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Forget the hustle and bustle, my favorite holiday tradition is being home with the people I love.
Homemade hot chocolate, weeknight fires in the fireplace, rolling out cookie dough, kids setting the table to earn brownie points with Santa, singing (loudly) to Christmas carols while doing dishes, last minute invite-yourself-over dinners with family. And it pretty much all revolves around the kitchen and dining room.
When we were house hunting, I was sold the moment I saw the kitchen and dining room of this home. I loved the space and loved the fireplace. When we moved our stuff in, we realized how much it wasn’t working. The room was dark, we lacked seating, and the kitchen and dining room were larger but had less cabinets and storage.
Since holiday entertaining and family time (for us) revolves around the dining room, this needed to be tackled! And soon!
What We Did:
We added the leaf to our current table and swapped our 6 tired, old chairs with 8 new ones.
Our stools were looking tired too, so we also brought in 4 matching bar stools. We can bring them over to the table when entertaining, or have the kids sit at the counter (while the grown-ups sit at the table).
These cabinets added in a huge wall of storage that almost looks built-in. The top will be great for pretty things, the bottom is perfect for the things I don’t want to be seen. Like maybe a basket for stuff that needs hidden right before people come over? Pretend you didn’t hear that.
It was also a bit dark in here. We replaced a weird spotlight with two pendant lights that lend an industrial farmhouse look to the room. The switch is on a dimmer so we can go from dinner to cozy in a slide of the switch.
The accent wall, where the hutches are, was painted to match the rest of the room and made the space bigger! We painted the trim and sliding glass door white, then added white curtains to brighten and soften the room.
My personal style lately is simple yet kid-friendly and I’m carrying that into this room’s Christmas decor.
I love big bursts of color but we bring color into this room with kid art, cereal on the floor, and colorfully dressed kids dancing on the chairs. Like the simple furniture, I wanted the holiday decor in here to be as neutral as possible to create a beautiful backdrop for the everyday color we add into the picture.
I only added simple touches to the space. Kraft paper, white trees, natural greenery, and gold votives.
Easy to set up for entertaining, easy to take down when we bring out all the food.
And easy to swap out with a long piece of paper when you feel an itch to draw a holiday scene complete with angels, snow, and a Christmas pig.
In the week this room has been done, I’ve already noticed an impact in our family time.
We spend more time in here than in front of the TV.
There’s a place for stuff and I’m not stressing as much.
We linger a bit longer at the table.
And after dinner’s done, we all pitch in to get it looking clean again because, WHOA. Look at that room now.
So, what do you think of the space now?
Deirdre says
Please tell me what size your Ikea pendant lights are. We have a similar kitchen table setup and I purchased the 15″ lights like yours but they seem massive (& my table is 4′ wide!). Yours look perfect and I’m wondering if they are the 9″ lights instead. Thanks! Your style is inspirational! I’ll be hanging up clipboards for our kids art very soon!!
Ann Marie Heasley says
These are the 15″! I did purchase the 9″ ones for over the island you see in the post, but we’d have to re-wire things and haven’t done it quite yet. Peek around in your store, catalog, or website. Because I’ve seen them do 1 over the table or the small ones over the table! I’ll have to measure and see how high up these are, and how big our table is. But I do know that when we first hung them, I was worried they’d be massive!!! We have 8′ ceilings but ended up raising them 6″ or so higher than we originally thought to minimize that hugeness, lol.
And thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂 The clipboards are one of my favorite projects we’ve done. Your kids will like them too. 🙂 I’d love to see a picture if you get a chance to take one! Email, facebook it, or instagram and tag me. Whatever. 🙂
Deirdre says
I’m writing about the lights again!! I’m on my way to ikea and wondering if the 9″ lights would look too small? I’ve planned to return the 15s but I’m doubting myself now. What do you think? Could you see the 9s over your table or not? Oh, decisions!! I took a pic to attach but can’t seem to do it. If you email me, I can send it to you if you feel like you need to see. Thanks so much!!!
Ann Marie Heasley says
Just emailed you! I’m going to reply here too in case someone else has a similar question, so ignore this comment when it gets to your email. 🙂
Our table is 40″ wide and 76″ long. With the leaf in, we have three parts to our table. When deciding where to hang, we centered each light over the outside thirds of the table. As far as the size, it’s a tough call! I saw in store IKEA displays using both the two 9″ over a table and the one 15″. When we first added the 15″ lights, I thought they were huge! But after living with them, I’m happy with them and don’t know that I’d want the 9″ version. Wish I could be more help, definitely send a picture!
