Another Room Off the To-Do list!

I've been working on the dining room ... decided to go with an unexpected wall color!

Believe it or not, this Behr Ultra color from Home Depot is called Ocean View (also a beach neighborhood here, in Norfolk!). Below the chair rail is another Behr Ultra paint in Ultra Pure White. I would not have tried a color this bold except that the amount is reduced: only above the chair rail, three door openings, a set of triple windows and a large china cabinet and lots of white. So, the blue, while bold, is in pretty small amounts.

 

And, it is a compliment to the light blue-gray that is our main wall color in the living room, foyer, stairs and hall. Other than paint, the only things I have added to the dining room are four new blue and white salad plates for the china cabinet, the place mats and the two blue hydrangeas in the tall vase.

 

 

By-the-way, this is a great tip for staging and for young adults building a household. Buy a big set of all white dishes - you can find some great deals at the discount stores for about $1 per piece! Then, invest in colored and printed and themed salad plates only. Mix those salad plates with the all white inexpensive set. They'll look great and you'll save tons!

 

Only one big ticket item in here ... the chandelier (top picture). It might possibly be my favorite purchase so far. I love that it is traditional in color (brass) and  concept but contemporary with the square arms and the drum shade.

 

 

Also the blue walls in the dining room reflect the blue in the painting over the fireplace.

 

 

This is where we were just four months ago. The sage green colors were pretty originally but ...

 

here's to lightening and brightening!

 



Porches ... ahhhh!

There is just something about front porches. They induce feelings of nostalgia, relaxation, friendly neighbors and idyllic neighborhoods, family, happy times and they are so Southern.

 

This little girl is certainly happy! That's me in about 1963, three years old. The photo was taken on the front porch of the house my family lived in on Colonial Avenue, here in Ghent. This was the last time I had a real front porch.

 

Maybe I have wanted to do those memories justice?
Well, I think I am finally finished tinkering with our new/old front porch.

We have added a few new things. Some new flowers (McDonald's Garden Market, Poquoson):

Two more rocking chairs so we can sit with friends!

 

And a couple pics for you of the back of the house ... before ...

 

On the right side, top you can see that plywood was covering the glass blocks on the inside.

That was in the old laundry room now the master closet.

 

After:



It was our contractor who insisted on making the windows symmetrical, and I'm glad we did!

 

And, did someone mention porches? I love that there is a lot of space between the first floor windows and the second floor windows. It would be totally easy to add a covered porch one day?

 

I said, one day!

Den Do #2

I got some great suggestions from you guys after posting Den Do-Over, and I have taken your advice and made some changes to our den. (Still need to swag over the new hanging light fixture.)

 I removed the caramel colored chair.

 

Before picture

 

Added a couple new pillows with fuchsia in them to tie in the portrait with the fuchsia background.

(Your idea and I found them both on Etsy.)

 

 

Finally got our new kitchen table (from Pottery Barn - it has two small leaves so we can seat four when needed.

 

 

I have been told that this room looks a lot smaller in these pictures so I made an attempt to show it better:

 

 

You're getting a peak at the color we're trying out in the dining room!

 

 

We've come a long way from this!

 

 

Thanks for all the input! You're the best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Porch For the Fourth

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

 

We're spreading a little patriotism in our new neighborhood!

 Still to add - an American flag and our red rag rug (that has gone missing).

 

Added the planters recently which proved to be difficult. We get total shade in the morning and intense sun in the late afternoon. In addition the left side of the steps gets more sun than the right side. Our neighborhood nursery Clark's Nursery, helped us out. Here's what we planted, we'll see how they do?

• Dwarf Elephant Ear -Little Black Magic (sun to partial shade)
• Dwarf Hosta (shade to partial shade)
• Double Impatien - Rockapulco Appleblossom (shade to partial shade)
• Begonia - Senator Series, Pink (shade to partial sun)

Enjoy the holiday!