Monday, January 25, 2016

Rustic Dining Room Reveal

I love our home. It has the perfect rustic cabin feel. But if I'm truthful, our oak trim has made finding the right decor and paint colors a bit challenging at times. I've learned to embrace the trim, which I don't want to paint, and instead focus on other ways to bring light into our home. And thus, enter the dining room project. After a long time of dreaming, painting, and re-painting, I am so excited to finally be revealing the finished product!

Rustic Dining Room with Wood Trim

Before, our dining room was fine. The previous owners had gold painted above the wood trim chair rail, and a deep dark brown beneath it. The curtains we inherited with the house were modern, and a series of dark squares. The room was rich, but felt so dark, especially when paired with our oak table and chairs. I dreamed and dreamed about bringing a lighter, more rustic feel into the room. It all started with some white and gray curtains I got on sale at Kohl's, and everything fell into place from there (details below). I love how bright, light, and airy our new look feels. And so much bigger. See for yourself! 

tan and brown dining room
BEFORE
Cliveden Gray Morning and Smoked Oyster Dining Room with Wood Trim
AFTER

The Paint Colors

It took me a long time to finally settle on the perfect pale green. Let's just say that I learned a lot about paint samples and room lighting. Don't let the picture below fool you- my paint samples were actually Valspar from Lowe's, they were just mixed with the Sherwin Williams base in the sample size so that they would be an eggshell finish. I finally landed on a dreamy, pale green-gray called Cliveden Gray Morning  for above the chair rail. It's amazing how much greener it looks on the wall in the daylight than it did online and on the sample card.

Sherwin Williams Paint Samples


After finding my perfect green, I realized it didn't go well with the dark brown beneath the chair rail, so I decided to paint that too. I wanted to lighten the room, and settled on a pretty pale gray that matched my curtains perfectly: Smoked Oyster, also from Valspar. It blew me away how much the gray brightened the room, in comparison to the dark brown of old. And the best part? I painted the entire dining room with a little less than three of the sample size containers, which were only $3.75 a piece. So I spent less than $12 on all of my paint! 

Pale Green and Gray Dining Room

The Canvases

Once I got my colors right, we decided to keep our dark brown mirror and clock up on the wall. I started to dream of other wall art, and found some beautiful tea towels from Martha and Mary. I was in love with the beautiful lettering, and the phrases on both towels. I received them as gifts for Christmas, and then set to work making them into canvases that could be hung. 

Mary and Martha Acts Tea Towel

To accomplish this task, I took my towels to Hobby Lobby and purchased two canvases that were the right size for me to stretch the towels around while still keeping the lettering in view. They ended up being bigger than I expected, but I actually love them a whole lot. I threw them in the dryer and ironed them on the opposite side to get the wrinkles out.Then, with Aaron's help, we wrapped them towels around the canvases and stapled them down. The color is perfect for the room, and ties in oh so nicely with my $3 burlap table runner from Target. 

Green and Gray Dining Room with Oak Chair Rail

The Centerpiece

Another one of my fabulous Christmas gifts was this rustic wood centerpiece that Aaron made for me. I love the bottles, the stain on the wood, and the fact that I can switch out different types of artificial flowers from Hobby Lobby whenever I want. Baby's Breath are some of my favorite flowers to use in it, and I also like anything off-white, like roses or tulips that I use to brighten the room and provide an accent. Of course, I'll also be happy to put some fresh cut flowers in here on special occasions. If you love this centerpiece just as much as I do, you can actually order your own from our new Currently, Kelsie Shop. Aaron and I are starting to sell a line of rustic wood decor and other custom handmade items, and we'd love for you to check it out!

Rustic Wood Centerpiece with White Roses Rustic Wood Centerpiece with Baby's Breath

Our dining room is a place where we constantly spend time. It's the first thing you see when you go up the stairs, and it's the place you'll find us gathered around the table with those we love- playing games, sharing meals, and swapping stories. I knew that I wanted a dining room that I loved, one that felt like the perfect mix of cozy, inviting, and bright. And now I've got just that- the beautiful, rustic room I've always pictured. And the best part is that we spent hardly anything to change it. How can you bring new life to a room in your house?

Currently,
Kelsie


Follow along on Pinterest for other home inspiration and project ideas on a budget!

85 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I love anything gray and the wood centerpiece is so pretty. Yay for creating beautiful spaces that you love and can share with the people you love! It turned out great :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Lauren! I love gray too- so many awesome shades. Creating these spaces to share with others is my favorite!

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  2. Oh my goodness! I LOVE this!! What a gorgeous gorgeous outcome!!!
    Blessings, Rebecca :)

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  3. LOVE your updates! I'm a big fan of cool color tones. We're in the middle of renovating our kitchen and I feel like it's never-ending! I plan on doing my bathroom in cool blues/greens/grays as well and this has me itching to start!

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    1. Well thanks so much, Kalyn! I can't wait to see how your bathroom turns out! Happy dreaming :)

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  4. I love the centerpiece and the mirror! So simple yet elegant.

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  5. Gorgeous! Love the artwork!

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  6. What a huge difference that paint can make! I love the fresh and simple décor in your dining room. It's gorgeous!

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    1. Agreed, 100%! Thanks so much for stopping by, Shann!

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  7. Wow, what you've done is gorgeous! I love how light it looks now. I definitely will be following that pinterest board!

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    1. Thank you, thank you, Emma! I agree- it is so much different! Thanks for following :)

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  8. Your dining room is gorgeous! I also love how your kitchen opens up into it. It looks like a great space for when friends and family are over!

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    1. Thanks so much, Crystal! We love that part too- it is definitely a great space for hosting!

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  9. Such a difference! It looks great!

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  10. love your centerpiece! The paint and curtains sure made a huge difference! It looks great.

