Dining Room Transformation! Whoop, Whoop!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE UPDATED DINING ROOM

Phew! What a whirlwind of a month it has been! We have (for the most part) finished moving and designing our barn (that we are renting)  in less than a month and a half! Why the rush you ask? Because, my folks fly out in a week and a half! Another important reason is, I wanted to be able to have a cozy and finished home for the holidays (including the Falliday Season). This will be my first Christmas away from home, and I really want to feel warmth and comfort this frigid (German) winter. We also want our home to be a place for our fellow military friends, who are also away from home, to congregate and feel peace and comfort.

 I am trying to get all the room reveals up before I share my autumn decor with you, so you can see what things look like without pumpkins, gourds, wreaths, hay, scarecrows, etc.

Here is the dining room before...Yes, I know I have over-used this before picture, but it really captures the (shall we say) "look" of the room...

After re-painting the walls in a lovely pallete of grey, painting the railing black, switching out some light fixtures, and creating a (FREE) pallet bar, we ended up with this!

The steps leading up and through the french doors goes into our family room. 

 The chandelier and buffet/bar was a Belgian flea market find that you can read about here.

 The table is a $20 Goodwill find that my mum scored about 15, or so, years ago...It is one of my all time favorite pieces. Shabby thrift store items are perfect for people with kids or folks that like to entertain. It is hard to get heart broken over an added scratch (which I believe adds character) to a $20 Goodwill table. And let's be real here, people feel more relaxed in places they can actually live in. It is important for your guests (well some of them) to feel welcome and relaxed in your home.
The picture (in the picture above) was taken by the talented Jon Millman...It is gorgeous! Can you tell what it  is?

Here is our bar/buffet before I painted and distressed it (even more than it already was)...

And here is the chalkboard clock before I created it. I used a table top off of a coffee table, painted it black then wrote away! The only problem is, I have to re-draw the clock hands every minute to make it accurate...haha, just kidding, no but seriously...

The actual time that is drawn doesn't exist...I know... It's actually a magical and whimsical (an overused designer word) time that exists in designer's heads.

I plan on finding a giant train station or church clock over here or, adding giant metal hands to this one, but the chalk clock will do until I find the items I need. Besides, I feel the chalkboard clock makes things a little less formal and "funks" things up a bit.

 I found an old rake in the barn that we are using as a wine glass holder. I believe in incorporating and embracing your surroundings. Using items like this rake and the old wooden ladders, helps keep the integrity of the old barn, while still making it our own. You won't see me embracing it by having a ton of  rooster motifs or a lot of plaid around...There is a time and a place for those items, but it's not in my home. 

Don't let the crystal chandelier fool you..Everything in here was free or almost free. Like I have said before, it just takes time, thought, and hard work...

To see how we built our pallet bar, click here.

To see how we created our large flower arrangement, click here.

To see the striped hall, which is off of the dining room, click here.

Have a splendid evening, friends!

Linking up to: