An Almost-Before and Call for Ideas

You know what would be an important part of a good Before-And-After? A Before photo. Which, as I've demonstrated here and here, is not my strength. It's like I'm impulsive or not patient or something. YEAH RIGHT. Ok maybe.

This time was no different. A few days ago, we started kicking around the idea of moving our hutch out of the dining room to see if it helps make the space feel bigger. Naturally, that very day I reorganized the hall closet and kitchen cabinets to make room for all the items stored in the drawers, and moved everything from the shelves to our corner cabinet in the living room. It was great motivation to tackle a few things I've been procrastinating (feast or famine when it comes to motivation, I'm telling you; it's either X-Files during naptime for days on end, or DO ALL THE THINGS IN ONE DAY. I have no idea why you are flipping through your DSM-IV-TR to the "cyclothymic disorder" page.).

Here's the corner cabinet post-reorganization. It used to display my great-grandmother's china, which is gorgeous (thanks to my dear Katherine for setting it all out so beautifully when we moved in!), but as the months have passed, I decided it wasn't quite our "look". These pieces bring more color and a bit more of our style, which I honestly can't name. Casual elegant almost-country? No idea. We defy categories, people. Or, I am not a designer.

 I'd show you the corner cabinet "before" but, you know. In similar fashion, the following is the only photo I could find that even remotely shows the hutch in our dining room. I'm sure others must exist, but they are not contained on my phone or laptop. If you can somehow divert your eyes from the glory that is my royal jammie-clad children, you can spot the beautiful hutch taking up oodles of wall space in the dining room. Not the full effect, but you get an idea of the scale.

Now, I did think to take a photo after the hutch, and before all the finishing projects to pull the space together:

We are actually really loving the openness of the space now. The table is far more inviting for the kids to color, for a family game of Go Fish, and more, because the hutch is not there to bump into and squeeze around. Surprisingly, we don't miss the storage at all (the items inside haven't gone far - table linens to the hall closet, and serving dishes to a kitchen cabinet).

So here's the plan:
1. Console table - paint white to prime, and then when we paint our living room, we will paint it the same light gray color as our living room walls. The hope is it will help tie the two spaces together and still be neutral enough to work in the dining room. Worst case, I fall in love with it white, and finish it in white instead!

2. Gold window - paint it a lighter yellow color to better coordinate with the kitchen. Create some sort of something to make it a work of art - perhaps a wreath, maybe something else. Stay tuned. The creative juices are just beginning to flow on that one.

3. Chalkboard - paint this white, and possibly add a bulletin board where those silver plates are hanging on the far side, painted to match. The bulletin board, if I like it there, will probably be covered in a pretty fabric and criss-crossed with a bit of ribbon to make a photo board. The silver plates might go to the short wall by the glass door. One thing I can promise: this chalk board will never be covered in adorable bubble lettering and calligraphy while I am the lady of the house. Not my gifting.

Do you have any ideas for me, especially for that window, and maybe for making the bulletin board something worth featuring? I hope to hit Joann fabrics next week to shop for fabric for the board, and also to make some everyday cloth napkins because ours are about shot (and we don't have enough, due to tossing some of them that got super stained). Maybe coordinating or matching fabrics?

Pinterest me, people!