Dining room redo...finally!

I have almost completed the job of furnishing my dining room (nook).  I have casually been scoping out dining room furniture since we moved into our last house...nearly 3 years ago!  Yea, I'm picky, but I just can't stomach the sets i've seen at the local furniture stores, they are all too matchy-match for me.  I of course love some sets I've seen at Pottery Barn and in other catalogs, but we are just wanting to have a place to sit and eat that's easy on the eyes...not refinance our house!  Meanwhile, we have been using a dining set that I bought new in college (8 years ago).  It only has four chairs, so my first goal was to get a set that seats 6.

I have LOVED the idea of a vintage farm table for some time now, but those would require me to sell my car in addition to refinancing the house:).  What can I say, I have expensive taste...I can't help that.

My dream set would be a vintage farm table surrounded by Pottery Barn's antique white napoleon chairs.  The chairs alone would set me back nearly $1200.  Add on another k-gillion dollars for the rustic farm table and we'd be set, right?!  No thanks, that's just not who I am.  My name is Sarah, and I'm thrifty, very thrifty.  I might buy a set like that, but then sink instantly into regret afterward.  I know myself...I live for the hunt and ultimately for the deal!  It's fun.

The Chairs...
A few weeks ago I found the aforementioned Napoleon chairs on Craigslist!!!  They were selling for $75 each and in great shape.  A dream come true, you ask?  Well, here's the deal...these chairs have rush seats.  After taking a closer look, I just pictured myself with a butter knife fishing out crumbs, food particles and who knows what else.  I saw spilled drinks and jelly stains.  This is not on my list of favorite things to do, and frankly I have enough going on.  I decided I would hunt for something similar, but with a wooden seat.  I got online and, voila....I found them!

The table...
I decided I would be content with finding the chairs for now and keep my table.  I would keep scouring flea markets, craigslist, Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel for the table of my dreams (at the price of my dreams).  I went to Lowes and bought a black stain (thought I'd give my current table a face lift), started sanding and found the table of my dreams!  I seriously loved my table sanded down.  Underneath the ugly stain was something much more my style.  I roughed it up and called it good.  I will slap a layer of polyurethane on top to protect the wood, and that's it!  Eventually I will want something larger, as my kiddos grow, but for now I could not have asked for a better situation...something I love in the meantime...for free!  I even returned the black stain and got my $11 back.

Here's the finished product...

Love!

Cost...
So, the table was free.  I found the chairs for way cheap!  I ordered them through csn and they delivered them to Walmart (site to store) for free!  I was not sure at first, a little worried about what the quality would be like, but the reviews on csn's website were great.  Many people compared them to Pottery Barn's chairs and said that the quality far surpassed the price.  I figured I'd try them out and see.  For pete's sake, it was worth a shot!!!

I still have a few things to add to the room.  I would like to find a Jute rug for under the table, just to add another layer and dimension. Also,  I will hang my plate collection on the wall at the head of the table once it's complete.  I'm hoping this will bring in a funky and colorful feel. I will do something different on the window treatments too, just don't know what.

I also replaced the very elaborate brushed nickel light fixture that came in the dining room. I found this Pottery Barn fixture on craigslist and snagged it for $70.  I sold the one we took down for $50, so my total cost for the light update was 20 bucks!

I may add some modern white linen lamp shades over each bulb, but I'm undecided at this point.  I like the look of it as is, but it may prove migraine-inducing for me staring at bright bulbs...only time will tell!

Dallas bought me these metal stools for V'day.  So, I actually picked them out and ordered them, but he will be paying the bill.  Romantic, I know.  I wanted stools to match the chairs, but even that felt a little too matchy for me.  These guys will work.  They are sturdy, and Jude can climb up them without them tipping over.  They are just the look I was going for.  Not everyone's style, but not everyone lives here:).

We have a built-in desk with a cabinet above leading into our dining area, and I started collecting vintage mason jars to store in there.  I love them.  I love looking for them in antique shops, and I love that they can hold all of the ugly clutter (pens, paperclips, post-it notes) and make it look somewhat cutely organized!  I've started quite the little collection that I am now extending the into my bathrooms to hold cotton balls and q-tips.

Birds (totally unrelated to my dining room project)...

I love birds.  Not live furry ones full of germs and lice, but these cute guys I find at antique shops...

That is all I've accomplished around here lately...decor wise.  I'm honestly hoping to be done soon.  I'm tired of looking for stuff, which is not like me.  We will redo our bedroom due to the storm damage, maybe create a new office space upstairs, but that's it for a while (This is not a legally binding contract, Dallas.).