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Dining Room Remodel: Adding Character on a Budget

February 2, 2020 in Decor, DIY's

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission- at no extra cost to you.

I have been wanting a slightly different look in my dining room for a while. One that made the entire room feel more cohesive. While I loved the look and feel in the room,  I felt like the focal wall { which I love} just didn’t flow with the rest of the room. I wanted to give the space an overall cohesive feel and look while still keeping the same modern farmhouse feel. 

Let’s take a look at the space before I got started:

I wanted the space to have a totally new look top to bottom- starting with the outdated and dingy popcorn ceiling. I immediately went to work scraping the popcorn ceiling. After that was done and the mess cleaned up, I removed the existing chair rail and repaired the wall damage. I then went to work installing the board and batten on the lower 2/3 of the wall. The ceilings in my home are standard 8 foot height. I wanted to create the feel of more height in the room, so raising the total height of the board and batten wall to 72” was perfect for my space. You can read all about the installation of the board & batten HERE.

Next up, I painted all the trim in the room- crown molding, window trim, door trim and baseboards. I wanted everything to have a fresh clean feel. After the board and batten was installed and the trim was all painted, I got back to work on the ceiling. I discovered an amazing wood product from WALLPLANKS. It is a peel and stick real wood product. It comes in a variety of wood and stain choices, including a few unfinished options. I partnered with WALLPLANKS and chose the unfinished white oak planks. My initial plan was to stain the boards in a light weathered stain. Once they arrived and I opened them up, their natural beauty was absolutely stunning!  I knew that they would be perfect just as they were- no stain needed!  You can read all about the installation process HERE.

The next step was updating the current chandelier. While it is beautiful, I knew it would get lost in the new look. So rather than buying new, I decided to save money and just give the current one a fresh new look- all for just the cost of one can of spray paint. I chose Rustoleum Metallic Champagne Bronze and it is the perfect color for my room. It blends beautifully with the new wood ceilings and will pop against the new fresh walls!

After the freshly painted chandelier was reinstalled, I got to work on the walls. I first painted the board and batten walls. I chose the color BM Super White. It is the perfect bright white with no undertones. Once the paint was dry, I then painted the upper portion in BM Tricorn Black. I love the contrast of the black and white with the warmth of the wood ceiling. The space now feels lighter, brighter and has the cohesive look I was craving. 

Once the paint was dry, all the furniture got pushed back into place. The room then got a thorough cleaning to get rid of any remaining dust and debris from the construction process.  Then my favorite part- styling and making the space feel cozy and inviting. 

I hope this has inspired you to create spaces in your home that you love. Be sure to follow along here on the blog for more DIY projects, budget friendly decorating, recipes, mom life, fashion and all the in between. 


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Tags : accent wall, add value to your home, adding character to your home, american farmhouse style, better homes and gardens, black walls, board and batten, boho farmhouse, budget friendly diy's, cottage farmhouse, country home, diy, diy decorating, diy home, diy home decor, diy momma, farmhouse, farmhouse charm, farmhouse decor, farmhouse decorating, farmhouse dining room, farmhouse home, farmhouse living, farmhouse style, farmhouse style decor, home decor, home decor on a budget, home design, home inspiration, home interior, modern farmhouse, my diy happy home, mydiyhappyhome, neutral home, southern home, transform your home, white walls, wood ceiling

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Comments

  1. Alicia Brown says

    February 6, 2020 at 12:53 am

    Where is your dining room table from?

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 7, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      I have had it for over 12 years and it is no longer available. When I actually purchased it, it had a dark cherry top and black apron and legs. I refinished it over the summer. There is a post all about how I achieved this look here on my blog.

  2. Stacy says

    February 10, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    I love the curtains. If you mentioned where you got them, I missed it. Could you say again please? Thanks!

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      here is the link for the curtains:
      https://rstyle.me/+P672uP4Yid1k5wITb1Fcdg

  3. Kim Keffer says

    February 11, 2020 at 9:25 am

    I love those curtains. West Elm by chance? I’d love to know the source.

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      I love them too… here is the link for them;
      https://rstyle.me/+P672uP4Yid1k5wITb1Fcdg

  4. Tammy says

    February 17, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    Hi looks great .
    I am looking for the open shelve DIY . Not able to find it .
    You posted pic today Feb 17th

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      i have the tutorial saved in my story highlights over on my instagram page

  5. Tammy says

    February 17, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    Hi Looks great!
    I was looking for the DIY open shelves you posted today .
    Can you direct me to that?

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      I have the tutorial on my open shelves saved in my story highlights on instagram… here is the link:
      https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18116622598074540/

  6. Sandy says

    February 23, 2020 at 11:33 am

    When doing the walls do you have to have a nail gun or can you use another method?

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      are you asking about the board and batten wall treatment? or if you chose to use the wood planks on your walls (vs. the ceiling)?

  7. Megan says

    February 26, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    Where are your curtains from?

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      here is the link:
      https://rstyle.me/+P672uP4Yid1k5wITb1Fcdg

  8. Jessica says

    February 26, 2020 at 10:59 pm

    Beautiful and inspiring dining room! I love the wainscoting sooo much!

    • MyDIYHappyHome says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      Thank you so so much. I appreciate it!

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Disclaimer

All information provided for projects is from my own personal experience. I am not a certified plumber, electrician, contractor, etc. Before attempting to do any project, please be sure to follow all building codes in your area. If you feel uncomfortable with any project, please seek out professional assistance in the specific field of expertise.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission- at no extra cost to you.

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