Welcome to our modern farmhouse dining room. We love it now, but this DIY project took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get it to that point.
When we moved to our home in the country last year, we knew there were a lot of gut jobs ahead of us. The dining room, however, was not supposed to be one of those. But, when all was said and done, it had not only become a gut job, but also a serious gut check. *Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy here.*
Before we get knee deep in the blood, guts and termites…if you’re here to find the source list for this space, here you go:
MY OTHER PROJECTS
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- Chandelier
- Herringbone Rug
- Table/buffet/chairs
- floral curtain fabric
- Toile Runner (similar fabric)
- Paint (above board & batten) – Pale Smoke (Benjamin Moore)
- Paint (board & batten) – Ultra Pure White Behr Semi-Gloss
Here was the dining room before we purchased the house. I love this room. It is bathed in light throughout the day. It has two large windows and a beautiful set of french doors which lead out to a covered porch.
Our plan for this room was so simplistic. We wanted to go for a modern farmhouse look. Just add some DIY molding, paint, change the fixture…call it a day.
That WAS the plan. UNTIL….dun dun dun…
We found THIS!
This was my face (and my hair and makeup were perfectly coiffed like this at the time, too, in case you were curious).
Then again, now that I think about it… it probably looked more like this…
That’s my “You’ve gotta be flipping kidding me with this horrible turn of events” face. And yes, I do enjoy rocking my hotel-inspired-stash-them-in-my-suitcase-when-I-leave-the-holiday-inn shower caps every now and again while I DIY.
While pulling down the existing chair moulding in the dining room, I stumbled across the dreaded termite tracks. More demolition followed, and when all was said and done, a horror story unfolded before our eyes. The structure of two exterior walls of the room were almost completely compromised. Below is a close-up of the header that was atop the french doors.
You could stick your finger in the middle of that header and just shred it…like pulled pork in a crock pot. Horrific.
Here’s some video footage of the horror show:
Needless to say, DOWN came walls, and UP went the budget for this job.
In goes the DIY molding…
Slowly Humpty Dumpty was put back together again. We started putting up the DIY molding that we had originally envisioned. AND, went through four different chandeliers trying to find “the one”. The one pictured above was the third one we tried. Too dark.
This was the one we tried before that…too modern.
Can you believe I’m still married? I’m sure most people would have filed some type of papers after the third chandelier install (not to mention the four rugs I went through)…
BUT after months, many new studs, and several chandeliers, our modern farmhouse dining room finally came together. Here it is now:
As you can probably tell, we are big fans of color and pattern around here. This room was bright already, and I wanted it to read that way…light, happy and inviting.
The chandelier we finally decided on is probably the most formal and fancy aspect of the room, but it’s hard to take it too seriously when it’s paired with the yellow houndstooth rug.
I think this room is in it’s element in the summer with all the bright, happy colors.
And the spring, too.
Our modern farmhouse dining room was one of the rooms featured in the fall Cottages & Bungalows magazine, which we will happily send you a copy of if you haven’t already received it! Just click below to get it sent to you 🙂
Thankful. That’s the word that is thrown around a lot at this time of year. But never a truer word was there for how we feel this Thanksgiving. Thankful for healthfulness, smiles and hugs from our three little mischief-makers and lots of family and friends nearby. And last, but not least, thankful that this termite-infested-hole-in-our-wallet-burning-never-ending-“it’s just cosmetic”-OMG-I-can’t-believe-we bought-this-pit dining room project has FINALLY come to an end!
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Your dining room turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!
THANKS Martina!!
I love the bright colors! So refreshing!
I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love the bright colors too 🙂
OMG is right!! I can't believe the wood looked like that!! What a lot of work and expense, but the finished room is beautiful.
Gorgeous! I love molding/paneling that you added and all the color! So Cheerful!
Heather, I know that was so unexpected, but it sure looks fabulous and cute now. I found two soft spots in our dining room wall around four years ago when I started priming the walls to paint. I noticed dips in the wall and told my husband. We called our exterminators and they treated the wall and thank goodness we caught it early.
So glad you caught yours early, Kim. We've never had to deal with termites before, and boy oh boy, they are some scary pests. It's absolutely staggering how much damage they can cause.