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    1. Thanks, Angela! I agree- the paint and curtains make a huge huge difference!

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  11. Oh I love it!!! You did such a good job :) Love the centerpiece! I'm looking for a rustic centerpiece so I will definitely check out your shop!
    Kelsey
    www.thepeacockroost.com

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    1. Thanks so much, Kelsey! We love it too- would love to have you check out the shop!

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  12. So gorgeous! I love all the details, especially the centerpiece!

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    1. Thank you so much! The centerpiece is one of my favorite parts!

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  13. Love the tea towel turned wall art idea! I might have to steal that. Your centerpiece will be so adorable with new flowers for each season. Great job!

    Thanks for inspiring!

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    1. Thanks so very much, Lauree! Steal away! I love the idea of doing it with other cute towels that I've seen!

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  14. Love that you wrapped the tea towels around the canvases for art -- and the paint color is lovely.

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  15. Oh my goodness!!!!! This is amazing. SO ordering a center piece & subscribing! I just posted about my farmhouse table DIY - we have the same taste! :)

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    1. Yay Alicia!! Can't wait to get a centerpiece going for you! Thanks for subscribing. Checked out your blog and LOVE it! I'll be looking for your order, and look forward to more of your posts!

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  16. I love this, Kelsie! I especially love the idea of hanging the towels. I think they're too beautiful to use, but they're perfect hanging on the wall!

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    1. Thanks so much, Abby! I totally agree. Much too pretty to be used and made dirty!

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  17. I love that you took tea towels and made them into a canvas! Such a brilliant idea!!
    I love the centerpiece. It looks beautiful as the centerpiece!! Overall, a great transformation!
    ~Mattie
    www.mattiesmakings.com

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    1. Thank you Mattie! They turned out better than I hoped :)

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  18. Oh my goodness! I love the floral and the wall decorations! Aaah! Can I move in?

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    1. Ha, thanks so much, Tayler! We've got three spare bedrooms, so come on over!

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  19. It looks sooo cute, Kelsie! I love anything rustic (: Those flowers in the coke bottles are beyond adorable.

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  20. You made a huge difference! I love the canvases! I can't believe they were towels. What an amazing idea!

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    1. Thank you Lisa! It is noticeably different for sure!

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  21. Oh my gosh! I love this! It's so pretty! Your centerpiece is adorable!

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  22. That centerpiece is the cutest!
    We're currently searching for our first home so this was inspiring.

    xoxo, Jenny

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad it was helpful, Jenny! Happy house hunting!

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  23. Love the center piece of this table!! You did an amazing job here!!!
    I found your blog and I love it!! I would love to invite you to mine!!
    milerubio.com
    Hope to see you around
    xx Milé

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    1. Thanks so much, Mile! I love it a lot :) And thanks so much for stopping by- I checkout your blog as well. Too cute!

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  24. I looove the tea towels and the green. Our house is currently all white with oak trim. I'm too indecisive when it comes to paint colors!

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    1. Thanks so much! I know what you mean- it's a hard decision. Paint samples for the win!!

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  25. This is so cute! I love the colour you chose, it really brightens up the room. We picked a similar grey for our place! The centrepiece is just perfect also and hubby made it for you. <3 You have both done an amazing job and I bet you have enjoyed every minute of it.

    Kacey - thetortoiseshellglasses.com

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    1. Kacey, thanks so much! It is brighter for sure! We've had a lot of fun!

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  26. Oh wow it looks so beautiful! It's like a completely different room

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  27. ONE DAY I will have my own kitchen/dining room... And HOUSE in general to decorate! Although I am kinda horrible with doing it... It took me 7 months to get a COUCH in my current apartment, LOL!

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    1. Baby steps, Gigi! That's half the fun :) Have fun dreaming in the meantime!

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  28. This looks gorgeous! Wonderful job and I love the canvases (I have one of those cloths!).

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    1. Thanks so much, Michelle! Aren't they so pretty? I love them!

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  29. Wow, what a transformation! I love how bright and airy it feels! I also really like your canvases and bottles :) Great job! Also, I'm so surprised that you were able to paint it for such little money!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jess! I love it too. And I know- it's the best knowing that I didn't spend hardly anything and that I could switch my mind on color a bunch of times and not break the bank!

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  30. Wow! This is lovely! This is not an area of my gifting and I so much appreciate seeing the ideas and creativity of others! Thanks!!

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  31. This decor is gorgeous! I love that flower centerpiece!

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  32. I love the two different tones, very chic! Many high fives to your husband for that beautiful centrepiece #TwinklyTuesdays

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  33. I love the colors! And that centerpiece is wonderful!

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  34. I love colors you choose!! It really brigtens up the room. This is defintely a space I'd love to be in. :)

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    1. Thanks, Jazmine! I agree. We love being in this space- which was a goal for sure for this room!

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  35. Ah! I love the wall hangings! What a brilliant idea to turn the towels into canvases! So smart! I will have to remember that trick... I have a towel I've been eyeing...

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  36. I love this. I definitely want my dining room to look rustic when I purchase a home.

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  37. Your dining room looks amazing. I loved your centerpiece table.

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  38. Love it! So much brighter and airy!

    Karin
    www.truncationblog.com

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  39. I love how much brighter it is! Plus your centerpiece is adorable... love it! I hope your wall paint holds up, if the Lowe's samples are anything like the Sherwin Williams samples they aren't real paint. Either way the color is gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with us at Welcome Home Wednesdays last week... we can't wait to see you tomorrow morning!

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    1. Thank you, thank you! I think it will hold up fine, and if not, I had leftovers for touch ups :) I love how it turned out!

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  40. I love your paint choice, the center piece setting, and your wall art. Well done.

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