Dining Room Drama Deux

First of all, I want to say THANKS to everyone for your great comments and advice regarding my crazy dining room. Imagine me pasting a big, sticky gold star on your foreheads. I got tons of great ideas, and I'm already mentally rearranging the room 20x over. Now, if I only had a billion dollar budget to match... Since I don't, I'll be carefully watching Craigslist and Ebay, and crossing my fingers that the upcoming Round Top antiques fair will exceed my wildest treasure hunting expectations. In the meantime, I thought I'd throw out a few ideas I cooked up based on your comments. You can always refer back to my dining room pics here to check my mental handiwork. So, I've already pulled all the crap off the window wall, and I'm considering hanging these West Elm curtains wide on either side of the window to add some depth to that space.

I'm thinking I would still keep the gold roman shade... crazy?

In my fantasy (but still vaguely achievable) dining room, this vintage chandelier would take center stage:

It will probably end up being too expensive, but I'm hoping I can snag it, anyway.

And then there's the table issue. For now, I'm planning to keep the white chairs and use a different pair of Danishy chairs to flank the window (have I mentioned I'm a huge chair whore?). They are similar to the ones I currently have in the dining room, but better suited for the space if the table is removed. As for the table itself, I have a zillion pics bookmarked as inspiration. Mind if I share?

So, I'm kind of crushing on trestle tables right now; I feel like something with minimal legs would work well with the white chairs, and I also like how the table ends are uncluttered by chairs. And something rustic-ish (but not too yee haw) would disguise spaghetti stains. Via Met Home.

A more refined version via Domino. Boy those chairs look familiar...

I like a good plinth table, too. This one is kind of reminiscent of Art Deco pieces, but all moderned up. Via Living Etc.

A similar table paired with a very schizophrenic chair collection. Via Living Etc.

This floating, nearly legless table is the bees knees. I love the length, the lack of chairs at the ends, and the airiness. But what the hell is up with that picture collection and the creepy sprinkler system? Via Met Home.

Or maybe I should go oval, but with a simpler pedestal fitting? I like round tables, but they won't fit my space. Love the blonde wood with the dark paint. Via Living Etc.

Same table, different finish. I really need to be able to fit six chairs at my table, though since I like to have my buds come over and entertain me. Karly's getting good at shutting the baby up. Via Living Etc.

I really just want this table. And those chairs. And look -- bish has ANOTHER dining table in the back room! Surely she can spare a set. Via Domino.

And then there's this beauty. Do you think crumbs would get wedged in the cracks? Not sure that I care. She is magnificent, and I'm sharpening my ax already. I've got plenty of trees. Via Living Etc.

So that's all I've got for now, but tune in after Karly and I hit Round Top in a couple of weeks to see if we made out like bandits. Who knows? I may redecorate my entire house. Or I may be under house arrest after leaving baby Ike with the Hunny for a whole day.

Ask Sanders: Jason's Brick Ranch

In remodeling my home I've come to realize that you make good friends with the people who help you then, once your project is over, you don't get to see your redecorating buddies too much anymore.  This is why we invented the ask Sander's column:  even though most of my house is painted, I still have an excuse to stop on by Benjamin Moore (Hill Country Paint to you South Austinites) any time I want (insert maniacal laugh here).  So, when Jason wrote us with an email lovingly titled "dumb dude needs help" I was more than happy to pay a visit to the King of Paint.

Jason recently purchased this ranch and is experiencing something my husband would never dare to dream of:  his wife has handed him decorating carte blanche.  From what I've heard about his plans for the inside, hello Cole & Son wallpaper, he's doing a bang-up job.  The outside, as you can see, needed serious consultation.  Jason asked Sanders to present him with 2 options:  1. Trim, accent, and door paint leaving the brick as-is, and 2. A palette for painting the whole kitten-kaboodle, brick and all.  We'll start with the former.

Sander's first suggestion is to use Benjamin Moore Brandy Cream on for the trim, Dellwood Sand for the accent (the piece of wood that runs below the roof) and a pop of Tarrytown Green for the front door.  I like that this selection updates the home while simultaneously blending with the preexisting brick.  One of the major problems with the house right now is that the trim is just way too dark brown.  Lightening it up and letting the front door provide the contrast will clean up the look lickety-split.  

Next.

Another option for Jason that doesn't involve the laborious task of painting the brick: a nice light trim in Cloud White, an accent in Sag Harbor Gray and a Cromwell Gray Door.  I like that sanders kept the door fairly neutral with this combo, letting the cloud white do the talking.  The white would really pop against the brick, but in a really fantastic way, unlike what the brown is doing now.

If Jason decides to paint the brick, which I 10000% support, here is an option for him:  Body paint in Louisburg Green, trim & accent in Hazy Skies and a door in Duxbury Gray.  Who can go wrong with Gray and Green with a nice, light accent?  I think this palette will modernize the home without conflicting with the ranch style.

I have to admit that I'm a pretty big fan of this option:  Body in Tucson Winds, trim and accent in Ashen Tan and Door in good ole Gray.  I love a light house, I think it would really pop in that gigantic yard.  Like the last option, it's a nice update without trying too hard.

Finally, we have my favorite option.  Ok, I'm a sucker for gray, with the Granite painted brick you could probably make the trim neon green and hot pink and I'd still love it, but I like what Sanders has chosen even more:  Steam trim and accent with Mysterious for the door.  I think this palette is the most sophisticated and I am BEGGING Jason to please please paint his house this color and send us some pictures.

I tried to find homes online painted similarly but wasn't able to find the right combination, so instead I did a crappy photoshop mock-up of Jason's house.  Hopefully my elementary rendering won't scare him out of the project:

Jason, bear in mind that there will be much more depth in reality, it won't look like a gray play-doh fortress if given the treatment in real life.  Squint your eyes and look at it (god, I've never had to say that about a design project) see, isn't it grand?

Best of luck, dumb dude!  Be sure to send us pictures when you're done.

For anyone in Austin who is looking for a walking-talking color encyclopedia be sure to visit Sanders at Hill Country Paint: 5501 South Congress / 78745

Erin's Dining Room Drama

In case you haven't already figured it out, I am a serial re-doer. No matter how good a job I do the first time around, I am always convinced that -- given one more shot -- I could do better. Problem is, one more shot turns into twenty really, really fast. I've repainted the guest bathroom three times, endlessly rearranged the living room, second fifth guessed myself while renovating the kitchen, and now I'm itching to redo my already redone dining room. Good thing paint is relatively cheap and I am the wizard of Craigslist, otherwise the Hunny would have divorced me long ago. Still, I'm a busy lady with a new baby and can't afford the time or expense of redecorating 500 hundred times. And so, friends, I am calling on you to help me make this one count. Problem: The table/chair combo is making me lose my appetite. And the chandelier ain't helping, either. I am like the furniture collecting equivalent of the quintessential crazy old cat lady. Mid century mod just keeps multiplying at my house... And while the hodegpodge kind of worked in our old dining room because it looks like a crazy old cat lady lived there:

I am not loving it with the new, more understated paint job that went in when we redid the kitchen:

So, I like the things on the black wall. The Karl Springer style console, benches and antique painting are a-ok by me. I'd like to add some sconces, but that's not a big deal right now. However, I think the table sticks out like a sore thumb. Or is the problem the chairs? I only have four of the Burke chairs, and I have six of the Danish chairs, but most are broken or need to be restrung. And does that chandelier make my ass look big, or is it just me? Help?!

If I move the table to the back office, I could replace it with something different. Something... longer? More oval? Glass or not glass? I actually own this table with an oval glass top, but it's kind of on the small side:

And this awesome set is currently available on Craigslist, but I'm afraid the proportions are wrong for my room:

Great pic, I know! I love the set, but my room is small and narrow, making me think I need a long, dark table and small chairs flanking the sides. Am I crazy to pass this up?

Oh, and please tell me that burlwood table wasn't the perfect thing for my room, since I found it and passed it on to a friend...

And here is where I paste in some random dining room eye candy to inspire you to leave witty comments and savvy advice for your old pal, Erin:

via the now defunct Domino. Love love love the chairs!

via Met Home. I like the idea of a long table with chairs on the sides, only. I also like the look of a legless table. Plinths please me.

via Living Etc. Hey all your breeders out there: is glass kid friendly?

Can't remember where this came from... one of the above sources. Mostly I just like the groovy mood in this one.

Ok, dear readers. Today I live for your comments. Thursday I shall follow up with more dining room pornspiration. Don't worry. It will be prettier than it sounds.