First Time Fixer | The Dining Nook
How it Started
If you read the page about the Kitchen you’ll remember that there was a wall separating the living room area from the back half of the kitchen (which housed the laundry closet.) The walls were covered in old stained wallpaper, there was a slope to the floor (and some water damage,) and plenty of cobwebs covering the antler chandelier hanging from the ceiling. While I’m not necessarily opposed to antler chandeliers, it wasn’t going to work for the modern cottage look I was hoping for, so it got passed on to my brother for his bachelor loft (I still need to go stop in and see if he’s installed it!)
The Plan
We had a small area to work with, and plans for expanding the kitchen towards the living room, but I was determined to maintain a dining area of some sort. We tossed around the idea of doing a large kitchen island that doubled as the dining area, with no need for a traditional table. I know that plan works for some families, but it can be a challenge for some too (especially families with young children.) Also, maybe I’m old fashioned, but I prefer a cozy corner table over a large counter table anyways, so I opted for a smaller island in the kitchen to save room for a little dining table. Since we’re opening up the space as an open concept, whatever area we use for dining will be right next to the living area. To make the most of the space, I chose to design it with a bench up against the wall, situating the table as close to the wall as possible, while keeping it very functional. This is the setup I have in my own home, it allows us a straight walk path between our living room and sunroom, and this arrangement gerally seems to work for smaller homes. But in order for this setup to work well you need a bench up against the wall (not chairs that need to be pulled out.) Then you have the added perk of a cozy pub or cafe feel in your dining area, which I really love.
Instead of installing a permanent light fixture above the table, I opted for a plug in pendant light, giving more versatility for the new home owner. Should they want to arrange their table differently, they can simply reposition the swag cord to center it, or easily remove it all together. We made sure there was an outlet near the table for this purpose. Again, in a small home, the more versatile each space is the better, and really allows the home to work for you in whatever way you need it to.
The Decor and Furniture
Keeping with the cozy cottage feel, I used an antique oak table from a marketplace ad, some antique woven-seat chairs I found at the Lexington Peddlers Mall, and a vintage Windsor style deacon bench (that my dad found at an auction) to use against the back wall. Styling a home for resale is a little different than styling for a specific family’s tastes. So while I had an idea in my head of what I wanted the overall look to be, I wasn’t tied to any specific style of furniture, which allowed me to adjust things as I went based on what I was able to source at a good price. In my experience, this really is the key to good thrift shopping…being opened minded. You will find so many more amazing pieces when you aren’t locking yourself into finding a super specific item. Also, shopping second hand was especially useful in this situation since the items will only be in the home for a short time during realtor showings. I sourced high quality thrifted items, stored them in my basement until we were ready to stage the home for showings, then resold them before the closing date.
The real highlight of this space is the wallpaper!
I really love the wallpaper trend that is happening again in home decor these days, but as you can imagine, it might not be the best choice when planning to put your house on the market. Yes, other people do love wallpaper too these days, but the wrong pattern could really scare a buyer who doesn’t love the idea of removing it if the style isn’t their cup of tea. In order to appease my whim for wallpaper, while being practical about resale appeal, I had the idea to do custom made panels (thanks hubby!) and mounted the wallpaper to the panels instead of the wall, making it more of an art install (and easily removed when the home sold.) We made them big, to really ground the space behind the table, and disguise the beam that juts out of the wall there. I found an amazing artist, By Hope Johnson, who designs gorgeous wallpaper that has all the cozy cottage vibes. I had a hard time deciding, but landed on her Marigolds design in Charcoal, to tie into the dark countered kitchen space. Hope was a joy to work with, and she even helped me nail down the specs for my project. If you’re interested in how we made these panels, I’ve got a post about that coming next, so check back soon.
The same paint color continues throughout the house - with slightly off white walls, warm grey trim for a subtle contrast, and the light honey colored, engineered maple, wood floors. I added some finishing touches by styling the space with plaid pillows, antique linens, and some vintage table decor. Now this little nook is just beckoning me to come sit and enjoy a spot of tea with biscuits, don’t you agree?
Specs & Links
Wallpaper - By Hope Johnson “Marigolds in Charcoal”
Pendant Light - Hobby Lobby
Cabinet Color - Valspar, Relaxed Khaki
Wall Color - Valspar, Fresh Cotton
Wall Trim Color - Bear, Alpaca Blanket
Styling, Paintings, and Photography - JoAnna Liston
