One Room Challenge Reveal Day: A Navy Inspired Dining Room

I’m so excited to share this navy inspired dining room makeover with all of you!  I really couldn’t be more pleased with how it all turned out, and I’m so glad that I jumped in on the Calling it Home Fall 2017 One Room Challenge!  Now I have a Thanksgiving-ready dining room, and not a moment too soon!  I won’t jabber on too much right now, so let’s get on with the reveal, shall we?

But first, let’s take a peek back at where we began (with a terribly lit before photo, of course).  It just wasn’t getting any attention, and is one of the first rooms you see when you walk into our home.

If you want to go WAY back – here it is when we first moved in, seven years.  Yes, let’s look at how far this dining room has really come.  Before we moved in – 

And here it is now:

I could just sit here and stare at it for awhile, enjoying the finished look.  I want to rope it off so no one can go in here and touch anything.  Especially my dogs.  Our younger pup is living like a nomad right now because we haven’t found a new home for his crate (it used to be in the left hand corner – classy, right?).  His muscle memory has him going back to his space in the dining room.  But I just can’t – I don’t want him anywhere near my gorgeous new drapes – the inspiration for this whole makeover.

And can we talk about the drapes?  My mom is an angel in her patience and persistence in getting these beauties done.  And must be said that my dad served as a sanity check and a support along the way (and I think he feels like he sewed them in his own way).  Suffice to say, my parents rock.  My mom obsesses and stresses about projects like this in the same way that I obsess about custom furniture for clients.  We both get completely OCD and notice the imperfections that we know are there, but other people will never notice (and I’m guessing she’s probably picking out the imperfections in her mind as she reads this.  And may be compelled to make some adjustments the next time she’s here).

I think these drapes are perfection.  My parents marriage of 50+ years is still intact, and they haven’t disowned me, so I’m considering that a win.

I know the band of trim on the edge was a late change, but I’m so glad that I hunted down just the right color and splurged on it.  I love the extra eye-catching detail it provides.  This fabric was the starting point for the entire room, really.

The artwork! I have to tell you – I went to Target to buy frames for the Etsy artwork I was planning on buying, but then stumbled upon these perfect abstract art pieces while I was there.  I just couldn’t help myself.  They’re just the right size and scale and I could buy them and not stress about it.  But I am still planning on integrating some Etsy digital artwork into my home and will share the process with you, I promise.

I scored these navy lamps at Target as well.  My only mistake was not buying BOTH of them the first time I saw them.  By the time I went back to get them, there was only ONE.  I had to trek across town to get the other one, and thankfully I was able to do so, because they’re perfect in here.  I know better than to not buy something I love the first time I see it – for some reason I apparently like to inflict unnecessary stress upon myself.

The chairs from Restoration Hardware Outlet fit in perfectly.  I’m telling you, with this round of the One Room Challenge, I got so lucky, so many times, in finding just the right items that I was searching for in this room.  The chandelier, the upholstered chairs, the artwork. Serendipity.

We didn’t roll out the rug until the end, and even though it makes you a little dizzy to look at it while you’re rolling it out, it’s really pretty in here, and ties everything together beautifully.  I love the herringbone pattern.

If you look closely, you can see that we got the dining room chairs recovered as well.  I ended up going with the fabric that I originally planned to use as a band on the drapes.  I didn’t want to go crazy with another print, especially with the pattern on the rug.  I’m choosing to ignore my husband’s comment about pulling out a bandana and cowboy boots since apparently these chairs remind him of a pair of worn denim jeans meant for the rodeo.  

Whatever.  They’re pretty, I promise.  And a huge shout out to Edwards Furniture near me.  They reupholstered those seat cushions in less than a week, and I know they’re super busy with their upholstery business.  Super friendly people, and they do great work!

I even lucked out with some navy trimmed Kate Spade plates at HomeGoods.

The thing I love most about this room makeover, is how my main living area all seems to jive together now.  I have touches of navy in a lot of areas of my home, and now the dining room fits.

It all just flows together now – almost like I actually planned it that way. 😉

And yes, that’s a dog bone on my dining room rug.  Thanks to this guy…  Don’t be fooled by his cuteness.  I think he was a goat in a previous life.  He eats anything.

Also – don’t be fooled by how pretty this space looks – I can promise you that the rest of my house looks like toddlers and/or a bunch of fraternity brothers have been running the show.  That’s the price of the One Room Challenge for me, but it’s totally worth it.  It’s funny, when people ask about the One Room Challenge, this is how the conversation usually goes:

Them:  So this One Room Challenge, is it a contest?

Me:  No.

Them:  Do you win something?  Is there a prize?

Me:  Nope.

Them:  (Looking confused)

Me:  I do it for the deadline.  I like having a goal and a timeline that forces me to make decisions and get something done.  And no, I can’t create the deadline.  It has to be someone else’s deadline.  Otherwise it doesn’t work.

As a side note, I think that all future One Room Challenges should have an extra week added, midway through the process (but don’t tell me until like, week five).  I really think this helped me not be a complete stress case in the final week.  A mini stress case, but not a complete stress case.

Sources

Here is a list of all of the sources for the items I used in the dining room – please let me know if you have any questions.  This includes affiliate links for your convenience.

Wall color – Revere Pewter (Benjamin Moore)

Drapery Fabric – Laureate Indigo

Drapery Trim – Manon Indigo

Navy Herringbone Rug – Overstock.com

Belgian Slope Arm Slipcovered Armchair – Restoration Hardware Outlet

Navy Abstract Artwork – Target

Navy Linen Lamp Base – Target

Chandelier – Restoration Hardware Outlet

Kate Spade Plates – HomeGoods (similar plates available here)

If you want to look back at how this whole makeover played out – check out the progress here:

One Room Challenge Week #1:  Dining Room Plans

One Room Challenge Week #2: Fabric Ideas

One Room Challenge Week #3: Paint and the Crypt Keeper Chandelier

One Room Challenge Week #4: Rugs + Chairs + DEALS

One Room Challenge Week #5: Bold Artwork

One Room Challenge Week #6: Crunch Time and a Dirty Little Secret

Whew!  I’m exhilarated and exhausted!  Thanks for following along throughout the process – what do you think?

Jenny