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15 May 2013

DINING ROOM BEFORE & AFTER


I'm finally getting around to writing this post.  I know I had promised this some time ago and you can see from the Easter decorations in the picture above that I already took the photos before Easter.  Yikes!  Time is just flying by and I seem to always be playing catch-up!  I guess that's life with two little ones. :)  
You've already seen this room in a couple of posts (invisible speakers & floating sideboard), but I haven't shared the before and afters which, I think, are always fun to see.  I am also going to try and include a list of all the sources for the room since I seem to get a lot of comments/questions about where I got certain pieces.  So without further ado, here is what the dining room looked like when we first viewed the house (the furniture/things in the room belonged to the tenants).

So much better and fun to see!  No?  But wait, I have one more photo to show you.  It lets you see the only renovation we did to this space.  The previous layout had just a small single door opening to the dining room.  We decided to open it up.  I chose to leave some of the wall in place vs. taking out the whole wall because I wanted it to mimic the opening between the living room and dining room to create cohesion and a sense that the opening had always been there.  The remaining small amount of wall perfectly covers the kitchen cupboards and the bulkhead is the same size as the one between the dining room and living room.  Here is the view of our dining room from the kitchen before and after.  Sorry that the angles aren't quite the same (I had no idea that I would be blogging back then).  For the before photo, you can imagine a set of those stripy wood cupboards on the other side of the single door opening.
Opening up that wall was a relatively small reno, but it made a huge difference.  Don't mind the fridge that isn't properly built-in and opens the wrong way in our kitchen.  It's the one that came with our house and we're waiting to upgrade it to a larger, counter depth one.  I still haven't decided which one I want after nearly 2 years!  I'm probably the queen of indecision.  Do you want to know a secret?  I really liked the vintage feel of the original 1960s cupboards when we first bought the house, but they were really beat-up and  so built-in that there was no way to reuse them.

Now that you've seen the before and afters, here are some more of the details with all the sources:
Light Fixture:  George Nelson Bubble Lamp
Curtains:  Sewn by me out of Marimekko Lumimarja fabric in Sateen weight
Murano glass vases:  On loan from my sister (originally belonged to my grandmother's cousin)

2 year-old:  Little Pilot from Nalle's House :)

Table:  Eero Saarinen Tulip Table by Knoll - with light oak top - via Kijiji- originally purchased from Hollace Cluny
Fabric Chairs:  Eero Saarinen Executive Chairs by Knoll - via Kijiji - originally purchased from Hollace Cluny.  Fabric is dristi sky (a light blue grey)
White Chairs:  Knockoff Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs purchased at Chair Source

Sideboard:  DIY project from Ikea kitchen cabinets you can see all the details here
Painting:  "Wings Over Manhatten" available here
Invisible Speakers: (in the wall above the sideboard):  Nakymatone Echt

So that's it for my dining room.  Thanks for taking the before and after tour.  Maybe I will work on getting a tour of our kitchen redo next.  

37 comments:

  1. Really love the before and after pictures and WOW what a difference. I really do love how you embrace the Finnish design but not in an over the top way. It's subtle and stylish. You have an eye for these kinds of things.

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    1. Thanks Ina. I really love before and after pictures. It's a great reminder of how far a space has come.

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  2. Wow--opening up that wall makes a huge difference! I kinda like those old cabinets, too--too bad they weren't in better shape!

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    1. I kept telling Tech Guy to try and save the cabinets so I could use them elsewhere, but they had been built into the space on-site and weren't salvageable. :( Now I sort of wish I had at least kept some of the doors.

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  3. So so beautiful. I love all the clean lines and the light and airy style. Such a huge transformation! Love it all!!

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    1. Thanks so much Katja! The dining room is one of my favourite spaces in our home and one of the most used. :)

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  4. Stunning! I love how fresh and inviting it looks. I cant wait to have a dining area that is large enough for a credenza. Looks so good. Iv just ripped out my kitchen and we're about to cut out a window and put in french doors leading off the dining area. I hope my space ends up as amazing as yours does :) Off to peek around the rest of your home now!

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  5. I love your house so much! Your dining room makes me smile! Such a good improvement. I love your kitchen too!

