone...I love all of these suggestions!!! Thanks everyone - I'm really happy to share it with you and you're making this whole process so much more fun!!!<br /><br />Unfortunately, it's now 8PM, I just tucked the kids in to bed and the sun is gone for the day. So, I can't take pictures with natural light - but I will, tomorrow. Probably by Thursday, I'll post some photos of the paint colors that we're looking at for the basement and hopefully, better shots of the paint colors for the dining room, too. <br /><br />And then, I want to show you our living room. It's quite possibly my FAVORITE room in the entire house. <br /><br />So! Excited! <br /><br />Yay!The Amazing Tripshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13761348688069779544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-59247472407607430562010-09-14T18:39:16.524-05:002010-09-14T18:39:16.524-05:00Dark on top, light on the bottom.
Love the propos...Dark on top, light on the bottom.<br /><br />Love the proposed color scheme. Make sure you use a good tinted primer with the red. Your colors look like the ones I had in NY, although mine was more orange on top (Sienna Clay by Ben Moore on top and Muslin by Ben Moore on the bottom). I don't think you can pair your green drapes with red - although they would look good with Sienna Clay - I'd go with the gold if you do a real red. <br /><br />we want to get our DR in order by Tgiving too - now we just need a table, as our old one is now in the kitchen. Why is moving so expensive?!twinglesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-16069851291366958802010-09-14T15:40:33.468-05:002010-09-14T15:40:33.468-05:00i have a deep rich red dining room, white chair ra...i have a deep rich red dining room, white chair rail, and white bottom under-the-chair-rail.. but i really like your oatmeal idea! and i think you need to go with the gold drapes, the green would make it all christmas-y and thats not good unless it is indeed christmas. <br /><br />by the way Ive been reading your blog since henry was born and i honestly dont think ive ever commented until now cuz im a huge lurker. but i love your blog and pictures! your new house sounds absolutely WONDERFUL.*Tina*https://www.blogger.com/profile/11370497709858705287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-14085446293138635142010-09-14T14:49:08.899-05:002010-09-14T14:49:08.899-05:00The windows are beautiful!The windows are beautiful!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-55092853109931036032010-09-14T13:50:49.437-05:002010-09-14T13:50:49.437-05:00totally unrelated to your design question: old hou...totally unrelated to your design question: old houses have tiny closets because, when the houses were built, people barely had any clothes, and certainly only two or three outfits fancy enough to hang in a closet. We moved into a 100-year-old Victorian with a closet that's smaller than a shower stall. I feel your pain.<br /><br />oh, and I cant' explain the tiny bathrooms, but we have one of those, too (the previous owners turned the hall closet into a rather roomy half bath, so I guess there's that...0Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-38608820092411474562010-09-14T13:45:02.116-05:002010-09-14T13:45:02.116-05:00Jen-
Dark colors on the top make spaces feel smal...Jen-<br /><br />Dark colors on the top make spaces feel smaller. Put the red on the bottom and the wheat on the top. Red is a rich feeling color.<br /><br />KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-14518213382296120282010-09-14T13:22:47.893-05:002010-09-14T13:22:47.893-05:00well I personally am not fond of a dark color in a...well I personally am not fond of a dark color in a dining room so I would lean more towards the oatmeal/neutral colors. then you can use the green curtains for another pop of color. and I love, love, love the 2nd chandelier! good luck and happy decorating! can't wait to see all of the changes.Jennnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-29914259897414770492010-09-14T13:16:14.268-05:002010-09-14T13:16:14.268-05:00I like the first chandelier. I'm thinking lit...I like the first chandelier. I'm thinking little messy hands would do better w/ the dark color on the bottom, although I think it'd be REALLY pretty w/ the light on the bottom. And I think the light color drapes upstairs, because I like the light-weight fabric in the dining room. Excited to hear what everyone has to say. And very excited to see your Thanksgiving pics!!!Carriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033182897223142464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-71776797215857601332010-09-14T13:11:53.611-05:002010-09-14T13:11:53.611-05:00I think I would be tenpted to go crazy and paint t...I think I would be tenpted to go crazy and paint the entire room red with the white or oatmeal accents. I dunno if those drapes are going to watch though that way.<br />Hmmmm maybe put up the green drapes now that will kinda sorta go with the current scheme and see how that looks temporarily?<br />RuthHOA Mgr Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949018880623140075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-84110150228291203202010-09-14T13:06:16.951-05:002010-09-14T13:06:16.951-05:00Our dining room has laminate flooring in it. Our ...Our dining room has laminate flooring in it. Our house is the same configuration as your SD house and yes, it REALLY bites. Before we adopted our girls we made the space off the kitchen that was our family room, into the dining room so we could have a full living room, but the way the room is set up (the model was shown as a living/dining combo) is just plain hard to have enough 'living' space (long, narrow).<br /><br />Your dining room is great! We did one wall in our dining room a sort of marroon color and the top of the wall a long narrow 'strip' with a long wall, that leads to the kitchen, marroon. Then we did the other two walls in oatmeal. I really like this combo.