1977 Small Dinning Room Update on a Budget

This is NOT a sponsored post.

We bought this old house in 2012 and now 4 years has past but it sure doesn't feel like it. We still have so much left to do but at the same time we have done so much. All while trying to balance family, work & fitness. It's hard. All the mama's say, "Amen.". You know what I'm talking about. 

 There are times when I have to take a long break from DIY, or fitness just to play catch up in other areas.Or have time just to focus on my family and friends and to remember that, in the end, it feels amazing to have an updated house that actually feels clean after you clean it... but also that, in the end all that matters are your relationships. 

I once heard a preacher say, "I have never ever been to visit someone on their death bed who asked to be surrounded by their certificates, diplomas and evidence of accomplishments. No, it's always their loved ones they want to be surrounded with when they go.". I was 20 something when I heard that message and it really stuck with me. 

With that said, I have a way of seeing eight sides to everything. I love having my loved ones in my home. I want it to be a space they come to and feel peace & relaxation. I want that for myself too. I want a space that promotes good vibes for my own sanity as well. A place I can relax and enjoy the ones I love.

Then again... a clean, beautiful home doesn't always bring sanity. But wine does. So if you'd rather just skip the DIY stuff, then pick up a 6 pack (because beer is my favorite & wine is gross), and not only will you go to sleep easier, but the sound children make will no longer cause massive amounts of hair loss. You'll only have to worry about that liver damage, beer gut & psoriasis, but hey... that's a lot less stressful. Let's be honest. 

"This house runs on love, laughter and lots of beer."

All joking aside, I love my kids. They are everything to me.

Moving on.

SO.... where were we? Oh yes! Saying goodbye to short & sweet today because today I am a different person than I was yesterday. 

Dinning Room, Right!

Before:

(Images via HAR.com)

After:

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The first thing I did was paint the walls. I had Lowe's match the kitchen paint (Sherwin Williams Summer White) in a Valspar satin. I have always preferred satin over eggshell. Eggshell comes out too shiny for me. It also does not patch well. If you get a nick in your paint, satin is much more forgiving when it comes to cover up.

I would have preferred a round table in here, but since this blog is about using what you have this is what we got.

My husband are really into cycling. I found this vintage bike shop image and had it printed through Staples. If you don't already, their engineer prints are super cheap and you can place your order online!

Framing trail maps we've ridden was a thought I loved. So I did :)

As part of the kitchen remodel we did cut a hole in the stair wall to open up the kitchen/dinning room.

More on that in another post.

I would have preferred to stretch the seating from wall to wall and lengthen the table, I would have liked to make the table more narrow as well. And maybe one day I will. 

There are so many things I would have loved to do in this room, but this blog is about using what you have and spending the least amount to achieve a pretty and functional transformation. Let's face it, the less time you spend on updating, and the more time you spend on using what you have rather than shopping for the perfect piece, or buying materials to build the perfect piece, the more time & money for other important things. Insert alcohol humor here.

For us, it's making time and saving money for this:
Instagram- Busy Mom Bikes

This is a small space that was originally a breakfast nook. Since the formal dinning room has been turned into an office, the breakfast nook is now the dinning room. Painting it the same color as the kitchen unifies the spaces and makes it feel more like an eat in kitchen than a separate room. That was something I  needed since the room is so small and since tearing down walls was out of the budget. I prefer satin paint over eggshell and used Sherwin Williams summer white on the walls.

The room didn't have any window framing. By adding trim around the windows it really helped open the space up more and give it a much more polished feel. I used 1x2 1/2's for the sides and topped it with a 1x3 1/2. 

I bought the roller shades at Lowe's for $11 each and cut them down to size using scissors for the vinyl parts and a hand saw for the plastic. I just laid them out on the table, measured my window and cut them to fit. 

The table was a $30 Craigslist buy that we transformed with planking and paint (things we already had on hand). One chair was an $8 resale find. The other two chairs were free. They came with an old table we were given that was too big for our space at the time. We gave the table away and kept the chairs. I love their distressed look. 

The old church pew that is being used for a bench was also free. It was a very weathered piece sitting on the front porch when we moved in. We didn't do a thing to it. It actually has 1944 carved into the seat. Pretty darn cool. Its pretty warped and rocks a little bit when you sit on it, but it's functional. I really love it. 

Warped but functional. We have a lot in common, me and my bench. ;)

 I love the distressed look. I know it's not for everyone, but with three kids I figured I better love it, or at least get used to it. Chipped furniture is just one less thing to worry about around here. And that's nice. 

 The flooring was DIY installed and being the most expensive part, cost us roughly $200. It's resilient vinyl plank flooring from Lowe's, and I love it. It's waterproof and it's easy to clean. The only thing I don't like about it is that is scratches pretty easily. I use a crayon or wood floor wax kit on it and no one seems to notice but me. But a wood (look) floor was something I REALLY wanted more than anything else. In life, you  have to decide what your willing to give up to have something. I gave up a lot of things in this room because having that floor was more important to me. 

These are all first time DIY's for us. Since we bought this old house we've been busy learning, making mistakes, getting frustrated, and realizing that everything gets easier with alcohol... DIYing, parenting, marriage. All those things get easier with alcohol.  Don't drink and drive though. That's dangerous. Hand me my nail gun. 

That chandelier was a $5 garage sale find, already painted. Score! 

Maybe in the future I will redo this room, but for now I'm much happier with it than I was. You know what they say, "If you have the time, you don't have the money & if you have the money, you don't have the time.". 

Ain't THAT the truth! 

Thanks for visiting, my friends. Next post I will have the crazy kitchen transformation. 

Until next time...