Oh Y'all.
I've been dying to go LIVE with these epic before and after photos! And this is just PART 1: Formal Dining, of M's multi-room make over photo tour! Feast your EYES! But first. The story of M.
My beloved friend and nurse (We'll call her M), contacted me about 6 weeks ago and asked for a consultation. She wanted her home to be cozy and family friendly and perfect. She had family heirlooms, antiques, and lots of beloved trinkets in her home. The problem? Everything desired unity and cohesion. M struggled to find that blend and so she hired me.
As soon as I did the initial walk-thru, I was blown away. M and her family have a gorgeous home. Nestled amongst southern stately mansions, her home is cozy and seeps charm. It's July and her quiet private street is practically plucked from a Nicolas Spark's novel. A small boy roller skates while his tiny dog runs behind him. Gorgeous limelight hydrangeas drowsily spill into the street in the humidity of the afternoon. Perfect green tidy lawns stand at attention by crisp white walks. Ancient magnolia trees provide huge shadows of calming shade. A white cat sleeps on M's brick walk. The chatter of Brown Thrashers is music in the trees. I think that M's house couldn't be more perfect. It's so pretty I want to cry.
Once inside, I'm still quite speechless. A sea of perfectly worn hardwoods beckons me inside. Stately rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and plantation blinds seem to blush as I walk in. A cozy kitchen looks on to the most beautiful southern 'keeping room' I've ever seen. I know in my heart, that without a doubt, this house is going to only become more breathtaking, as I piece together her wardrobe.
We start with the formal dining room. The dilemma. M has multiple family heirlooms, passed down from generations, that need to come together as one symphony. Some tired antique chairs with horse-hair cushions are discovered in the basement and need to be refinished and brought upstairs. Her scratched and worn table is quite ornate, only it needs restored. A vintage glass-front cupboard seems to droop in the corner. Massive curtains confiscate the floor-to-ceiling windows. A brass chandelier begs for retirement.
The final dilemma is that M's budget is very, very tight. She has a wonderful husband and two small boys. Their lives are busy and family is very important. Not much money can be thrown into the home. She wants beauty and function and memories. And all of these things need to be within the scope of the family budget.
M asks me to include in the finished design:
the formal dining room
the formal living room (photo tour reveal on Wednesday September 9th)
the breakfast/keeping room (photo tour reveal on Friday September 11th)
Here are her BEFORE pictures of the formal dining room:
BEFORE
BEFORE
Well, there will be many more blogs on details featured in this room. But for now, how about a tour of M's Formal dining room?
AFTER:
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
Isn't it fabulous?
Accomplished in this re-design:
Painting the room
Refinishing/Restoring the vintage table and 4 leaves
Refinishing and recovering 6 antique chairs
Replacing the chandelier
Repurposing the Corner cupboard
Repurposing an antique dining hutch
Fashioning a centerpiece
Re-designing the contents of the Corner Cupboard
Re-designing the elements on top of the family dining hutch
Incorporating wall art and a mirror
Setting the table with the family's antique china
We stayed within the planned budget
Stay tuned! Wednesday we reveal M's BEFORE AND AFTER photo tour of the Living room! And it's just as breathtaking! Friday we reveal M's BEFORE AND AFTER photo tour of the Breakfast/Keeping room!
Love Y'all!
Ashley