Living and Dining Room...Before

I absolutely love the living and dining room in our house.  The rooms have perfect proportions - each is a perfect square with 10' ceilings.  At some point the wall between the two rooms was removed and replaced by a large archway.  While I enjoy the openness and flexibility of this change, I cringe to think of what might have happened to the original pocket doors that I'm almost certain would have inhabited the wall. 

Regardless, these rooms have excellent bones - beautiful plaster crown mouldings, 10" baseboards, original hardwood (that needs refinishing...), and those ceiling medallions.  I won't lie, I've spent a good deal of time lying on the floor just staring at them....imagining the hands that made them...studying their intricate detail...and watching shadows play across them.  Yes indeed...with such lovely bones, this room hasn't needed any extensive renos...though we have made quite a few changes. 

The pictures below show the rooms in their pre-Kyle and Tessa state.  The furnishings and decor belong to the previous owner. 



The Dining Room - mmmm flesh coloured walls and ceiling.  It reminds me of that scene in Garden State...except um, for nudists I guess?  Sorry about that visual everyone...moving on...

 



A detail of Dining Room plaster medallion and light fixture.  The previous owner made sure we were aware that this light fixture (and the one in the living room) is a period appropriate antique.  That may be true...but surely those blue shades are not.  Regardless of 'authenticity', we're not slavish historicists and frankly, the room deserves better.

  

The Living Room - unfortunately the fireplace was rebuilt at some point...and without the detail that is typical in a late 19th century Victorian...we've gone back and forth on whether or not to paint the brick. 



Living Room - look how cleverly the previous owner concealed the awkwardly placed thermostat...can you spot it?



 

Living Room medallion, archway with corbels, Dining Room beyond.



 



I wish we had a better shot of the bay window, but this at least shows some of the great details of the window trim



Just today we installed what I like to call, la pièce de résistance in the Living Room. You'll have to wait and see what it is...but trust me...it's spectacular. Though the rooms (and entire house) are a continual work in progress, for now I'd say that the Living Room and Dining Room are 'done'. Over the next little while, I'll share the details, DIY projects, repurposed/recycled finds, and new objects that have helped make these rooms our own.

-kyle