Saturday 21 September 2013

The dining room and dresser revealed...

Sorry, I've been very slow. But at long last, here is the almost finished dining room and the dresser I've been working on...

Come on in.

The wine rack made a return. Husband couldn't part with it.
See what I mean about wanting chickenwire in here? I think it would add to the rustic-ness. But having just replaced all that glass having to hammer perilously close to it... I'm not sure I want to take it out just yet!

A little closer...


This was a technique called wet distressing.


and the before?



I had a book cull so I can display my pretties. No more using this dresser as a dumping ground! 



I have a few of these vintage glass cake stands. This one is unusual as it's square.


I found this pretty serving dish at Fridays flea market.

Moving round the room...


You can see, the room isn't huge..


and the table that took so many hours of bleaching, painting, varnishing and waxing...

All set for an imaginary dinner party. This happens a lot in blog land.

Oopsie. Left my cup of tea on the table. Bad stylist.


 As you can see, the painted window is still on the floor but my dad came for lunch today so I now know how to hang it! Just need longer screws.

I revamped a bench to match the table...


I have been working my socks off. This bench is a good for squeezing three little bottoms side by side and takes up less room than three chairs.
The before...


And the light?



My £4 boot sale lamp that was matt black before I painted it, teamed with my £4 charity shop ceiling rose. 


The black candle tubes had wax drips made from my hot glue gun and were sprayed ivory.


before...


I'm really pleased with how it's all come together. Everything you see is second hand. Apart from hanging the window *, I need to swap the curtains for floor length ones. Not now. We have a family of four arriving from Australia on Wednesday so I have some cleaning and tidying to do.

(*The window is now wall mounted and you can see it here.)

So stop by for lunch sometime? Or take away perhaps. I've given away all my cookery books and after all that painting, I'm too tired to cook.

Hedgehog update: she is now 324g and hard to weigh as she climbs out of the bowl. That's over 3.5 times her weight when we found her two weeks ago! She's doing really well. Soon it'll be time to hand her over to the hedgehog hospital to be overwintered. I just don't fancy a rabbit hutch in my kitchen until spring and she'll soon be too big for the cat carrier. Plus she poos A LOT! So it will be a bitter sweet goodbye. But mostly sweet. Bless her.

blackbirdhasspoken
Elizabeth and Co.
Furniture Feature Fridays

42 comments:

  1. Your dining room looks fantastic Emma Kate, all your time and hard work has definitely paid off. Glad your little hedgehog is doing so well xx

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    1. Thanks Nicci. I'm just as proud of the hedgehog as I am the dining room! xx

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  2. I am very impressed it all looks fabulous (but then I didnt expect it to look anything less from you!).

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  3. That looks brilliant, proper pared down Scandi chic and just gorgeous, well done! Very happy to hear about Hedgi, too! Good luck with the visitors, just take them to Wetherspoons, it's probably cheaper and definitely less stressful) than cooking! xxx

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    1. Thanks Vix. Hey, as luck would have it, I think a new Wetherspoons has just opened in town! Good timing! xxx

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  4. Ah, does that mean you'll be busy next Saturday? That's a shame.
    What a great job you did on the dining room, the dresser looks fab, well, it all does! The rogue mug made me laugh - the only bit of colour in the room, how did that get in there?! No, I'm wrong, there's the rug too. Look, even the china is white!
    So good to know Mrs T is doing well.
    Takeaways and meals out all the way - I often take visitors out for a meal instead of cooking, I'd rather pay than have the hassle and stress! Food's usually better too... xxxxx

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    1. Ah, so sorry I'm unable to come out to play!
      But what do you mean? Is the dresser not a pop of (almost) colour? I thought if I did that off white too, we might suffer from snow blindness in there. xxxx

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  5. Can't believe you even made wax drips from a glue gun now that is attention to detail! Fantastic room Emma Kate, very Gustavian....your visitors will be well impressed. Glad to hear Mrs Tiggywinkle is thriving.

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    1. I think I saw the glue drips on pinterest. What did we do before computers and pinterest eh? Watch telly I s'pose.
      Have a lovely time on Sat! xxx

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  6. Stunning makeover on your dining room. I want to live there! You should be featured in a magazine at least. It's so lovely. ♥

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    1. Thank you so much Teri! My hearts desire is to have my home in a magazine! xxx

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  7. Your dining room is looking great, I love all the makeovers especially the painted window and the dresser, in which you have some lovely pieces.
    My Grandmother used to have a little blackbird for making pies (like the ones on the top of your plate rack) and now I wish I still had it !

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  8. It looks amazing!! You have clearly worked so hard. I love the bench in particular, and the dresser looks so much better than the orangey pine before. Be grateful I don't live closer- otherwise I would definitely take up your (totally serious(!)) dinner invite. Wine and cheese is a legitimate, non-cooked dinner option, right? xx

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    1. Thanks Katie! Cheese and chocolate is my favourite meal. No cooking involved and I have Swiss blood so I'm allowed. ;)
      xx

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  9. The cabinet looks stunning, what a fantastic job you've done! Love the table, it's always satisfying starting with a golden coloured table and bleaching it :)

    xx Karen

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    1. I love to get rid of orange pine. I think it's why I was put on this planet. ;)
      xx

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  10. you really pulled off your vision-it's beautiful.
    i love the grey-ish shade you used for the dresser, and the shelf is looking awesome-love the little handled chopping board that popped up in there. and the little gingham ribbon decos so cute and suit the room perfectly.
    well done you xxx

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    1. Thanks Max! I borrowed the little ribbon decs from the living room. I love that little chopping board too as it's all one piece of wood with no joins. xxx

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  11. It looks FAB - you clever thing you! And just think if you used chicken wire you wouldn't be able to see all your pretties! It's lovely to see a whole room come together - I think your Australian visitors will be suitably impressed! Have a lovely week x Jane

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    1. Thank you Jane! I hope this room more than makes up for the bad rooms I've yet to tackle! x

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  12. Great tip for the wax drip effect! My dresser looks a lot like your before picture, I keep meaning to do something with it. I hope your little Fisher Price people have a new home :)

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    1. Haha! Well spotted. They were sad to be cruelly evicted but my 7 year old daughter rescued them and rehomed them with her toys!

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  13. It looks incredible!

    So pretty and what a clever idea to do the wax drips!

    Love your bread board collection too. V V impressed. Thanks for linking up to Magpie Monday x

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  14. That looks SO good! I have no vision with that sort of thing, but you've turned something so ordinary into something really special. Definitely a job well done!

    So glad your little prickly friend is doing so well too!

    Kate x
    Just Pirouette and Carry On...

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    1. Ah, thanks Kate! I'm just off to muck our little friend out now... :/
      xx

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  15. Hey - you're wearing your hair up! x

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  16. wow it all looks fantastic!....im Australian...can I visit too!! xx

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    1. Any time Allison. We'll hit the flea market together! xx

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  17. Your room looks great, I love the glue drip, and glad to hear the prickly one is doing well!

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  18. Its beautiful, I especially like the table and bench. So many great ideas to think about

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  19. The dresser is a stunner. And I love the plate rack thingymebob with the chopping boards on display - brilliant idea. Do show us your glass door when it's finally on the wall. Please! xx

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    1. Thanks Loo! Will do. Got the screws, just need to get it up...xx

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  20. Your hutch is so beautiful!! I have recently painted several pieces gray and after seeing your photos I think I need to add more white to the pieces. Your whole dining room is lovely!

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  21. Wow, what a difference! Am especially loving the dresser, it looks so much better!! :)

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  22. It turned out amazing! What would we do without paint!?;)

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