Dining Room Make-over

After being in our house for a little over two years we decided to swap our dining and living rooms.  The living room was a larger space in the front of our house and we felt it was a better suited for hosting 8 people.

Above is a picture of our old dining room with a 5' table and 6 chairs.  

Here is a picture of the empty living room ready to be converted into a dining room!  

The picture above was a dining room from a house that was for sale right down the street from us, this was the inspiration behind our dining room make-over. With the end product in mind I started pinning (on Pinterest of course) to find a table, chairs, and chandelier that fit within my Handyman's strict budget, while my Handy man went to work on the painting and trim.
   

After many trips to the store and taking pretty much every gray paint sample available we finally agreed on a color.    

Up next was the wainscoting, this is where Kevin's engineering skills really come in handy.   

While Kevin was working on the wainscoting, I got busy finding the chairs I wanted. It didn't take long, the only problem was they were $289 a piece and way out of my budget for 8 of them. So off to craigslist I went...

I stumbled upon 8 of these chairs for only $26 a pop! Although I was very hesitant at first, I knew with a fresh coat of paint and some brand new fabric these little guys really had some potential.  

 First we stripped the fabric backs and seat cushions from the chair frame. 

Next came priming and painting. We selected Benjamin Moore Advance in Snow Bound for the frames.

For the new fabric we traveled to the fabric district in Philadelphia and found just what we were looking for at B Wilk Fabrics.   The ladies in there were so helpful!!  I highly recommend it for any fabric needs.   

After the old staples and fabric were pulled out lots of new ones put in...

We did the same fabric on the seat cushion and the front of the back cushion. 

For the back of the seat cushion we decided to go with a striped fabric for a little pop.  

The finished chairs, not bad for about $51 per chair...

We knew we wanted a long chandelier, and lucked out when this one popped up at Joss and Main within budget! :)   

We also found this beautiful 8' wood table on Craigslist for only $200 and Kevin painted the legs to match the chairs.  

We are still looking to get a rug, buffet and some other accent pieces but for now our dining room is complete. 

The final 8 chairs...

A close up of the finished trim.

And now we are officially ready to host a dinner party!



My newest obsession is Rodan + Fields skin products.   Check out all their wonderful products here.  

Redfine Regimen has been my favorite so far!  Talk about some serious before and after pictures!  

Monogrammed Frame

Added this frame on my pinterest to do list, and finally got to it just in time for fall. 

I found this black frame in a yard sale and thought it was perfect for this little project.  

Headed to Michaels to pick up the rest of the goods.   A tan foam board for the back, some burlap, and a C.  We had the off-white paint at home. 

Cut the black of the frame.

 Covered it in Burlap.

 Painted the frame and C.   We used spray adhesive to keep the burlap on the foam board, and used blazing points to keep the back on the frame.   

Mom' Birthday Present...a new old vanity!

My mother being the caring woman that she is, is always more worried about her children then herself, and has been using this old beat up vanity for over 25 years.   It was time for my handyman to intervene.   So for her birthday (which was in May)  Kev went to work on her new/old vanity!  

 

Turns our not only was this little guy old and beat.  Kev found out it was also was covered in lead paint.   So he first stripped the lead paint and refinished the top of the bench and the table.   Then he sanded and stained to bring out the beautiful natural wood that was hiding under that brown paint.   He then repainted the bottom with an antique white and then screwed in some new hardware.  

It was done just in time for us to borrow for Emmy's shower!  

Master Bathroom

This summer, in between weddings, we tackled the project of our master bathroom. Here is what it looked like before. 

White and blue tile from 1969.

A frosty sliding glass door that was almost impossible to open to close.

 

The vanity had been replaced prior to us moving in, so keep an eye out for the cabinet in the finished product. :)

It was time to get started with the demolition and plumbing! 

The bathroom was gutted down to the studs, and the shower controller was moved from the right wall to the left wall so we don't get wet when turning on the shower.   (I would have never thought of that!) 

First he asked if I liked it green.  (aka dry wall) 

The next thing I knew our bathroom was orange???  (turns out it was the kerdi waterproofing, duh!)

 Now to my favorite part!  Off to the tile store to pick out our new bathroom.   This is when things get fun for me. :)  

Then the tiling began.

Great job Kev!   All done just waiting for the glass door to be delivered.  

New granite, old cabinet. 

 

  Back in business!  

Great Job Handyman!  

My newest obsession is Rodan + Fields skin products.   Check out all their wonderful products here.  

Redfine Regimen has been my favorite so far!  Talk about some serious before and after pictures!