I didn't think I would be devoting a so many posts on the dining room, but I never addressed the big elephant in the room.


The dining table.

Our table was bought right after we moved into the townhouse we rented back in 2008.  We bought it at Value City for $200 for the table and chairs, which for 2 college students was a lot of money!  Mike was impressed that it was solid wood, probably only pine because its soft, and I liked the simple style since we didn't really have any plan, just a need for a table.

This little table has served us well in the last six years, but I'm ready for something new.

Since there's not a lot of space, and there are additional seating on 2 sides, (peninsula and window seat), as well as the liquor cabinet which will arrive next month, I thought something round would be easier to walk around the smaller room.  I looked at what I've pinned to my dining room board, and realized a lot of the rooms I liked had round tables as well.

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My plan was cemented when I visited my parents and family down in Florida last month and 5 of us had dinner at my grandma's round dining table.  What usually is set up for 4, adding that extra chair was no big deal, and we honestly didn't feel cramped at all, even with food plates in the center.  It was a total light bulb moment.  Our current table fits 4, barely fits any extra plates for food in the center, and feels majorly cramped if we tried to add an extra chair.  For the long-term we definitely wanted something that could fit more people.  We knew we would need something that could add an extension leaf, and I liked the round table idea as well.

I started searching and found a couple round tables with a nice profile, but all were over $600, which is way above our budget.  I then turned to Craigslist and found a solid table with clean lines, with an extension leaf.  Since it was an hour away I did measure the space and it seemed like it would work, but when we got it home and in place it was a little underwhelming.


 
We wouldn't keep the same chairs, but they were what we had for reference.  The table is 42" round, and 60" with the extension.  My dream of having a big round table that could add chairs at a moments notice was very short lived.


It's a little hard to tell but it was tight with just 4 chairs.  I added 4 plates and it took up the whole table.  Womp, womp.

It's a shame because the base is really awesome.


The good news is we only spent $50 on it, so we've got it re-listed for that price and hoping it comes out as a wash. 

I'm still on the lookout for a round table, and now I know I can't go any smaller than at least 48".    

I shared our lackluster dining room earlier, and now I'm sharing the plan for the other side of the room.


Since the small console table was displaced when we installed the fauxdenza, it's been living on the other side of the wall here in the dining room.  It's worked nicely for an extra surface, but was never intended for long term.  It's also not always a good thing when you have an extra surface to clutter up.

We've been discussing possible solutions for this wall for months.

   
We both agreed that we needed some storage for our ever growing alcoholic beverages collection.

That's right, we have so many liquor, liqueur, beer, wine, mead bottles that we need an entire storage unit.

Really, it's not that bad, but we do have a lot of wine/mead, and I'm more a mixed drink gal, and Mike's trying to expand his beer-centric palette to some manly cocktails.  It really all started when we were given a giant box of liquor from our neighbor and we've been trying to figure out cocktails to use them.  They were from an elderly client of hers, so there are some things that I've never thought to use before, sloe gin anyone?

You may remember this peek at our stash back when we were in the middle of our basement remodel and every possible surface got covered in dust.

 
We've since cleaned everything up, obviously, and I put the most frequently used bottles on the kitchen counter on a tray, but what once looked like this:


A few short weeks later, now looks like this, (actually, one was just added last night after this photo was taken!):


We knew we wanted something to house our collection, and for awhile I was convinced it would be a cute little bar cart set-up.  I mean, look at these things.

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That wall could totally rock a bar cart.  I began my search.  But, one thing kept popping into my mind, this picture.


You see, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best duster.  There may have been some bickering this weekend about this very topic, that and the ugly truth of hairspray overspray and it's ability to coat every surface in the bathroom.  But I digress.  I was worried that a bar cart and the open storage of all the bottles and glassware would create a dusty situation that being honest with myself, would not be maintained.

That's when I stumbled upon this photo that changed everything.  Behold closed bar storage!

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I loved the metal/wood combo and the glass case.  Since our dining room is actually quite small, I didn't want anything visually heavy, and thought a glass case, (as opposed to a bookshelf or something), would be best.  I knew Mike could build the base, (he's somehow convinced me that he needed a welder), so I went out to search the internets for a case for the top.

And, I came up empty.

The biggest problem was the depth.  Again, space is tight, and every inch counts.  All the cases I found, mostly on Craigslist, were too deep.  We needed something around 15".  Around this time I started seeing a newer item from Ikea.

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It's from the STOCKHOLM collection, which the closest store to us didn't carry, so I only saw it a few places online.  I couldn't find any reviews from people who had bought it, but I couldn't get it out of my mind.  The size was perfect, coming in at 16" deep, and the design was very similar to my original inspiration.  While I really liked the wood/metal combo of the original, the white/wood was nice too.

While I was visiting my parents and grandmother in Florida last week I asked to stop by the Orlando Ikea, since according to the website, they carried them.  While they only had the yellow one in the showroom, I liked the quality of it and went ahead and bit the bullet and bought it.  The package says beige, but all the photos online look white so, I'm hoping that when my dad drives up in August, (yes, I have to wait that long!), it'll be more like the "Ikea White", which looks beige compared to a bright white, but still in the white family.

We have enough bottles to fill the sucker, but we also have a lot of cocktail supplies, so I'm looking forward to styling it a little with our fancy glasses and shakers.  Now I just have to wait, my least favorite game ever!

Since the kitchen is finally done, I'd like the dining room to be just as inspiring since it's pretty much the same room now.

When I last checked in on the space it was anything but inspiring.  More like really boring, actually.    



Didn't look that much different from when we first moved in, to be honest.


I finally added a curtain to the single window and used some of the carpet squares that were in the basement and it's starting to come together.


I wanted a deep navy curtain, and actually found these Nate Berkus Linen Curtains from Target, which are black and white, but from a distance appear navy.

I really wanted a brass curtain rod, but was having the hardest time finding one reasonably priced.  I found this one, but it was forever out of stock, (still is!).

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I finally accepted that they wouldn't be restocking in a reasonable time after my emails went unanswered, so I did what any normal person does and bought the silver version and decided to try Rub 'n Buff for the first time.


I used Antique Gold and for a first time user, I thought it went on really easily.  I read a lot of reviews and decided to go with the au natural approach and used my fingers.


The problem is the finish.  It's a little splotchy in some spots after I buffed it.  I went over a couple more times in those spots, but a little of the silver still shows through.


It bothered me at first, but now I'm over it and don't notice it at all.

I've been asked what I plan to do for the windows over the window seat, and I think I'll leave them as is.


The kitchen peninsula ends right next to the window which doesn't leave any room for curtains, and I think anything inside would look weird.  I could use the same bamboo shades as the kitchen, but though it's one large room now, I still want the rooms to read as separate.  It may just be I'm too lazy right now, and when I come up with a plan I could change my mind.

I do know that I want to somehow make a cushion for the seat, even though it would interfere with the bottom of the window since the seat was made as an extension of the sill.  Again, I'll worry about that later!

The other side of the room is also due for some attention.


After months of deliberation, we've finally come up with a plan, and I'll share those later this week.