Should I or shouldn't I? I have been toying with the idea of painting my dining room walls for several weeks/years, and it's been a running theme in my head. My desire to create interiors with a mix of formality and informality has been a sixteen year love affair with these walls. It's virtually impossible to capture their "beauty" with the lack of photography skills I currently possess. With that in mind, I took a million pictures to help you visualize the space.
Old Color Theme: red and blue cherub toile, blue check and blue garden toile
Gray/Brown walls of warmth (thanks to Minwax Driftwood Gray), help to create a complementary backdrop for shades of blue and red. The room boasts an oversize iron fireplace, hand-hewn beams, milled wood walls (19" wide), and beautiful dark hardwood floors that make it a unique space. An antique English dresser, a hand-me-down red buffet (painted by Mom and me with an umber glaze), parsons chairs, and a country turned-leg table are my furniture pieces.
My design style has a tendency to ebb and flow with the times, and I find myself leaning towards a more neutral palette these days. Having been able to keep the room looking current using combinations of fabrics, rugs and dish-ware, it has become obvious to me that after recovering my parsons chairs in December, the room is in need. What to do, what to do?
Inspiration One: white trim and vanilla walls
Inspiration Two: white walls and white floor
Inspiration Three: to keep things the same
The thought of a project of this magnitude leaves me somewhat frozen, as I am no spring chicken. I know that this will be a tremendous undertaking of which there is no turning back. I am confident however, that the benefits will outweigh the time, and effort it will take to bring this room into the 21st Century. Does it sound like I am ready? I'm getting there.
Why not add a beautiful rug to the existing decor? Choose one that will tie together your colors and bring your other living spaces into the dining room. Make sure the rug is substantial (appropriately sized), but not overpowering.
ReplyDeleteThe subject of placing a rug under a dining table can be contentious, but a good wool rug, cleaned regularly, eliminates the negatives.
The rug is a logical starting point for a do-over. It may give you the change you crave, without the labor, the risk, and the expense of painting. If you don't like the rug, take it back.
Thanks for the great advice. Funny you should mention a rug, because I just brought home a rug on trial a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, the size was perfect, but the colors, not so much. You are right about rugs under dining tables, they can be tricky and I have had one, under this table before. Since removing the color and pattern (curtains and parson chairs), a rug will be necessary to help balance the space. I will keep looking.
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