Spikes & Sparkles: House Tour

Our dining room space is just off the living room. In fact the whole space is open to each other, in an L format apparently typical of the 1950s, when the house was built (see the layout in my floorplan here). It's a normal size room (12' by 10') and was really a blank canvas - no architectural details or built-ins to speak of. There is a window - same format as the window in the living room - which takes up the whole back wall, a door to the side yard - that serves no purpose whatsoever - on the adjacent wall, and the opening to the kitchen opposite that wall.

The only changes we made to this space is refinishing the floors, and enlargening the opening to the kitchen (it used to be 36" but we opened it 70" and incorporated a peninsula in the kitchen to tie in the two spaces). I'd love to change out the big window for french doors (which would lead to the backyard), close up the door to nowhere and replace with two 36" double hung windows with space in between for a hutch/buffet, and add some architectural interest in the way of wainscoting. The wainscoting may be a project I attempt (and document here on the blog) in the near future - I just have to decide where to end it since one of the walls is shared with the living room, with no divide. I'd also like to change out the chandelier at some point, which was a cheap one we purchased at home depot in the interest of having at least some light until I found one I liked.

Here's where we started (post initial renovations). A veritable blank canvas.

On the left, you'll see my makeshift bar using an IKEA Lack shelf and a Besta cabinet that we bought for the TV which became obsolete for that use once we mounted the TV over the fireplace. The cabinet now resides in the foyer as a makeshift console table (quite a versatile piece of furniture). On the right is an asymmetrical bookcase I found randomly at Target - it was on clearance in the store for $67 while still listed on the website at the time well above $200 so I couldn't pass it up (I have a clearance shopping problem, you will learn!).

A few months later, I found a (clearance) dining room table and chairs at Sears on a fluke shopping trip. Here (view from the kitchen) you have a better view of the Target bookcase.

Another view, from the living room:

Here's what it looked like when I swapped the living and dining rooms for Christmas 2009:

The "art" is Waverly fabric I purchased from Joann's and stretched over a canvas. The rug is from IKEA. The ottomans, serving as additional seating, are from Target (purchased on clearance, of course, for $17.48 a piece!)

And here is what the room looks like today (minus the curtains which I recently gave to my mother since they matched her new bedroom - new window coverings are on my shopping list!).

The "bar" was getting in the way, so I dismantled it and now the ottomans reside in front of that wall (they are great for extra seating in either the living or dining room in a pinch). On the right, you see a corner of a settee/loveseat I purchased from Target that needs to be moved to the bedroom.

Some closeup/detail shots: