Castle on Lydell: Dining Room Transformation
Welcome back to the Castle on Lydell. It’s been awhile, but like I mentioned in my last post, designing the perfect space takes time. Today I’d like to welcome you to my dining room. Let’s call it the belly of the home: it’s where we eat our meals, and belly laugh with friends over glasses of wine. It nourishes us and makes us feel full. And let me tell you, my heart feels SO full after seeing my vision for this room come to life. I had a clear vision for this room the second I saw it. In fact, my plans for this space heavily influenced my design decisions for other rooms. But, more on that later.
Our dining room has so many gorgeous features from the French doors, arched doorway, and original built-ins. I wanted to highlight all those features as well as make it very fresh. During the warmer months you can really feel the outside coming in through this room. I often sit at our dining table with the French doors and windows open, soaking in the sunshine & summer breeze. But, if you know me, you know I have a flair for the dramatic touches.
The Before
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m not a gray person. The owners before us painted the entire house a cold blue-ish purpley gray. The dining room in particular was an even darker shade than the living room, almost a steel blue. For a room that gets a lot of natural light, it felt so dark. It was not inviting and it felt like a cocoon. And not in a cozy way.
To make the house feel cohesive I used my all time favorite paint color, white dove, on the walls. Just a coat of white paint made this space immediately open up and feel inviting. We lived for several months with the all white paint job, which I truly didn’t mind. But, I told you. I had a very clear vision for this room, and that vision included a black ceiling. You read that correctly. From the second I saw this room I knew it would have a black ceiling. You can thank my obsession with LeAnne Ford for this one. I used Behr Carbon Black on the ceiling which is the same color I used on the fireplace in the living room. (Cohesion, baby!)
You might be thinking, doesn’t a black ceiling make the space feel dark and small? The answer is absolutely not. I’ve had people tell me they didn’t think it was a good idea. I trusted my gut and it paid off. The black ceiling obviously adds drama, but it also makes the room feel very intimate. It matches the inside of the built-ins which I also painted Carbon Black. Because the rest of the decor is very warm toned, the black doesn’t feel stark or cold at all.
The After
The cosmetic updates really make this room a showstopper. It’s truly amazing what some paint can do to transform a room. Honestly, when it comes to a dining room you don’t need much. I got an identical rug to the one in the living room. It has little touches of black so it really works with the ceiling and brings in a lot of warmth with the taupe & beige tones.
I scored this gorgeous table and chairs set from Facebook Marketplace. I love the cane backs that tie in with my barrel chair & my Baldwin spinet piano in the living room. The barrel chair was from my apartment in Chicago, where I scored it on Facebook Marketplace for $15. I recovered the cushion in some creamy sherpa fabric last winter.
The Details
I love glassware, which is why I was so thrilled to see these built-ins. They are the perfect vessel to showcase my collection. In one I have my Candlewick Boopie glasses, and my Susquahanna Star glassware in the other. The black backdrop makes the glass really sparkle & shine. The minimalist brass chandelier was left by the previous owners, and I absolutely love how it pops off the black ceiling, and fits my modern vibe perfectly.
I have a couple more projects that have recently wrapped up and I can’t wait to share more transformations of the Castle. Follow along on Instagram @castleonlydell.
