Tuesday, August 16

Dining room reveal


For 20 years I've had a red dining room.  Yes, I first painted my dining room red in 1991, gradually evolving from real red to burgundy to the most recent rusty red.



It was time for a change.

While recent trends have been toward more neutral colors, I still wanted a rich, deep color. I confess that I was a little scared to do something bold and dramatic, but I finally mustered up my courage, and now I have. . .

a French blue dining room! Voila!


I used my Karastan Floral Kirman rug for color inspiration. I've had this rug for years, and I still love it. There are so many wonderful colors in it!


My dining room includes quite a lot of white moulding and trim, and I love the way the white contrasts with the blue.

I'll take you around the room. First, looking in from the foyer:


With a view into the living room on the left:


Living room on the left, kitchen ahead to the right:



And back around to the foyer:

One more shot, just because I'm so excited about it:


Old and new side-by-side:

A note about the color: it's a custom mix that Sherwin Williams did for me in their Duration matte paint. Here's the formula:



I'll do another post with details of some fun new accessories I'm using. As you can see, my dining room is very traditional--but traditional doesn't have to be boring!

So what do you think? Do you like it, or should I be singing the blues?

I'm joining these fun parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Show and Share Day at Just a Girl
Inspiration Friday, At the Picket Fence
Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello
Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different, Act Normal
Room by Room: Dining Rooms at Cottage and Vine
Show Us Your Dining Rooms at Thrifty Decor Chick
Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner


87 comments:

  1. wow, Richella, it looks so wonderful!! I love the bold color and how everything coordinates. The rug just grounds everything beautifully - congratulations!

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  2. I love the new color. It does go super well with your amazing rug, and it emphasizes the beautiful wood tones of your furniture. Great choice!

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  3. Wonderful look! One of my dear friends took the same "plunge" with outstanding results. What a beautiful room!

    Kathryn in MI

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  4. Richella, I LOVE it! That blue with all the white trim is gorgeous. I can tell you are so thrilled with it as you should be. What a beautiful room. Perfect color with that rug.

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  5. Looks wonderful! I'm with you, I really love how the white contrasts with the blue, crisp and classic!

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  6. I love the blue, especially with all the white trim in your dining room! You have so many wonderful built ins...I'm kind of jealous:)

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  7. Wow!! Beautiful transformation!!
    Really like the rug & it looks completely different with a new color.
    I am a red girl, but this makes a new, fresh statement & really pops with the white trim.
    Nicely Done!!

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  8. I love it! This is a great color.

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  9. Love it Richella!! That color is amazing!! :)

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  10. Your dining room is so nice and large...and the blue is lovely...but what really caught my eye are the built-ins with lights!! Just beautiful!

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  11. Gorgeous! Your courageous color choice definitely paid off!

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  12. I love that shade of blue! You did a wonderful job and the white trim looks lovely, too! it must feel like a whole new room!

    XO,
    Jane

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  13. It's beautiful!!!! I love that gorgeous blue!!! :)

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  14. Beautiful, elegant, inviting and cozy and I love the blue with some of the white framing. Everything coordinates beautifully, with the furniture and the terrific rug with such pretty colors! Congrats and nice meeting you, I'm your latest follower and I'm visiting from WUW, hope you can come over, you're very welcomed. Have a nice evening. FABBY

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  15. It looks "magazine photo-ready"!
    You've done a beautiful job.

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  16. What a beautiful dining room! I love the blue you chose - it really makes your white trim pop! Congratulations on a great color choice. :)

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  17. It's a wonderful, beautiful, tastefully decorated room! Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Your dining room is just gorgeous! What wonderful built-in you have, and the rug is beautiful and timeless. Nothing boring in your room!

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  19. LOVE that blue!! It looks so wonderful next to the white trim! I've been pulling chips of blue myself! blessings ~ tanna

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  20. I love it, Richella! The blue turned out great. Carla

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  21. I am so happy you did the French blue, Richella. (I hope you have a print or piece of artwork from your Paris trip in the room.) It looks gorgeous. Of course, I think everything you touch is beautiful, so I am biased. XO Erin

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  22. I love it! I thought 'blue' or 'green' when you showed us the rug. Great choice. It's beautiful!

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  23. Oh wow! That is absolutely stunning! My living room is red, and I'm ready for a change too but my family won't let me. I'm giving another year. :)

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  24. Stunning, stunning color. Just perfect, I think. I bet you are thrilled with it!
    Camille

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  25. Richella, that is absolutely stunning! So unique! The white trim work just stands out and looks so gorgeous against that blue and it is perfect with your rug and accessories! Beautiful!!!!

