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I have been feeling the need lately to simplify, create spaces that are more true to what I love and are more reflective of my style, and just plain old clean out. One of the spaces that has desperately needed all kinds of attention is my dining room.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the design or style of the room. It had a vintage, cottage farmhouse feel. Lots of whites and woods. Sharpie shiplap on the upper walls. My table and chairs in the space were distressed, and I had lots of pieces that were chippy and/or had an overall feel of old, vintage, aged items.

Let’s take a quick look at the transformation of the space up to this point.

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However, whenever I created this space, I was trying to make myself fit into a “box” or category, one that wasn’t truly me. Combine that with the fact that the space had become a cluttered catch all for all my tools, project supplies, and decor I wasn’t currently using…and I had a space I literally could NOT walk in.

The Plan

I knew something had to change and quick. So I sat down, scrolled through all my saved spaces that I truly loved, perused Pinterest and came up with my plan. I love to create mood boards for a space. I am very visual and can get a better feel for the final space if I can “see” my plan in action. This is the mood board I created for this space.

Step One: Clean out/declutter

Once the plan was in place and mood board created, it was time to put it all into action. The very first step was to clear out the space of everything except for the larger pieces of furniture. All the decor came off the walls, floors, and all the nooks and crannies it was stuffed into. The tools (literally nail guns, drills, saws, and a bag full of many other items) went back to its home in the basement. I then sorted through everything I had and decided what I was actually going to put back into the space. Everything else I put into a box(es). I would later go through the boxes to see what I could use elsewhere and everything else I sold. The money from the sale of the items would be used to purchase anything new I needed/wanted for the new space.

Step Two: The Hunt

Once I decided what big (main) pieces were staying : the chandelier, the buffet and the dining room table {that would be getting a makeover}. It was then time to begin my search for any new additions that I would need. So I made my list and began the hunt for a new rug to anchor the space and some new seating. I am very frugal to begin with and definitely wanted to be able to refresh this space with as little money spent as possible, so repurposing and keeping most of what I had was important.

The three main factors that influenced my decisions when choosing the new additions were quality, durability, and affordability. I also wanted pieces that I would be able to move to other areas of my house if I wanted to switch things up a little bit.

First, was the hunt for the perfect rug to anchor the space. As soon as I saw the Camille Seashell rug from Orian Rugs I KNEW I had found THE ONE. It had the “look” that I wanted and knew it would be a perfect fit for my home and this space. You can read more about why I chose this particular rug here.

Next, was the hunt for seating. I wanted black, clean lines, and durable. These chairs would be holding my kiddos, so I wanted something that could stand up to their climbing, standing, dancing, playing, food spills, banging like a drum- all you mommas out their know what I am talking about, right? I knew I LOVED the look of the Windsor style chairs. Their simple, clean lines were exactly the look I wanted. I found several options that were all great prices here, here and here. However, as soon as I saw this metal option, that looked identical AND they were on sale- I was SOLD- even better- there was a bench option also, and I loved the idea of mixing up the seating a little bit. They are actually an outdoor chair, so I knew they would hold up to everything my little family could throw at them.

Step 3: Prepping the Space

Next up is prepping the space. Patching all the holes from previous decor, touching up the paint, and painting the accent/focal wall. While I left the three other walls with sharpie shiplap on the upper portion and the Sherwin Williams Alabaster below the chair rail, I wanted to add a pop and focal point to the main wall. I chose the same color as my master bedroom accent wall, Sherwin Williams Peppercorn. I love this color and had plenty left over from my bedroom project, so it cost me zero dollars to make this one change that had such a huge impact on the room.

Step 4: The Table

After all the walls were done, it was time to tackle to table. The table was one I purchased over 10 years ago. It originally had a dark cherry top with black distressed apron and legs.

About 3 years ago I gave the table and 8 chairs a makeover. The top was sanded down and stained in a weathered color stain. The chairs and table apron and legs were painted in Annie Sloan Old White and distressed. I loved the look.. and it served me well the last three years.

As tastes change, and my decor style evolves, it just didn’t fit with the plan I had in my head. I had dreams of a raw wood look table to expose all of the natural wood beauty. I knew that table was all wood and that I could totally transform it with lot of elbow grease and love. So I stripped and sanded the table. I have the process I used saved HERE. While I have sanded LOTS of furniture pieces to reveal their natural beauty, I have NOT tackled a stripping project, and well, lets just say…things started off a little rocky, but it all worked out in the end. I absolutely am in LOVE with the final product and am so glad I kept the table and put the extra work in to make it fit my new space.

Step 5: Putting the space together

After all the hard work, I was super excited to get the room put back together and get it styled. I gave the room a good cleaning- no better time than when it was almost empty- right? Then the gorgeous new rug went down to anchor the room and provide softness underfoot. Then my labor of love- the raw wood table- went in. I must say I was giddy with just those pieces in. I then moved the buffet back into place against the main wall and then the chairs went into place. Now it was time to accessorize.

I kept my mug racks and moved them to the side wall. I simplifed them, keeping only my copper Moscow mule mugs and a few Rae Dunn mugs.

I then added a trio of Fern wall hangings on the wall opposite the focal wall. The charcoal tones on the Fern wall decor complemented the room perfectly.

On the focal wall side, I added a wood framed mirror, some simple white pottery planters with faux greenery and a trio of wood candlesticks that I already had on hand. My hanging scale went back in its original location and I added some new faux ferns (on sale from Hobby Lobby).

That’s it. Simple. Clean lines. Modern Farmhouse style with a hint of rustic and a hint of boho.

I can now check this space off my to do list. It is now totally my style and I am over the moon excited with how it turned out.

You can shop my entire space by clicking here.

See you next time, friends!