Friday, August 16, 2013

Dining Room: Before, Progress, and Plan

Here is a little glimpse into our dining room.  This is similar to the den in that it just needs some decorating.  Enjoy!

A whole lotta what the heck is going on here was the initial reaction in seeing this room. But we knew that just simply stripping the room to its bare bones was going to be a great improvement and a perfect starting point.
I've been feeling crazy overwhelmed with the amount of work we need to do and figuring out where we need to prioritize.  Thankfully the blog comes to the rescue to remind me that we've come a long way when you compare the before picture to today.  
The floors and paint were huge, but saying goodbye to the giant mirror and chandelier were just as big.  We brought the chandelier from our old house, it was one of the first home purchases we made and I still loved it.  It's actually still available from pottery barn, but I just didn't want to part with my original.  Our chandelier appears smaller in this picture, but I also think the room only has the bare essentials.  The finishing touches will help balance everything.  The room won't be overly formal because we plan to eat dinner here every night.  I'm looking to create a space that can accommodate everyday and special occasion.

**The paint color is Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers**
The Plan

  • Purchase a rug and something inexpensive that can be switched out if the kids destroy.  
  • Curtains
  • Large Wall Art above buffet
  • Add mirror above wine rack
  • Phase 2
    • add two upholstered end chairs.  They'll be used when we have more guests but either flank the buffet or be placed in the corners on either side of the archway pictured above.
    • eventually get a new table.  This one is 10 years old and has definitely seen better days.



Have a great weekend!  We are hoping to check a few things off that to do list while enjoying the last bit of summer!

XOXO

Aubrey

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Vacation Besties

Our friends from Florida were in town last week and when their oldest Christopher heard we moved his immediate thought was that we had bought another house.  We had our beach house in the Outer Banks and now our new house.  Lucky us:)
We visited them in Florida just months after they moved and Lauren's first trip was to meet her future husband.  Their friendship's foundation is well planned vacations and I hope these trips continue for years to come. 

I was so happy their visit happened after we moved so they could visit the new house.  Beth and I spend so much time on the phone that she needed the visual of what was where.  My descriptive skills of south wall with large window facing living room built ins just weren't going to cut it.
(down to his diaper after dumping water all over himself)


  Not pictured was their newest addition Nicholas.  In my defense I did try to snap a shot at the end of the visit but his mother said he did not look cute:)  He was just seven weeks old and already as cute as his big brothers!
 
 We were so happy we got to spend the day with you!
Hoping to make it to Jacksonville some time next year...I should probably stop promising all our guests we'll visit them.  I have a house to decorate too:)





XOXOAubrey