I think I’m going to paint the dining room.
I know. I know. Such an assertive, decisive statement.
I find it difficult to plan very far ahead these days, and I’m hesitant to start a project that I won’t be able to finish in a reasonable time. But Matt thinks painting the dining room is achievable, and I really want to believe him.
The dining room is our last “easy” makeover in this house. Easy meaning mainly cosmetic. Honestly, it’s mostly a coat of paint. However, I’ve been holding off on this room because I want it to be more than a coat of paint.
You saw in my post a few weeks ago that I have plans to do something to the ceiling in this room, whether scraping off the stipple or covering it up. The responsible, logical DIYer in me wants to do the ceiling first, then the walls. That way, dust or plaster or what-have-you doesn’t fall on my freshly painted walls.
However, I have no idea what I’m going to do to the ceiling or when I might do it. And waiting no longer makes sense to me. We’ve lived here nearly 7 years. I could have painted the walls when we first moved in, and I’d have no hard feelings about repainting them now.
So I’m going to avert my eyes from the ceiling and work on the rest of the room.
Here’s my to-do list:
- Sand and patch walls (like all of the walls in this house, the texture is like sandpaper)
- Prime walls
- Remove corbels from the archway (too small, not my style)
- Paint trim (I like to paint trim before the walls)
- Paint walls
After that, we’ll see what else happens.
I have some things to hang on the walls. I’d like to finally figure out how to style Matt’s grandmother’s piano. I have plans to paint the entertainment unit/china cabinet (and build doors or have them built for me). I’m pondering curtains. Some day I’d like to refinish the table and chairs.
Maybe by then I’ll have the ceiling figured out.
Home on 129 Acres 
That’s a lovely room. I think paint will make a big difference. You can do it!!
We have lots of rooms to paint in our new place. We did the living and dining rooms before we moved in, but the room that’s going to be the teaching studio is a spearmint green so vibrant that there’s no way I can be in it for several hours a day, and the kitchen is a really deep yellow. Too deep, too yellow! The bathroom has wallpaper in squares which is detaching from the walls (seriously – who wallpapers in squares?!). And it all has various types of wallpaper and borders. Borders for days…SIGH. So our question is what order to do the rooms. I think we’ve made the decision to do the studio first, but that means renting the steamer for the border. And do I put things away in the rooms waiting to be painted? There’s still lots of stuff not put away after our move. All of these things fill my brain to the point of not even starting! So I totally get your quandary. Lately though, I’ve been trying to remember not to let the perfect (image in my mind) be the enemy of the good. All things will happen, in their season!
I never have any luck painting a room yellow! I’ve tried multiple times. But every single time when I finish I decide the room is just too intense! If I try again, I am going to buy plenty of sample pots! 😁
I actually like this yellow better than a pale one, but it’s still too much. There is also very busy wallpaper in there that has a navy background, green leaves and yellow sunflowers! We’re actually keeping that, but just going to go with white, I think. Sample pots are a great idea, they make a big difference.
Oh that’s a list! Your explanation is exactly what goes through so many people’s heads when thinking about projects. It is so hard to know where to start.
Do you need a steamer? I’ve had so much success stripping wallpaper with just hot water in a spray bottle or on a sponge. Can you try a section and see if that works before renting the steamer?
Good luck!
Looking good, Baxter! What color are you going to paint the walls?
Bax says, “I know.” 😉
No matter how much we make over this room, the dog bed will still be there in the sunbeam!
I think we’re going to go with the same light greige that’s in the living room. While the rooms are separate, they’re also together, and I think the consistency will be good.
We currently have no projects going because it seems like everything we want to do is out of our budget at this time. 😒 I’m sure if I really look I can find some little or no budget projects but the big projects are the ones that are the most fun to do!
I can’t wait to see what you do with your dining room!
The big projects are top on my wishlist too, I find. I think about what a difference a garage or a new kitchen or a fresh bathroom would make and want that so much more than I want an updated dining room! However, it will be yet another untouched room crossed off the list, so that’s something.