Above pictures are 'befores' and the ones below are 'in process.'
We're back into *chaos mode* here again. The workmen are doing a nice job with the painting, and the dining room is brighter already. It was a drab gray-green, very gloomy and cavern-like. The previous owners really liked intense cool colors and tons of ornate STUFF (and I do mean every inch covered), but I prefer warm light simple rooms, and neutrals so I can add my seasonal accessories.
They used this room as their family room, and the back (dark green) room as a dining room, but we're reversing those functions. This room is the hub of the house, and has tall two-story ceilings, so it probably won't get painted again in my lifetime. We chose to go with off-white paint so it would match everything forever :)
The wood panelling around the woodstove and leading into the family room will be removed later next week as phase two of the project. (You can see where they already pulled off one panel to see how bad the wall was behind it.) It just adds to the cavelike feeling in there. And that goofy frosted-glass window in the corner will be closed, too. It doesn't lead outside, just to the family room which was added on later, and it's awkward there in the corner. Bit by bit, we're beginning to make this feel like our house!