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  26. You have a beautiful blog. This looks great. I would love for you to stop by My Dream Canvas. Take care Anu

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  27. This blue is perfect against the white and coordinates beautifully with your rug. I really, really like this change!!

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  28. Hi Richella, I love the bold color...the white trim looks great with it! Can't wait to see what else you are doing in there!
    have a blessed day,
    Regina

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  29. Absolutely STUNNING! I just love the color you chose. Bold really works in that room. What a gorgeous room with the built-ins. I'd be walking by that room constantly for another peek..lol
    Great job.

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  30. It's beautiful, Richella! It was a great color choice.
    Every time I see parts of your house, I'm in love with it! :)

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  31. Gorgeous!!! I absolutely love it even more than the red. I was a little scared that you were going to go all muted and I'm so glad you didn't. It's perfect!

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  32. So pretty. I love everything about it. The color is wonderful. You have done a fabulous job. Stunning room. Hugs, marty

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  33. Gorgeous! Love it, love it, LOVE it! I love how it brings out the blue in the rug.

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  34. I love blue and the shade you chose is stunning! Your furniture looks great against it plus I love the contrast of the white trim and darker walls. Great job!

    Jeannette

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  35. love love love everything about this.

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  36. Oh I knew you were doing the blue...and it looks marvelous! Yes, the white molding just looks so fresh with it and it pops! So beautiful Richella. Love it!!!!!

    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

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  37. Love, love, love your walls. I have had royal blue walls in my dining room for over 15 years and still love them. Your dinig room is so gorgeous, spacious and i am loving your built ins too!

    Thanks for shaeing..
    Be blessed, Lorena

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  38. Love your color...it makes your white molding pop! Beautiful!! Love your church pew in the dining room!

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  39. So beautiful with all of the white trim!! Found you via Savvy Southern Style and am your newest follower. Pop on over and see my blue dining room when you get a moment. Tootles, Kathryn
    http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2011/08/dining-room-new-paint.html

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  40. Love it! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! You're so right - traditional does not have to be boring!

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  41. Wow, Richella, what a treat to find your blog! The dining room is spectacular - love how you pulled the color from the rug! I'm your newest follower. Stop by and visit my blog sometime if you have a chance. I'll be back for more for sure!

    Michelle
    www.newengland-style.com

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  42. I LOVE IT! You had me at the word "French." You know, that's a color that could have easily been too bright or just too much but it's beautiful! You've got great color-choice skills. : )

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  43. I.love.it! What a rich, beautiful color that still allows you to use everything you already have~what an update! Blue is HOT right now :) xo

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  44. I love the blue, especially the way the blue and white work together! Beautifully done!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Pam

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  45. I love the new color, it is Amazing!! Everything looks beautiful, with the white molding, You Did Good!

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  46. Girl I love it!!! You know me, I'm all about traditional and that color just pops! The whole thing is gorgeous and I so love your arched doorways. I'm drooling!
    Love ya!

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  47. I absolutely love the blue! The white trim, etc., really sets it off. Well done!!

    I'm your new follower.

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  48. I love, love, love the blue with the white and the wood together!! Perfect combo!! Love the story about your name too! My name is Jerrilyn. When I was born in 1961 my parents thought for sure I was going to be a boy and my name was supposed to be Louis Anthony. Surprise! With no girl names picked out they named me after my dad who's name is Jerry and an my grandmothers middle name of Lynn.

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  49. What a gorgeous color in a gorgeous room! I love it! And I especially love the pop of the white moulding against the blue. The built-ins are fabulous and really tie it all together. Thanks for sharing!

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  50. It looks beautiful. But, where on earth do you find time to be so crafty and organized?

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  51. I'm visiting from the link party at At the Picket Fence. I saw your blue dining room and it was love at first sight. I love the way the woodwork is shown off because of the contrast. Beautiful job!

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  52. That is just so gorgeous Richella! The white molding just pops against that blue and I love that you are a fellow lover of tradition here in blogland. :-) Thanks so much for sharing this at Inspiration Friday this weekend!
    Vanessa

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  53. What a beautiful, rich blue!! Love how the color contrasts against your molding. I do love bold colors in dining rooms. They should be a place that gets people excited and interacting. I'm partial to red dining rooms... but this cobalt is deep and lovely! Worth the plunge!

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  54. What a lovely dining room. The colour combo looks great. Well done! You must be so pleased with the result

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  55. OH my word, Richella! It is STUNNING! I would never have thought to use such a bold blue color, and it is absolutely perfect in that room. That shot of the stairwell in the background could be framed and hung on the wall. You done good, girl! :) Love it!

