A happy surprise!
Work on our dining room got started a month earlier than our adjusted timeline. We initially hoped this project would be completed in early January, but it was pushed to late February because of COVID chaos and worker availability. However, this Thursday we got a call from our carpenter that it would start Friday! Overall good news, but this project has had its fair fits of ups and downs.
We first connected with a local woodworker to get a quote on adding a coffered ceiling to our dining room within a few weeks of moving in. After a little reflecting and balancing of our budget, we asked for a secondary quote to instead replace the crown molding with something historically accurate (he informed us that what we currently have doesn’t fit the period of the home), add paneling above and below the chair rail, and add woodwork above the fireplace. The moldings were cut mid December and for over a month, we were the proud owners of a pile of poplar stationed in our solarium.
The plans...
Our woodworker connected us with a local carpenter, who took the project from there, though our woodworker stayed involved as needed, communicating the plans (which were very loose in our mind) to the carpenter and coordinated an extra run of molding that needed to happen in a pinch when the carpenter noticed we were well short on material.
The install ended up taking two guys one day to complete. Next week, we have an electrician scheduled to come out and replace our switches with antique buttons. In all fairness, Ross could have done this himself, but the electrician is coming to install overhead lighting in the rooms upstairs anyway, so we tacked this on. Initially, we asked for a quote to relocating the switches and outlets so they don’t interfere with the molding, which he refused to do because he said it would be prohibitively expensive. After talking to the carpenter, we learned it is in the norm in old houses for molding to go around the switches. Not the vision we had in mind, but I think we will be pleased with the look. The antique switch adds a bit of historical charm, and being a tactile person I can’t get enough of that push-button switch function. See picture below.
As soon as their availability opens up, our painters will come in and do their thing. Similar to our living room, we are going monochrome on the walls and trim. We will use a wipeable flat paint on the walls and semigloss on all of the wood work to add dimension. We are between two colors currently: Benjamin Moore Whispering Woods, and Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon. See below for both. A third option is to have Jc Litch color match the Dead Salmon with a Benjamin Moore Paint, which is the direction we are leaning
All of the woodwork, electrical and painting should be wrapped up mid-February. Below are our remaining to-dos in the space:
- Lighting: The chandelier and scones are original to the home and staying. To freshen things up, I am looking into shades for the sconces and replacing the candelabra sticks.
- Window treatments: I have had a visual love affair with Lisa Corti for a long time, so I’d love to source some of her fabric for curtains to add a bit of color and whimsy to the room. We sourced all our blinds throughout the home from Select Blinds, and plan to add sheer roman blinds here, like in our main stairwell, for a nice layered look.
- Ceiling medallion: We think a ceiling medallion will be the cherry on top for the space, so are looking into a few different styles and hope to order something today.
Below is the original picture that inspired me. We will land in a very different place, but it is fun to refer back to what got the ball moving on planning the space.
Here is the space today:
