I’ve been busy as a beaver working on my home and (yesterday and) today the focus was the dining room. A couple of months ago, I kind of goofed: I tried to touch up the paint in the dining room… Only I used the wrong paint, and didn’t realize it until it dried. And then I didn’t have the right paint to paint over it. “Oh, well,” I thought. “I’ll just repaint the whole thing with some other paint I already have.” You know, sometime over the next year.
Only now we’re moving this year, so instead of waiting until I got around to it, it became a priority. Along with about 50 other priorities. But I got it done! See the difference?
Dining Room Before…
Dining Room After…
What? You say you can’t tell a difference? Come on. Clearly, the walls over the chair rail in the first photo are simply brown. And in the second photo they’re Sherwin Williams’ semi-gloss Safari. Don’t tell me you can’t see that.
Just to prove that I really did do something, here’s a photo of what the room looked like in between taking the two photos above.
Oh, wait. That’s Olivia, twirling in her new outfit she’s been jonesing to wear, only it’s been cold here in Ohio! But she couldn’t wait any longer so we found a long shirt and some thick tights that she already tore a hole in to wear that made an otherwise very summery outfit appropriate for a Spring that just saw a frost two mornings ago.
And yes, I bought the outfit at the thrift store. For $5, which is a splurge for me, but I knew how much she’d love and it is oh, so cute, yes?
*sigh*
I’m going to miss that thrift store after we move.
Anyway.
So you can glimpse the dining room just beyond her twirling. Here’s a better view.
Notice the china cabinet pulled away from the wall, and the narrow bookcase you can just glimpse at the far right. No easy feat to move those two pieces of furniture, I tell you what. They’re the reason the dining room table is covered with books.
And the table we actually use to dine (hello, no white carpet) is loaded with the contents of the china cabinet.
Tip: To gird yourself for the labor-intensive process of moving everything away from the walls in preparation for painting a room, just think of it as a home improvement and a workout all-in-one: concentrate on proper posture; bending at your knees; and taking deep breaths. I’m not at all kidding.
So look again. Big difference, yes? Everyone say, “Yes, Jolyn.”
Oh, wait. There’s Olivia again. Proof of how much I got done today. See, she’s wearing the same outfit? And it is really, really cute, yes? At least, she sure seems to think so…
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks great! I, also, am impressed that you moved the big furniture by yourself.
And Olivia, as always, looks abfab (I’m adding that “word” to my vocabulary).
Miss you all.
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Ha ha ha, she likes the camera I can see!
I noticed the difference so don’t worry… I am sure in person it makes a big difference too.
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You’re amazing! Hi Olivia!
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I love the new color! I read a lot of real estate books and watch the home staging shows on TV and my recommendation when it gets closer to listing your house would be to remove all those personal family photos on that wall. It just distracts buyers from looking at the room and space and envisioning their own stuff in there. I’m impressed you moved that china cabinet yourself!
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jolyn Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Jen, I totally get your recommendation, but actually these photos are mostly of old relatives when they were young or old-old relatives who are no longer. Ancestors, really. It’s got this antique vibe to it. The realtor recommended not taking down any more personal items, including this wall, although it’s almost not even personal… If you get what I mean!
Anyway, for now it’s staying, though I get what you’re saying! I took down about 90% of the personal pictures and frames I had elsewhere in the house…
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Absolutely Fabulous!
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jolyn Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Of course! I’m a n00b.
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Yes, Jolyn.
I liked them both, but I am clearly not a professional. And Olivia looks Abfab.
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jolyn Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Cathie, I didn’t dislike the first one at all myself, either: I just didn’t have any of it to touch-up with as that was one room I had left as the previous owners had painted it… And I thought I had a gallon of it that they had left behind, but I didn’t.
“Abfab”?
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Jean Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
I think “abfab” translates to “absolutely fabulous”.
Which thrift store do you frequent? Is it the one on Woodman?
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jolyn Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
I go to the one on base, and also the Goodwill on 725 is my favorite!
I could see the difference right away! Good job! And, yes, Olivia looks adorable, as always:)
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