Smooth Blue Dining Room

Oh wood paneling...the only thing worse is if the panels are on a diagonal. This homeowner had recently moved into her new house and was starting to make improvements. When she took the carpet up in the dining room she realized there was wood on the floors and the walls and that was just too much. She wanted to lighten up, open up and bring this dining room into the 21st century.

Once the paneling was removed a neutral color with a yellow tone was chosen for the walls. This brightened up the space while giving the room a hint of color. The trim got a white coat of paint, while the pass thru, built-in and door got a white wash stain. Using both created texture while highlighting the color on the walls.

The paneling was bad enough, but the dirty popcorn ceiling was the last straw. Popcorn ceiling is probably the easiest thing to remove and it makes a dramatic difference. With little effort the popcorn layer was gone and a fresh coat of white paint replaced it.

The pass thru from the kitchen to the dining room was too high, too small and not functional. It was lowered and widened, trimmed out to give it a modern column look and capped off with a granite countertop. A built-in china hutch in an unused corner mirrors the design of the pass thru and provides much needed storage.

The original ceiling fan was removed and a modern fixture with a neutral shade took its place. The shade is long and narrow highlighting the dimensions of the room. Dark furniture provides the perfect contrast to the neutral walls. The small size of the table was key in this narrow space.

The artwork had to be bold in color and size. Three canvases, three tubes of paint and an hour of time was all that was needed to create this striking focal point. The rug was chosen to mirror the colors in the artwork. The combination of the two adds depth, dimension and warmth to the room.

A window valance in a classic blue fabric, modern table and floor accessories and new glassware and plates give this room the update it needed while remaining functional and in perfect scale.