Rooms We Love: DIY Dining Room Makeover

Like so many of us when we move, we try to make the best of the things we have and love in our new space. For real estate agent Julie Slaughter, the challenge in her new home in Green Hills proved to be the dining room, which was adjoined with the living room to make one big space.

“The dining room started with a big blank white wall. I thought it would be perfect with our big antique bookcase...but the bookcase was too narrow for the wall and didn’t give me room to store large platters and bowls. I also wanted to warm up the room and set it apart from the living room, which was white, making one big white room.

I saw a wall that I liked in a home I was showing a client. I asked the builder if he could do something similar in my dining room. He started by adding wood trim to the sheetrock wall to create squares with some depth. He then added beams on the ceiling to give the room warmth and a rustic feel.

To outfit it, I wanted a piece that was high so it could serve as a bar and/or buffet. I found the perfect pieces at an estate sale. When I got them home, they weren’t tall enough, so I decided to add some legs. I went on Amazon and searched for "furniture legs." You can get legs in all sizes from 4" tall to 24" or more. I ordered four different styles, tried them all, and landed on the skinny retro-style ones that fit the furniture and the room the best.

With the furniture the correct height, our favorite tapestry wall hanging looked perfect. I added a lamp to give some warm light on the wall and throughout the seasons have flowers and plants that are in bloom. The long buffet serves as our bar, a buffet, and a piece that can be used for many other functions. It also stores all of my large serving pieces.”