I am so thrilled to have Sarah from Life On Virginia Street here today to share her home. I love, love, love her style and love how she starts at the basics and pulls a room together. She has such a natural eye for decor and always seems to know what works. You are going to love hearing her thought process as she works her magic.
Hello, A Stroll Thru Life readers! I’m Sarah with Life On Virginia Street. I’m an insurance executive by day and a blogger/DIYer/home decor enthusiast by night/weekend/every other waking minute – which means I am constantly working on a project around our home. I am so flattered Marty asked me to join you all today to be a part of the “Pulling it All Together” series. I always love to read blogs that detail the thought process that went into finishing a room, so I obviously love this series!
Today I thought I would share with you the detail that went into finishing our dining room. It was the very first room I tackled when we moved into our home about a year and a half ago. I’ve never been one to shy away from bold color, but the original lime green paint didn’t have the vibe I wanted for our dining room. Here’s the before from the MLS photo and the after once I got my hands on the space.
But first, let’s start back at the beginning. Before we even moved into the house, my wheels were spinning as to how to decorate every room to fit our style. I’d lay awake at night planning out all the projects to be completed. I was so excited for all the potential our new home had! But I also realized I needed to pick one room and complete it from start to finish before trying to tackle every single thing immediately. The green paint was what pushed me towards starting with this room first.
A month before the move, I made this very elementary Photoshop mock-up of how new paint could look in the space {along with how our furniture and the drapes I considered ordering would potentially look}. The mock-up was realistic enough to make me realize I loved it. The paint was the exact color I was looking for and the striped linen drapes from Overstock helped to tie the gray from the walls and the cream from the head dining chairs all together.
The difference in the images above encouraged me to order the paint I had in mind {Restoration Hardware Slate} so it was delivered a day or two after the move. We moved in four days before Christmas, and by Christmas day I was painting the room. Best Christmas gift ever! This was the room a night or two after we moved in – you can see how much brighter the paint became at night under the incandescent bulbs. I knew I had made the right decision to tackle this room first – particularly once I saw our furniture in the space and saw how “off” it felt with the wall color.
Once the room was painted it was easy for me to start finalizing everything. I had the mirror from our former master bedroom, I found some amazing Pottery Barn-esque wine glass racks at Costco and I hung the drapes I had ordered from Overstock. The room really started to take shape. I always love to add some green to a room as well, and preserved boxwoods seem to be my go-to pieces. I feel like they look “right” in pretty much every room! Does anyone else have a boxwood addiction?
I love this room because it is surrounded by light on three sides with our covered patio to the left, our side-yard straight ahead, and my favorite element of our house, the courtyard, to the right. The dark paint never feels heavy or moody because this room is filled with an abundance of light and greenery from the natural, outdoor elements.
I still struggle with a rug for the space and accessorizing the table. I have a much easier time with the “big” items in the overall picture but struggle with the small details that fully finish the room. One day I would love to have an electrician add a box for a chandelier over the table {there are currently four can lights in the room}. But for now, I love how far this room has come! If you are looking for sources for any of the items in this room, I recommend you check out this post.
If you’re interested in checking out a few other room makeovers I’ve completed, I’d encourage you to start with my guest bedroom makeover or my home office makeover. Both rooms have also come a long way since the sea-of-beige that they once were! You can also see I’m a big fan of wall treatments, chandeliers and statement window coverings.
Thank you again to Marty for hosting me today and for allowing me to be part of this wonderful series! I’d love for you all to stop over to my blog and say hi if you have a chance!
I really loved this post and hearing her thought process as she designed her dining room. You will find she shares all of her tips and tricks in every one of her posts, so if you don’t follow her already, then you really need to rush over and click the follow button. Thanks so much Sarah, I loved featuring you today.
I would love to feature you too, so if you are interested just leave me a comment or email me at astrollthrulife@live.com
I am joining the following parties:
Craftberry Bush for Inspiration Gallery Thursday The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday
No Minimalist Here for Open House Party, Posed Perfection for All Things Thursday Hop
Katherines Corner for Favorite Things, The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things
A Delightsome Life for Home and Garden,
Love of Family & Home for Inspire Me Please
Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday The 36th Avenue for 36th Avenue Party
Imparting Grace for Grace at Home, My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Fri
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Fri, Common Ground for Be Inspired Fri
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home ,
Chic On A Shoestring Decorating for Flaunt It Fri
Finding Fabulous for Frugalicious Fri ,Rooted In Thyme Simple & Sweet Fri.
Jennifer Rizzo for Fabulously Creative Linky Party
Redoux Interiors Friday Party,
The Better Half for Creatively Unleashed
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