Dining Room: Before & After

Here's a case where a little touch of design and organization brings a dining room to life. The dining room was a good size and had the beautiful detailed moldings of an old Victorian house. However, it felt cold and uninviting. I wanted to bring in some warmth and create an inviting ambiance. In this case, the basics were there but it just needed some key pieces and re-arranging to give it a cozy and inviting feel.

BEFORE
Too many chairs cluttered the space.

The walls were bare and felt cold.

The clutter on the fireplace did not showcase the beautiful fireplace.

The picture above the fireplace is too small and is lost on top of the fireplace.







AFTER
The large mirror on top of the fireplace brightens up the space and focuses your attention on the beautiful fireplace. The scale of the mirror is appropriate for the large fireplace.

The dining table and chairs are centered in the room.

The rich color of the rug warms up the space. The rug is placed in the center of the room to define the area.

A small bookcase is placed in the corner. Makes good use of the space. The bookcase was brought in from another room.

Above it some beautiful artwork fills the empty wall. I found the artwork at an antique store (wasn't expensive at all)

This project took a little time to find the right pieces to compliment the space but the end effect was fantastic! I LOVE IT! When it came time to sell, I added two BIG topiaries on the fireplace (one on each side of the fireplace), and also a screen for the fireplace. The cactus next to the fireplace had to go... bad Feng Shui.

Just remember to Keep It Organized, Keep It Simple.