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  6. Gorgeous! We did the same thing to open up our dining are with the kitchen, and it has made SUCH a difference to the way we live! I'd recommend it to anyone. However, that's where the similarity ends, our house always looks like chaos, and though I covet your stunning tulip table and beautiful lightshades, I don't think they would make my house look any tidier!!!

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    1. My house is total chaos most of the time too. I have a little 2 year-old tornado that runs through several times everyday. :)

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  7. It's such a difference! It looks fantastic. I am in love with your table and chairs. I actually showed my husband a picture of your dining room a while back and told him that I wanted THAT table. I hope one day to be in a house where a round table will work.

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  8. Gorgeous! I have a seriously unhealthy obsession with your chairs. Your Before and After reminds me of my own experience. The previous owners had a very taupe, dark traditional decor everywhere (except the upstairs which was mint green and not the good mint green that you've been pinning) and we did the same thing. Went to town with white paint and clean minimal decor. Now if only I could get your kitchen...

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    1. Thanks Alex. I think I was the most excited about painting our entire house white when we renovated our house. I always tell the hubs that "white is right" :)

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  9. Such a clean and beautiful style.
    Love your little pilot decoration.
    Deb@LakeGirlPaints

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  10. I'm pretty much in love with everything in this room!

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  11. Anu, everytime I see your beautiful transformed space it makes me want to throw out most of my stuff and change my style... it looks so crisp and clean and light and airy!! Gorgeous:) My little guy lies under my furniture to 'fix' it just like that, so cute!!
    Krista

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    1. Isn't fun to watch a child's imagination and play skills develop? They are just too cute!

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  12. Your spaces always amaze me! This is the first time I've seen the before/after picture and wow, it is even more stunning! I love your style and I love how you have transformed this space. Beautiful job! Sharing on Facebook :)

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  13. Drop. Dead. Shut the Door! Gorgeous Job! WOW! Ok and your lil stud...adorable - I mean- Handsome! I love your new place- so fresh!

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  14. Your home is beautiful! I love the transformation from before to after. :)

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  15. Anu...I love everything about this space...what an amazing transformation...and love your little helper too...thank you so much for sharing...xo

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  16. What a gorgeous transformation! It feels so light and airy! And I love that you decided to open it up from the kitchen! I popped over from Tatertots and Jello--thanks for sharing!

    ~Abby =)

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  17. Your room is stunning -- and your photography has just blown me away! Seriously. Magazine quality!

    :) Linda

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  18. Awesome makeover! So clean and modern! Love it! Would love it if you would link this up to Give Me The Goods Monday: 1 Party, 4 Blogs! http://www.rainonatinroof.com/2013/05/give-me-goods-monday-link-party-9.html
    Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

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  19. I love it! Your modern style is right up my alley. Pinning it and following your blog!

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  20. What a difference. I love the light and wall cabinets!

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  21. Wow, what a beautiful difference. This is such a great makeover.

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  22. Great job! You should look up your refrigerator manual online. A lot of times on appliances, there is a way to change which way the door opens. I adjusted mine fridge once ;)

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    1. Thanks for the tip! I think we tried looking at it before, but checking the manual online is a great idea just in case we missed something.

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  23. WOW!! Amazing job! I can't get over the difference!!! It looks incredible. Congrats!

    -andi

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  24. SO INSPIRING!!! I love the simplicity of it... I have an issue with "overdoing" things ;)

    Katie

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  25. Beautiful!! I love your style!

    Pinned!

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    1. Thanks so much for pinning. :)

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  26. Gorgeous! I love your aesthetic, and have been admiring (and pinning) so many things about your dining room for months. I must say, it makes me feel slightly, slightly better when you say you are the queen of indecision. I've been living in our current home almost two years (two years come August) and there are plenty of things that I know I want to change, but I haven't figured what to do, so I haven't made much progress. *sigh* (Wanna come over?! :) And I'd love to see tour of your kitchen redo!

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    1. Thanks so much for pinning my space! I do tend to take my time making decisions and it drives the husband nuts. :) I have been thinking about doing a post for the kitchen. I have a few projects in there that I still haven't finished, but may be a progress type post may be a good idea? Thanks so much for your comment.

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