ORC - Week 4!

Welcome back! If you are popping by for the first time, I am participating as a guest participant in the One Room Challenge hosted by Linda from Calling It Home. It is where 20 guest designers make over a room in 6 weeks! As a guest participant you jump into the madness yourself and cry and wish you didn't sign up in the first place.

Where were we last week? Oh, my chairs fiasco. Well, they aren't so bad. I learned that the clear coat needs to be lightly sprayed on. So I sanded the bubbled parts, and touched up. As of today, the chairs are painted and ready to be upholstered. My room hasn't progressed much as I was away for the weekend celebrating my baby girl's upcoming wedding at a bridal shower hosted by my two amazing sister-in-laws! This week will be madness as I try to finish the space.

This paint colour is going onto the walls, Savana Oaks from Cloverdale Paint.

It is painted on other walls in the house and I quite like it. It manages to tie in some of the finishes that I am not redoing, like the baseboards. The landlords had the house professionally painted and used a designer to choose colours. The designer did a fabulous job with the exception of the dining room. It was just to dark. So hopefully this colour will lighten things up. Then I hope to paint the dining table with Cloud White. I am still so nervous about it....

Hoping to find some more blue and white chinoiserie ceramics. And some lamps?

Thinking this bowl from Bombay and Company.

I am truly winging this space, finding things as I go along. It's all about budget (it's the baby girl's wedding this summer!)

To Do:

• Paint chairs
• Upholster seats
• Slip cover 2 parson's chairs
• Paint or stain dining table
• Paint walls
• Accessories for sideboard
• Art?
• Repaint sideboard (decided to keep it red)

Be sure to follow the One Room Challenge, so much goodness to be found. You can also follow my progress on #oneroomchallenge on Instagram or Facebook

ORC - Week Three

In case you are popping by for the first time, welcome to the One Room Challenge! I am joining in the madness as a guest participant, but if you want to watch some amazingly talented designers tackle their spaces, check out the 20 who are part of the fun. If you want to follow along with crazy me, who decided last minute to join in at week 2, then be my guest!

Hosting Easter dinner threw a wrench into my dining room plans. I couldn't paint the walls, the sideboard or deal with the table. Hoping I can make some headway this week. I did manage to prime and paint the vintage cane back chairs, but had a major setback. More on that below....

With these two fabrics from Tonic Living as contenders for the seat, black is what I was going to go with.  Having spray painted many a project I knew I wanted some with very little shine. Flat spray paint was too dull. Satin was ok, but I wasn't convinced. Being a lazy painter, I did not want to get out the ol' paint brush. I popped into Home Depot to get another can of grey spray primer (love this stuff), I discovered spray chalk paint! I am not wanting a shabby chic look at all in the dining room. Traditional eclectic is my goal. This chalk spray paint was intriguing. After one chair was complete, I squealed with delight. It had a velvety charcoal look. Just what I was looking for!

But I have had a major set back. I tried applying a beeswax coating and the paint just wiped off. Then I tried the Rustoleum Clear Coat that is supposed to seal the chalk paint and it ruined the paint surface by bubbling. After spending all this time and money getting a perfect paint coating, I have to start over. So not impressed with this product. After going online to read the reviews, I have read that MANY people have had the same issue. Argh! I should have gone with what is tried and true.  So who knows if I will be finished in the next 3 weeks since I am going away this weekend and there is no way my hubby would paint or would I let him paint...

I am very, very upset.

To Do:

• Paint chairs actually no, I have to repaint
• Upholster seats
• Slip cover 2 parson's chairs
• Paint or stain dining table
• Paint walls
• Accessories for sideboard
• Art?
• Repaint sideboard (decided to keep it red)

Be sure to follow the One Room Challenge, so much goodness to be found. You can also follow my progress on #oneroomchallenge on Instagram or Facebook

Hopefully others aren't having any glitches!

ORC- Skipping To Week Two!

This is it!

I have decided instead of sitting on the sidelines watching another One Room Challenge take place without me, I will jump in and join as a guest participant skipping onto week 2! I was a featured designer in the One Room Challenge way, way, way back when Linda, from Calling It Home, began the genius idea! It has been fascinating to watch it grow.  Of course I am a few days late joining in because I was paralyzed with fear about joining in. My blog design is so 2010, my Google ranking is low (so I am told weekly by SEO marketers) and I have been just plain uninspired. But I am thinking this might be what I need to jump start things again and to finish unfinished projects.

One room in our house that drives me crazy is our dining room. It is dark with very little natural light and the black table and chairs sucks whatever light there is. My goal is to try to work with what we have and update the space with paint, fabric, art and a few thrifty finds. We are renting (still - but hey, it's Vancouver) so no renovations are taking place. The pleather chairs NEED to go. The table and walls will get a coat of paint. After months of prowling on Craigslist, I came across a vintage dining set in a sad state for $90!  Part of the set has vintage cane back chairs with a more streamlined profile, just what I was looking for. The table will go to my daughter who is getting married this summer. My Ikea sideboard got a makeover for a past ORC project  (horrid photos!) in a luscious red paint but I am thinking maybe navy??? Thoughts?

Vintage chairs I found for a steal!

This was when we moved in. Gotta love the 90's light fixture. It reminds me of one that should be in an interrogation room.

Here is the current state of my dining room. Sigh... Blah blah blah.

Here are my inspiration pictures.

Source

Birmingham Home and Garden

Style At Home

Homemade by Carmona

To Do:

• Paint chairs 
• Upholster seats
• Slip cover 2 parson's chairs
• Paint or stain dining table
• Paint walls
• Accessories for sideboard
• Art?
• Repaint sideboard

Wish me luck!

Be sure to follow the One Room Challenge, so much goodness to be found. You can also follow my progress on #oneroomchallenge on Instagram or Facebook