I was looking through some old pictures a few days back that really got me thinking about how much some of the spaces in our house have changed in the last few years … and I thought it would be fun to take a quick trip down memory lane and look at some “then” and “now” pictures for a few of the most-transformed areas in our house.  So, here goes.  I decided to start with the dining room since it is probably my favorite room in the house, both then and now.

So, here are our “then” pictures, taken the day we moved in (as evidenced by our belongings spread out all over the room) back in 2007.

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That’s teal floral wallpaper, with matching fabric, pillows, and even a bunny in a matching dress (remember when those were so popular?) on the window seat.

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The wallpaper in here wasn’t really our cup of tea, but it did coordinate really well with everything else (i.e., matching wallpaper, paint, and curtains, flooring) on the main floor of the house and it had been really stylish at one point.  It was just time for the next round of updates.

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Even with all of the teal and flowers, I loved this room from the beginning.  I loved the moldings, all the windows, the window seat, the chandelier … it was (and is) the kind of room that makes me love old houses.  I knew there was so much potential in this space and I was super excited to make a few changes that would freshen it up and help it shine again.

We’ve been working on the dining room on and off since the summer of 2009 and I still wouldn’t say we’re done, but I sometimes forget everything that we have done since then.  So, here’s the list.

We …

And, after all of that, here’s what the dining room looks like now:

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In a lot of ways, the room is really the same as it was when we moved in.  We’ve just made some updates to the walls and flooring, but I think the difference is huge … and I love our dining room even more now than I did when we first saw it.

There are still some things I’d like to do in this room.  For one, I’d love to add a china hutch.  We have some really pretty old china that I’d love to display and I also think that adding a tall piece of wood furniture in a corner opposite the window wall would help to add some height to that side of the room and balance things out nicely.

A rug is also on my “to do” list for this room.  I was mixed on whether or not I wanted one right after the hardwood floors were finished, so we put felt pads on the table and chairs and moved them back in without one.  The room feels a little echoey now, though, and I think a rug would add some interest and help to warm the space up a little – so it’s on the “someday” list for the dining room.

I’m also thinking we’ll add some shades under the valances that were just installed.  We’d most likely pick  something that completely hides under the valances when they’re up, but we’d like the option to close them after dark or when it’s super sunny, so that’s also on our “someday” list.

And then, of course, there’s the matter of actually decorating (you know – centerpiece on the table, pictures on the walls).  That’s clearly still on the list too – I’ll get there someday.

All in all, though, I’d definitely call the remaining items “finishing touches” and, while I’m looking forward to them, I really think the biggest part of the transformation has already happened.  Here’s one last set of pictures:

Then (this time just after we moved in):

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And Now:

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It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve come a long way from where we started, wouldn’t you agree?

And, in case anyone is concerned about the fate of our matching teal bunny, worry not – we still have her.  :)

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