Hi Friends!

I’m so excited that the One Room Challenge (ORC) has been opened up!

It’s like Festivus for the Rest of Us!  

Interested in linking up?  Just visit Calling It Home and follow the instructions.  We get 6 weeks to transform a space, any space and anyone’s space – doesn’t have to be yours.  Although given the tight 6 week timeframe, it’s probably easier to live in it.

After much (MUCH!) deliberating, I’ve decided to work over the dining room.  Gotta tell you, that was difficult to put out there – there is a holy grail lot of work to be done and I’m more than a little nervous that I can bust it out.

Use the Pressure, Be the Pressure – My new mantra, by the way.

So, here’s the room when we moved in 7 years ago and sadly not too much has changed.

Poor little dumping ground for old, improperly sized furniture.  That table came with me from two houses ago, the “bachelorette pad,” the screen and cabinet, though beautiful, just don’t go and the rug, too traditional for my taste.

I knew I wanted red, red, red!  So I had grasscloth installed on the bottom with a chair rail on the top.  Then, I tried my best to match the red wallpaper with a flat paint on the top.  Such a no-no.  The rail cuts off the room and the flat paint is so blah.  It needs to go high gloss, BABY!

Here’s where I’m going…

And some Inspiration Photos, of course…

Yes, I realize they’re not all pictures of dining rooms, but that’s cool, man.  Inspiration can come from anywhere.  You’re creating something new, so there’s not going to be one picture that tells the whole story.  Si?

Now for the mighty to-do list.  Me fave!

1.  Gloss up the Red

2.  Install The Mother (click to catch up) on the funky blank wall with the zillion vents

3.  Paint The Mother the perfect color -tbd

4.  Switch out the dining table with Grandma’s heirloom piece and mix up the seating.  A settee would be amaze balls.

5.  Chandelier.  Hello?!?!!

6.  Brass Sconces for The Mother

7.  Window treatment; pagoda inspired, perhaps.

8.  New rug or maybe no rug or maybe multiple rugs… hmmmm

9.  And last, but not least, organize The Mother with all my fun Chinese porcelain, get some new plants, table cloth, art… you know finishing touches =)

Can I do it???  I will remain doggedly positive until Week 5!!  Stay tuned!

And as always, Happy Creating!