It turned out gorgeous! The yellow is cheerful…love it!
This is just beautiful. I'm so sorry about your termite problem. We had a similar situation in our house despite having a termite inspection prior to closing! Ughhh. I really feel your pain. But your dining room makeover is gorgeous.
Ugh, so sorry Tina Matteson! It really is such a horrible experience, right?! Hope that yours is all behind you now as well. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Absolutely beautiful! I love the colors too! May I ask what color and brand paint did you use? Thanks!
Of course Gordon Lee! The color is "Pale Smoke" by Ben Moore. Cheers!
Love your rug! Would you share the source for that?
Of course Dottie! It's from Home Decorators Collection.
I love your entire finished look! I have looked through the comments and don't see anywhere my own question. WHERE did you find that gorgeous table and sideboard?! I have been looking for so long and this is exactly what I am looking for! (I had the original table and chairs shown in your "before" pic. I gave it all to my son, who just bought a two-story colonial, like our old house. Thanks for any direction you can offer!
Hey Kim, the dining room set is mango wood, and is from Crate and Barrel. Cheers!
you did a good job of getting through that. I would've died just finding them. Your room is lovely and so light and bright.
Yes, where did you get that rug?!!! The whole room is gorgeous!!!
Thanks Penny. The rug is from Home Decorators Collection.
Colors and patters are my cup of tea, too. I am over all the gray/grey/greige, pale, colorless, cold look that has been all the rage lately. Give me happy, lively, and welcoming any day! Your curtain fabric, btw, is heart-stoppingly perfect!
Thanks Ellen!! It definitely is an acquired taste, but one that I relish 😉
It's fantastic!!! The rug…oh the rug! When you work your magic on a room …it's so inspiring to the rest of us! ox
Awww, thanks so much Robin!
What a beautiful room!
love the perfectly balanced mix of colors, patterns, and textures in the room! that chandelier is definitely the best of the three too!
silver lining about finding termite damage: you can now rest assured that your dining room walls are solid! it's a very good thing you discovered the compromised wall when you did!
awesome work done. 🙂
Oh wow, it's absolutely gorgeous! I'm always annoyed when things take a turn for the worse (and, my husband keeps reminding me, they usually do), but the end result is stunning!
Thanks Carin…it is definitely annoying, and your husband is right 😉 The best laid plans ALWAYS change, right?! So glad it's over, but know it won't be the last "surprise" we have in store!
Oh my word! As I read your story about termites, I look around and wonder….just what lurks behind walls…..
What a horrific tale!
However, it looks lovely now! I like the bit of formal with the bit of "rustic" with the whole of fun!
Great story…..
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
It definitely was shocking…and sickening for a while, Nancy! Glad it's over with, and thanks so much for the kind words. Happy holidays!
Your dining room turned out so beautiful! Termite damage is awful, but I'm so glad that you found it and were able to fix it. Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous decorating skills with us!
I love the mix of modern and traditional. Could you tell me where your found that third chandelier? We are redoing our room also, and it might be just the thing to add a little funk. Thanks!
Your room turned out amazing!
I saw your post on TT&J and was drawn in by that incredible rug! Can't believe a simple moulding update turned into a termite nightmare but thank goodness you found it! Can you imagine what would have happened to that header?? Geez… Anyways, I love your blog and you had me cracking up. And nice work on the dining room! It's so perfect!!!
Oh how pretty! I love the bright bold colors and that rug is a total wow!
Happy to feature you at our party this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
The room is stunning now!! I got the heeby jeebies just looking at the termite tracks, I'm glad you were able to get it all worked out:)
Termites! How awful! But it turned out amazing! Love the yellow!
Oh it's so pretty – I'm so excited for you. After all that it turned out perfect!! (I'm pretty sure my hubs would have had a few choice words if I had changed out fixtures like that too – however finding the right one is key & it sounds like they understand that)
I agree, Gina, lighting is completely key, and I figure, my husband kinda knew what he was getting into with me 😉 Poor guy!
What an awful start and gorgeous finish! It really looks so wonderful!
Looks beautiful! Where did you buy your curtains?