<br /><br />I'd say go with the gold drapes based on your rug color, but the green might go better with the wall color.<br /><br />Good luck in changing your new room. Pretty exciting and your house looks great. Lots of room. <br /><br />MolyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-76033217304649238132010-09-14T12:43:48.907-05:002010-09-14T12:43:48.907-05:00First of all, that room is beautiful and your furn...First of all, that room is beautiful and your furniture is perfect for it. That wallpaper/paint combo is HILARIOUS!!! Seriously, what were people thinking back in the 60s and 70s? <br /><br />To answer your questions: yes! to plantation shutters (expensive but they make the room feel so much more elegant and finished). I am not a big fan of drapes, but if I had to pick a set for the dining room, I would go with the gold. They seem brighter and the basement seems to have more natural light and could tolerate the dark velvet drape.<br /><br />I am also not a huge fan of two-tone rooms. I would paint the whole room one color (I love the idea of a red dining room and that would look great with the gold drapes IMHO). Or you could paint it a buttery yellow and use the green drapes. Either option would be luxurious and warm.<br /><br />I'm sure you will get a lot of opinions again -- people love to decorate vicariously!! Much less expensive than doing it oneself!!! Good luck :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-12232664517090425452010-09-14T11:33:59.062-05:002010-09-14T11:33:59.062-05:00we are also in the midst of renovating a VERY old ...we are also in the midst of renovating a VERY old home. the house that my husband and i just purchased was my grandparents and before that was my GREAT grandparents. Oddly enough, none of them passed away in the house-- but there are still some creepy parts of living there. For example, we fought to get our family phone number back and no matter how many times I call the cable company, our caller ID still comes up with my grandpa's name. !!! We are peeling back 5 and 6 layers of wallpaper. Just gut-renovated our kitchen and one of three bathrooms. we put down laminate flooring in our master to make it look like new, but not spend so much to break the bank and miss out on our other projects. We will splurge on refinishing the floors and re-sheetrocking all 3 bedrooms and putting in new windows as well as insulation. I'm so happy for your family and love to check in and compare renovation ideas & projects! A great site that I am now obsessed with is www.younghouselove.com GREAT ideas and DIY how-to's! GOOD LUCK!SissyKristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17616522018573088832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-34666762353265821712010-09-14T10:08:43.929-05:002010-09-14T10:08:43.929-05:00You and I have similar taste. We just moved from ...You and I have similar taste. We just moved from a house with a dining room that had the color scheme you are considering....deep red (I think it was Benjamin Moore Mexicana or something like that) above the chair rail, an oatmeal/gray below the chair rail, and all white trim and woodwork. I was also going to do plantation shutters in the living and dining rooms but we bought a new house instead.<br /><br />So glad you are enjoying your new house and job.Amy Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00436898895476461855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-76495994732165003562010-09-14T09:15:22.097-05:002010-09-14T09:15:22.097-05:00It's so hard to get a fix for the colors when ...It's so hard to get a fix for the colors when everything is amber from the tungsten glow of your lights. Maybe you can do a new pic of the color swatches with daylight?<br /><br />Have you considered a rich chocolate brown for the upper half of the walls? I saw that on a home improvement show and I really liked the look for a dining room. I personally prefer to have the red come out in accents than be on the wall, but that's just me.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11657949678045458231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-69917977494762806652010-09-14T08:19:12.111-05:002010-09-14T08:19:12.111-05:00I've absolutely alwasy wanted a rich red dinin...I've absolutely alwasy wanted a rich red dining room but it was the ONE thing about which my husband voiced an opinion when we built this house nine years ago. I have rich red in the kitchen so he thought it would be too much. I have red, artichoke green, browns and golds in my kitchen, dining room and family room because I LOVE FALL and I decorated my home to be surrounded by its colors year round. <br />You might consider matching the other paint color to the golden drapes. I think that would give a very crisp sleak look. Do you have artwork you want to hang in the dining room? If so, take a look at that and decide what colors will best highlight it.<br /><br />I love decorating projects and can't wait to follow your progress.HWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09260566913424446132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24756113.post-9500094893699120042010-09-14T08:08:27.786-05:002010-09-14T08:08:27.786-05:00I love the red and gold! We have that in our dinin...I love the red and gold! We have that in our dining room at our house and I LOVE it. The red brings such a rich feeling. The gold drapes would look beautiful with the color scheme you are looking at and feel much less red and green Christmasy to me. Personally I'd go with the first more traditional looking chandelier, I think it will go better with the exsisting furniture. I think this room will be an easy fix for you guys and you will be right on target to host the family Thanksgiving :)J and J Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07261381531546970555noreply@blogger.com