I spent last week working on a job in Northvale. I had never been to Northvale before and although it was a bit of a hike for me, I LOVED working on this Dining Room re-design. Every morning I was excited to get there and get to work. The owner had a room full of functional pieces, but all of them were dark wood, the table was scratched and the room looked dark, drab and cluttered. The table and chairs once belonged to her Grandmother and the storage pieces were left by the previous owner. Score!
I consulted the owner on options and color choices that would complement the light grey walls and lighten up the room. We decided on painting most, but not all of the pieces in a combination of dark grey and off-white. The owner decided to replace the bar with a rustic, wood console to pull everything together. I got started on the largest piece in the room...the buffet/hutch, which introduced the dark grey into the room. The owner wanted a rustic look, so I added details by sanding edges and corners...
Next was the table; the only piece to combine both color choices...dark grey on the table top and off-white on the legs and apron.
The corner cabinet was my favorite piece in the room and I was so excited to get started on it. This was going to be painted off-white to balance the dark grey buffet/hutch on the opposite wall. I knew the sanding and distressing was going to turn it into the highlight of the room.
I wanted to kick myself for saving the chairs for last. I always forget how long chairs take. They look so small and unassuming, but the many parts, twists, turns and details make them SO time-consuming. The weather was gorgeous, so I took my work outdoors for the day. The paint dried faster in the sunshine and I had more room to work.
I had hoped to get a second day outdoors for sanding the chairs. The mess it would create inside would warrant a very time consuming and tedious clean up. I ALWAYS sand outside when I can. The morning brought rain, so I sanded the chairs on the front porch. It was a little tight, but I got a few chairs done before the rain stopped and the sun came out again. I had all of the chairs and the mirror sanded and waxed by the 5th day...ready to be returned to the Dining Room.
Many thanks to this family for allowing me into their home to create a space for family and friends to come together. May they use and enjoy this room in health and happiness for many years to come.
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