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  56. Richella, I love the new color and the white molding really pops! Beautiful. Thanks for sharing at the Open House party.
    xo,
    Sherry

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  57. You have so much built in cupboards and terrific crown molding that your walls needed a rich color, like you chose, to make it all pop. Neutral would have worked if you didn't have architectural to highlight. Lovely, lovely dining room - hope you have great times with loved ones in it.

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  58. Oh Richella! It's gorgeous. I love the blue so much more than the red. The built-ins are so beautiful.

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  59. I just added you to my pintrest... because I love this, that much! I totally want to paint a room that color!

    Stephanie

    http://airforcefamilyadventures.blogspot.com

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  60. Richella, I'm so glad I didn't miss this! Popped over from Chris's link & wow, girl it is beautiful! I was not a huge blue fan until I painted my old masterbath with a similar blue & all that white just makes it pop. You have a beautiful home, that dining room is just outstanding with the arched doorways and built in cabinets. Dreamy! Enjoy your new space, it is truly gorgeous.

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  61. It looks amazing.I love the color....makes me want to use it....Loved every picture

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  62. Absolutely perfect! Just found you on Just a Girl. I'm your newest follower:) I love the color and the way it makes the moulding pop. I just primed mine all white and have been trying to decide where to go with color. So inspiring. Bless you for your outspoken faith!

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  63. GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

    that blue is beautiful!
    and i always love your style. that bench is still my favorite :)

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  64. It's stunning, Richella! I love the color and, as you mentioned, the way the white elements work so well with the dark blue! What a lovely room! So many built in places to display your treasures! Thanks for sharing!

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  65. Wow! I LOVE it, Richella! It put a smile on my face when I saw it. Everything looks beautiful and I would LOVE to feature it. You did a fabulous job! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  66. What a beautiful room. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color. So rich!

    Well done! :)

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  67. Richella, Girl, you did good!!!! I love the blue paint. Fabulous!

    Didn't know if you knew I was back to blogging. If you read couple of posts back you will see part of why and the rest of my life, well not blog issues to share. I'm so glad to be back and have my life back again.
    Stop by when you can and I hope you Follow again. x0x0 Marla

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  68. I have the same color you had in your dining room before you painted but I love the new color too. Beautiful choice!

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  69. Let me just pick my jaw up off the floor! It is SO beautiful. I love color and am so happy to see that you tried this great color...what an inspiration! Gorgeous!!!

    Kristine

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  70. Its so wonderful to see a room done in color and what a wonderful shade of Blue it is. FABULOUS!!
    Well done!

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  71. I found you through Madigan Made and wanted to tell you how beautiful your dining room is. That blue is perfect and makes your built-ins pop. Really great job.

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  72. That rich blue color looks AMAZING in your dining room! I like it with your rich browns and I love the bench you paired with the dining set. Just beautiful! Stopping by from Cottage and Vine :)

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  73. This such a fabulous room! The blue is a perfect choice of color....I saw this last week at Sherry's but every time I see it, I am more impressed! Visiting from Rene's.

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  74. What a statement that beautiful bold blue makes, it compliments your white woodwork so nicely!

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  75. That really is a great rug! Some many colors that you aren't limited. I'll bet you enjoy seeing the blue from other rooms in the house. Thanks so much for joining the "room by room" series!

    -René

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  76. I found you at the room by room party and I LOVE that dining room and your home! The color looks wonderful with the white trim - those arches are gorgeous! My dining room has been red for about 9 or 10 years and I have been thinking about changing it for awhile, but like you, I enjoy the richness of a dark color in there. Glad I found your blog!
    -Shelley

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  77. I remember commenting on your dining room when you posted the reveal. It's stunning. I want to touch those blue walls. And the built-in cabinets??!! I want them! beautiful beautiful room - I'm visiting from Rene's blog today.

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  78. Absolutely stunning color on the walls and the beautiful rug has served as inspiration for different colors (a great investment). I do love built-ins and yours look stunning when lit.

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  79. WOW! Love the blue, love the rug, love the white, love it all! Very stunning and NOT boring. :) I just painted my bedroom navy blue and love it. Blue is an all around fab color.

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  80. How did I miss this post? Anyway, I love love love the blue!!! Didja see that my red dining room is now blue, too? It is a refreshing change, isn't it?

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  81. Hi Richella:

    Your DR color is gorgeous! Bravo for you for having the courage to go forth and go blue!

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