Love it!!! Where did you buy your curtains?
Hey Summer, I made the curtains…just realized I hadn't included that info! Will go back to add it now. Here's a link to the fabric: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009586CQY/?tag=theheanes-20
I love your dining room. It's such a happy space. Can you tell me what color you used on your walls? Thank you!
Sure Christy, it's Pale Smoke by Ben Moore
I can't believe your still married! Lol. It looks so good! I love how you mix colors and patterns. Bravo!!
is there a source for the cow print? it's just darling!!!
Sure Terri – Artist's name is Roz, and her site is http://www.drunkencows.com Happy shopping!
I can totally relate to trying out 4 chandeliers and 4 different rugs before finding the perfect ones! (And I, too, am surprised that I’m still married 🙂 Love the wall color!
Hi Heather,
Not sure you’ll get this after all this time, but I’ve only just seen this post. I absolutely love this area! It is faaantastic! Thank you, thank you! I’ve been trying to think of how to decorate/renovate/whatever a tricky space in our house (Two fairly useless rooms which we actually call – the useless rooms), and wanted them to be warm and inviting, just so at least they could look nice! I’ve struggled with choosing a warm colour, as the carpet is blue. I think yellow accessories will really do the trick! Plus, inject some lightheartedness into the room; you know – frivolity!
I’d always intended doing the board and battening, but at a lower height. Yours looks fantastic at that height! Can you tell me what your decider was for the height, and also, how did you work out the spacings between your verticals? What height is your ceiling? I guess I could just Blutack timber onto the wall until I get what I like???
Thanks Heather. Well done, this is just such a lovely space.
Cheers, Liz (Australia).
I sure did get it Liz! Thanks for your comments, and would love to see your space when it’s done! Our ceiling height is about 8ft 6in. I think we chose that height because we wanted the white moulding to play more of a role than the color on the wall above since we knew we’d be putting a lot of color/pattern into the room in other ways like with the rug, curtains, etc. Best of luck, and so glad you’ve found us!
Thanks very much Heather. I found you quite a while ago, but stupidly didn’t read back through all your posts. Am doing so now though! 🙂
Have to say, now that I have seen the light (well the dining room actually), I feel I have a direction! The ideas are just falling in place, and I’m so excited!!!!! Not sure The Hubster will share my enthusiasm, as this may equate to a loss of moolah. Oh well, can’t keep everyone happy now, can we? He’ll be happy in the end, so I shall cling to that thought….. chuckle. Better go and prepare for the plasterer! He’s arriving in about an hour, and then this show is ON The ROAD! Yeehaaar! Happy days! (Or daze, depending on how quickly and consistently I work!).
Thanks again! Liz. 🙂
Get er done LIz! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!!
I recently found your blog and adore your styling in your home! So fresh and unique. So many blogs are beginning to look alike with monochromatic hues, whites and pale gray’s. Your vibrant bursts of color are so refreshing and dramatic against your soft background. I hope to order a rug, like this but it is out of stock currently. Can you tell me how much fabric you used on each panel? LOVE it, Heather!!!!
Again, LOVE it! The curtains are gorgeous! Can you tell me where you got the cow print in the top picture?
http://www.drunkencows.com
Love how your dining room turned out! Since we are in the throws of renovating our farmhouse and our dining room is doubling as our kitchen this is exactly what I needed. Thanks for sharing!
Good to hear! Best of luck with your renovation!
I could feel your pain while viewing those termite infested photos. Thank goodness you decided to tackle that room or your walls may have imploded. You guys did a beautiful job with this room – so bright and welcoming. The chandelier you eventually settled on is perfect. I remember Marian’s post about that photo shoot,
Sounds like our remodels! Great result minus the horrifying discoveries behind the walls. Love the pix of the fancy chandelier amongst the demo room! Great juxtaposition. It’s great to see a room full of color; too many beige rooms out there. Visiting from Share It One More TIme events.
RIght? So tired of the same ol same ol color palette!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a nice comment!! Have a great weekend.
Your dining room turned out fantastic (despite the critters)! Thanks for sharing your project with us at Merry Monday.
After all the choices, and replacing the termites eating wood, what a beautiful dinning room.