2 Dramatic Blue Gray Dining Nooks with Orange Accents & LPs!

Blue & orange. If you know a thing or two about the color wheel then you know the BAM! that this complementary color scheme has to offer. Blue and orange are definitely a color trend now in film, video, media. Think CSI Miami! Anyways, here are 2 young but not juvenile dining spaces with deep navy walls the perfect accents of orange. This rooms also have something else in common: records! Being a vinyl hoarder, I love to see records used in design.

Celerie Kemble dining nook

The first room is from designer Celerie Kemble’s portfolio. This is a cool space. It’s a little more modern than what I do, but it has vintage. OK, so the room isn’t “navy” but it is a bit of squid ink paint shade, so there is some blue in that gray. This gray appears more “blue” with the touches of orange. I love dark gray walls. It is a bit of a “modern” shade and it can come across as very masculine, but it packs drama. You want to transform a room in a weekend, paint it this color. Everything you own will look completely different. Whites will pop and blacks will shine. Anyways, I love the record storage in this nook! It is so clever to have it under the seating in a small space. I got to tell David. He need to build us one of these.  Anyways, this is a cozy space, very hip. I want to listen to records and lounge around drinking beer and eating guacamole and chips in this nook. *Oh, I love the textiles in here because it keeps this color combo and space from being too masculine. It’s a nice balance.

The other dining room or nook is from Rejuvenation’s website. It is a really cool space as well and totally reminds me of the early 1910-1940’s Craftsman homes in the Seattle area being fixed up by young adults like ourselves. (Rejuvenation is based in the PNW). This dining room is the kind of dining room you’d see in our neighborhood while your taking the dog out for an evening stroll. It’s classic but it has a special type of vintage lust seen in the under 40 crowd. I guess what I’m saying is that I love the look of vintage mid-modern pieces shoved into a Craftsman. The cool thing about this space is that you remove the furniture and the accessories and you have a classic Craftsman home that appeals to everyone. You didn’t do anything to ruin the vibe or the bones of the house. You worked with the house and added your tastes without destroying the authenticity of the home. I’m all about that.

Rejuvenation dining room

Anyways, I love this room. Once again, it is a “squid ink” shade that looks awesome against that white mill work. The orange accents are brilliant in this room. The lighting isn’t very typical of old homes but it has a nice vibe, a young vibe. I love the records on the ledge (recognize a few from our own collection). And one can never go wrong with a Saarinen table.

I guess we are going to try to finish the upstairs bathroom this weekend. I have to admit that I’d rather do something else, you know, like something fun. Oh, well. This house isn’t going to renovate itself. Bummer.

-Victoria

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2 Simple, Neutral White Cottage Style Dining Nooks

Marie Claire Maison dining nook

Oh, dining nooks. I love them. They are cozier than dining rooms. With just the two of us, our dining nook is the perfect size. They create such an intimate dining space.I like both of the nooks that I’ve featured in this post because they are simple, elegant, and just a little bit rustic to make it feel comfortable.

This first dining nook I found on Marie Claire Maison. It’s that classic French flea market perfection. I love the neutral colors and the rustic touches. The lighting and mirror really pop against all of the vanilla shades. I love the eclectic mix white picture frames. It really adds something to this small and simple space. I say this is a small space. Any space like this won’t appear small if paired with such high ceilings! That paired with those long loft windows make this space feel airy and open despite the light colors. Oh, and skylights. So, yeah, this is going to feel like and airy.

I wish I knew where I found this other nook. I like to give credit were credit is due. But, I don’t know where it came from, sorry. This other nook is also light and rustic. Both of the nooks I have featured have those wooden “folding” bistro chairs. It looks like I have picked them out. For some reason, I can not pick out comfortable furniture 🙂 Anyways, this room as the cutest corner built-in painted white as

"Cottage" style dining nook

well. I love it displaying white dishes. I love classic white ceramics on display. This nook is an adorable cottage or bungalow nook. I’m really attracted to it because it reminds me of our nook. I could do this look with our 30’s home.

These are two simple dining nooks with a vintage cottage style. One can’t go wrong with a clean color palette of white and neutrals. It’s a cozy look. I’ve also learned that I am not the only person in the world that doesn’t know how to chose comfortable chairs 🙂 Oh, and fresh produce on a nook table makes any space look better.

Happy Bastille Day! I hope these two rustic dining nooks have inspired you to do a little bit of summer French cooking today.

-Victoria

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Tudorks Painting The Dining Nook

As usual, Frink is overseeing the renovation.

We finally removed every trace of the layers and layers and layers of retro-fabulous wallpaper from the dining nook! We may have resorted to an electric sander with a buffer pad and diluted Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, but we did it. Since then we’ve had the windows replaced being that the ones that were there had some homemade mess of glass that was caulked together. We painted the room a dove gray mistint that I love (less lilac than the picture). I am going for a swank early 60’s Hong Kong hotel, think the decor of the hotels featured in the series I Spy. I got my wish and it will be fantastic. I didn’t realize that most of the things we own fits in the “swank early 60’s Asian hotel” category.  I’ve started decorating this space. I’m not finished. Does one ever stop decorating their space? I’ll show those pics when I get there. I desperately need a sputnik!!!

