Tour my newly remodeled dining room with both contemporary and retro elements, and see how I was able to blend the two styles seamlessly.
It’s here! It’s here! The dining room reveal is happening! You’ve watched me plan, build, and design this room for the last month on Instagram, and today is the day that I’m pulling back the plastic sheeting and showing you the finished space. This has been a labor of love for both me and my husband, because we truly do use this room every day for meals. We play board games here, we have deep conversations, and we host our family for holidays. This is THE room we all gravitate to.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Here’s how the room looked when we moved in a year ago. Gray walls, builder-grade light fixture, and a dark, dirty stone fireplace.

And here’s how it looked before the remodel. Not bad, not great. The rug was too small, the walls were kind of plain, and the room didn’t stand out. It wasn’t special. It was just a place to hold our table. Bleh.


But now! OMG Now!!! This doesn’t even look like the same space! The picture frame moulding took the dining room to a whole new level, and that level is fancy and elegant, while still inviting and cozy. It makes me want to light some tapered candles and snack on cheese and crackers.

We really enhanced the height of the room by painting the ceiling Totally Black by Behr. The black ceiling made the room feel even taller than it is, and made it feel like its own space. While the dining room is connected to our living room and only separated by the floating fireplace, that black ceiling sets it apart. I painted the crown moulding black, too to tie it all together.

Speaking of the fireplace, can we just talk about how much lighter the room is now that the fireplace is whitewashed? There was actual moss and dead lichen on 75% of the stones, and that felt kind of icky to eat beside. Now it feels fresh, clean, and bright. Like a piece of textured art.

And while we’re on the subject of art, this new light fixture is what really does it for me. The old light fixture was so boring. This one is a total wow factor. The brass and matte black combo brings all the retro vibes back into this 1970s house, but in the classiest way possible. It pops on that black ceiling and is a complete showstopper when you walk into the room from the kitchen.


Another retro nod is the massive table lamp. It screams “1970s luxury” right? This lamp is so tall and is the statement piece of the sideboard. And it’s the perfect height to anchor the 6 foot tall olive tree on the other side.


Remember when I added this sideboard? I filled it with all our entertaining dishware and barware, and the big wide drawer gave me a place to store my antique gold flatware. I’m dreaming of the holidays this year where I can fill the top of the sideboard with all kinds of snacks and treats for our annual Burris Family Dinner.



So what do you think? Worth the wait? I know I hyped this room remodel up on Instagram for a full month, and it more than exceeded the expectations I had in my head. This dining room really is the dining space of my dreams, and the perfect home for my grandparents’ antique table.

But wait, there’s more! The dining room is connected to the living room, and the living room has been undergoing a remodel, too. I’m putting the finishing touches on the living space and that reveal is coming next week! Can my heart handle all this excitement? Oh yes it can! Make sure you’re on my Saturday email list so you’ll get all the links to each week’s blog posts. I can’t wait to show you what’s on the other side of that fireplace!
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