Believe it or not, I have fun organizing my home and making it a beautiful place for my family to enjoy. It makes me happy! That doesn't mean I'm going out to buy expensive furniture or a huge flat screen TV. It means that I make it a home that we love spending time in and feel good about.
A few weeks ago, I had set my mind to give our dining room a small makeover. I didn't like the dark wood chairs anymore and the chandelier was still the one that came with the house. Honestly, I never liked it. It should have gone a long time ago... But, I think you know how life can get in the way and certain things take the back burner. However, finally I found the time to tackle the dining room project. I knew that I wanted a rectangular chandelier that fits the style of our dining room table and found the perfect chandelier at a reasonable price. Luckily, my husband is handy and hang it up for me. It took him less than an hour.
I also envisioned chairs with an ivory fabric to brighten up the room. There were different options to implement that vision. I could buy new chairs for about $150 - $200 a piece. Given that I would need at least 6 chairs, that's an expense of $900 - $1200 right there. Or, I could do it myself by buying some upholstery foam cushions and slipcovers.
I decided to go with the #DIY option and ordered everything I needed for the chair makeover on Amazon. It was a great weekend project, fun and easy to do. I could have simply put on the slipcovers and be done with it. But, I wanted to make the chairs a bit more comfortable as well, so I added upholstery foam cushions in the back which I cut to size and chair pad cushions on the seat.
I really like the fact that the slipcovers are washable, which comes in very handy when you have animals or kids. And, I have both! Our cats love to sleep on the dining room chairs. I'm guessing it's one of the places our German Shepherd can't easily get to. Secondly, I feel much more relaxed having the kids sit on light colored slipcovers I can wash, instead of having expensive dining room chairs that only take spot cleaning. As a bonus - and that tells you I'm all about practicality and ease of use - slip covers can easily be exchanged and if you want to be fancy you can have a different one for each season or the holidays.
Now, every time I pass our dining room I smile because the simple chair makeover and the new chandelier make the room so much brighter and more inviting. I can't wait to have friends over again to entertain!
If you have any questions or need help to make your home a more beautiful place for your needs, I'd be happy to provide ideas and guidance. Send me a quick email briefly describing the home project you'd like help with and we'll set up a 15 minute complementary consultation to start with.