Collected and Contrasting Dining Room Makeover

This Collected and Contrasting Dining Room makeover features a bold wall color, natural textures, and strategies for decorative storage.

Do you know that feeling when you’re watching a really good movie and the pieces begin to fall into place? That is how I feel about our dining room makeover. This is a surprise to me and I am so happy with the conclusion. In case you missed the previous post, you can read about the design plan and how this room came together here.

This Collected and Contrasting Dining Room Refresh features a bold wall color, natural textures, and strategies for decorative storage.

Collected and Contrasting Dining Room Makeover

In this post, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking, but I’ll provide a full source list at the bottom.

The most obvious change in comparison to the original dining room makeover is definitely the bolder paint color on the top of the walls. The color is Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal. It was a natural fit, since I painted the interior of our doors that color several years ago. I’m so happy with the contrast with the Benjamin Moore Simply White plank wall treatment!

I also replaced the chalkboard with this basket gallery wall. There are baskets I already had in combination with a few new ones. I’m hoping to add to the collection as I travel around New England this year (we have talked about a visit to Nantucket, and that would be a perfect place!).

Multipurpose Storage

We also added a new mirror and two leaning shelves to store and display my serveware collection. I love that the serveware now has a convenient new home but also serves as pretty decor.

Mixing Metals

I brought in touches of brass with the mirror and aged brass candlesticks. I’m planning to add a small brass and marble bar cart to the window wall to finish off the trifecta.

The beautiful oil paintings were all in the room before, but they did get moved around a bit. They were all done by my grandfather, Norman Royle.

There are a couple of tiny things left to do in this dining room makeover, like adding the bar cart and crown moulding. Overall, the dark paint color and smooth ceiling have made such a big difference. I’m so happy with the changes!

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7 Comments

  1. I love this look! I have a similar table in our dining room (I found it as a Craigslist steal last year!). I painted our dining room walls Sherwin Williams Gray Shingle, which is a shade or two lighter than Kendall Charcoal. While I love my gray dining room walls, I have been feeling it could use a little more interest. I held off on hanging curtains, but after seeing your photo, I think simple white curtains would be perfect. This is also inspiring me to get moving on wainscoting or shiplap ideas for the wall (which also means ripping out the old carpet, and installing new flooring!)
    I also love your white, textured table runner with fringe. Do you have a link to that table runner? (Looks like the one tagged in your post is a different runner that is a little less decorative)

    1. It sounds like you’ve made some great changes to your dining room! Unfortunately, the table runner is sold out (it was from Target before Christmas) and the one I linked is a similar look.

    1. Thank you, Janine! I do too! I originally wanted to go with dark green, but my husband told me that was an emotional choice inspired by the Christmas season. ? This was a good compromise.

  4. Looks lovely, Nina. It’s also, so nice that your artwork has family history and sentimentality.

  5. so pretty!!! Everything about it is inviting. Some of the makeovers I have seen lately are so white and hands off…very pretty too…but not as inviting as yours! I love the dark wall colour. My dining room is in the middle of the house with no natural light at all…I am looking for something in the greige family that is a bit darker that goes fine with Revere Pewter. Any suggestions?

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