Rebeca says
Super cool!
Learning is the best gift parents can give to kids —
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appovative.memorymatchkids
Christy says
I love those cabinets and what you have done with the space. I may have to make a trip to IKEA for something similar as we are looking for shelving as well and I like the space to hide things. I need that!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Beautiful room! Elegant, simple, chic!
Susi says
Love this so much! I was thinking of looking through the Ikea catalog for cabinets like that. I can already imagine where I want them. 🙂
Kayla says
Gorgeous!
Margene Kiefer says
Beautiful transformation! I have a question. I see all your trim around doors and the wood patio doors, fireplace, and trim were wood and you chose to paint the door trim and patio door and trim white, which by today’s standards is the go to color. However, you didn’t paint the two wood doors on the wall next to the fireplace, which is also wood. In my house all trim and doors are wood and I yearn for white. Isn’t that the way it always is? How did you decide and come to terms with painting the wood white and did you follow through with the rest of your house and why did you leave the two doors next to the fireplace and the fireplace wood? Nearly everyday I think about the process one would have to go through to paint all wood trim and think ‘Omgoodness’ how overwhelming. Your room turned out beautiful. Just curious if your thought process in deciding on the white trim. Thanks…
Cheryl @ Artzzle says
VERY NICE. Quick question: When pulled shut, do the curtains give good privacy? Love the IKEA prices. Just signed up on their site! Those pendants are great too! Happy Holidays!
Lynda M Otvos says
It’s gorgeous and so inviting. IKEA has some of the coolest furniture ever. We are lucky to have one just down the street fifteen miles or so and we have been countless times to scope the cool stuff.
Love your transformation of that space. Congrats on a successful venture and a great finish.
kalani says
You are inspiring me. We are way past itching to move & get settled somewhere better. It helps me to remember that not long ago you were itching to move & now here you are all settled with a beautiful new dining room. It looks so open and pretty. Makes me happy that you are happily settled in your new dining space. I am sure you have lots more on your mind to do, but how nice to have your family gathering place in place. Enjoy every moment.
Crystal says
Everything looks beautiful, Ann Marie! I think the white cabinets look great – they add detail to the room and perfect for storage. I’m excited to see more updates on your new home. 🙂
Anne says
i love it. We just did the same thing where we paired black chairs with the wood table and I live the look. We used to use our dining room as a play room and recently converted it back to a dining room. I was nervous but you are right! The kids now use the table and chairs for all sorts of coloring, activities etc. Love your blog. We too have 4 kids and live in the Chicago area!
Katie says
Love your first project in your new home! Perfect timing for the holidays! Love all the storage in the cabinets!!!
Amber Price says
I just love your style! Come decorate my house? I am thinking those Hemnes cabinets might work in my bedroom. I already have a Hemnes tv stand in there as a bench and I love it!
Racheal Loy says
LOVE it!! Absolutely gorgeous! What an inviting space for family to gather!
Gia Munoz says
I’ve been looking for some new paint colors to give our dinning room and great room a new fresh look. Can you please tell me what color paint did you use on your dinning room. It’s very nice.
Ann Marie Heasley says
Absolutely, thanks Gia! This color is great, I couldn’t believe how much bigger the room looked after just painting the one accent wall. The walls are Benjamin Moore’s “Wish” (in an eggshell finish) and the trim is Behr “Polar Bear” (in semi gloss).
Please update me if you choose to go with them, I’d love to see a picture!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
THOSE HUTCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I was just at Ikea yesterday and missed those trees!!! Argh! Guess I’ll have to go back! 😉
KWolff says
What a lovely room! I love how elegantly simple it looks. You have once again impressed me!
nest of posies says
my favorite part might be that big roll of craft paper. 😉 but also those lights & the dining room cabinets. So pretty but simple. I already love it & your family shining through as the stars of your home.
Marilou (your moma) says
IT is just beautiful! Love the space, and love the area. It is true being Italian we are always around the table, my only memory of my grandma, your great-was snuggling next to her at the table, and it is a snuggle that I now share with my grand kids. It is a side hug/ snuggle in close to the table, but grandmas are is around ya type hug….sometimes it is a just rest your head on her arm hug.
I love the color and the white cabinets against that color is just beautiful, I also (as always) love the curtains, they can go in ANY room!
Courtney O'Dell says
Love this! The room looks so bright and cheery now – and those cabinets!!! They look like built ins- so gorgeous!
JoAnn Knight says
Looks nice…Happy Holidays! Would like to know where you found the chairs. Are they from IKEA?