I just wanted to share this little accomplishment. I can now eat dinner at a table. I haven’t had that in 7 months.

-Victoria

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Decorating with Paper Lanterns

I’m not one to decorate with paper lanterns. They just don’t fit with our house and our design. OK, so I mean that I haven’t found a way for them to work with our house or our design. I do find them attractive. They are so fragile, weightless, and light but they take up so much space and really can make a great focal point for a room. For something so “flimsy”, it can really make a statement. They are usually inexpensive and add whimsy to a space. If you add them to a room, it makes that room feel like a party and very festive.

I did find this really cute room in British Vogue. It’s a bit too cottage chic for my style but I do like it. (Don’t get me wrong. I do appreciate cottage style. I’m just not in the place or the home for it). I often find that when I see paper lanterns in decorating, it is often in a room for a teen or child. Paper lanterns can look too young and too dorm-like. This room may be country cottage, but at least it looks grown-up. This isn’t a dollhouse cottage. It’s quirky and fun. The lamp really pops against the paleness of the room. It’s a nice piece of art, a focal point, to have in this family room/library. I love red used as an accent. I’m such a sucker for it. David and I have decided that blue would be our new red, but I don’t think that has lasted.

pic found in British Vogue

I love red and vermillion and carmine. I also love these country cottage curtains against the red floral lantern. If you are going to have a country cottage you might as well mix floral prints.

Anyways, I also like the concept of this room and not just its style. I love that it is a library styled family room/dining room. Children can get homework help there. Children and adults can do art projects. Grown-ups can drink tea and look at design blogs on their laptop. It’s a nice use of that space without looking like a typical family room. It’s cute enough to entertain in. And it looks very “budget” friendly. These are the kind of pieces that one can collect from yard sales, thrift stores, and International markets.

Well, we’re renting that industrial buffer today to finish up the hardwood floors downstairs today. Boy, are my abs going to hurt tomorrow. Buffers belong in a rodeo.

-Victoria

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2 Yellow Ochre Rooms That I Like

I love mustardy yellow ochre shades but I have never “played” with it when it comes to decorating. It really doesn’t work well with the colors that we have used in the interior. But, man I love it. I like any color that reminds me of decaying leaves on the forest floor.

Southern Accents Ochre Library

This first room is a library from Southern Accents (RIP). This is one detailed room. I really do wish that the trim and some of the millwork was painted in a contrasting color such as white or espresso to really make it pop. I have no idea why they are trying to understate its magnificence. We pedestrian people would about do anything for a room with this much architectural strength. But, anyways. This ochre works so well with the rich patina of all of the wood tones. It really creates a luxe color palette. I also love the pops of vermilion and teal. This keeps the ochre from being too “stuffy”. I also love these ornate built-ins and the touch of the chicken wire is nice. It’s a great room. It really has an old world charm that the ochre helps to bring out.

This other room is really trying to sell the McCoy lighting fixture from Rejuvenation. This is a tiny dining space/kitchen that I love. I love the lighting and if I had a space that would work with pendant lighting, I would have to use some of this antique industrial inspired lighting. (I am considering the boudoir but I am fearful that I would bump head). This ochre color room, with the perfect lighting, looks great with wood tones too.

kitchen featured in Rejuvenation

The room is a bit plain since it only exists to sell us the lighting fixture. The fixture is the only work of art allowed. But, throw a early modernism painting on that wall and this room is complete. I also love how both of the rooms play with warm tones metals. Ochre is just meant for those.

I know I say that I am not ready for yellow. But, I think I may be if it is ochre. It is growing on me. And like other “cheery” shades, it must be mixed with woods and warm metals to keep it from looking too gingham country cottage or shabby chic.

-Victoria

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Getting Steamy: I Love Our Wagner Wallpaper Steamer!

Dining nook, I think 7 layers of wallpaper.

Every room in this house has been covered with wallpaper! And not just one layer but like 7 with a few layers painted over! Getting this stuff off has been a nightmare. Seriously, I’m having nightmares over it. All the paper has to go despite its coolness. I love vintage wallpaper and even before we bought this house I spent hours online “researching” different types and popularity because I love vintage prints. As you remember this house was filthy (still is). We have to start fresh. Electrical work must be done, did see some slime mold in its reproductive stages in some of the felt, and I need to know if there has been any plaster damage. So, we have 5 known rooms to remove wallpaper from.

I have removed wallpaper before as a kid. It was a small bathroom and my dad just did that soapy water soaking method. My little fingers and strange obsession with picking made me a good “helper”. It was awful. It is still awful. My little kid memories did not fail me. For some reason we first started with the dining nook. Who knew this little space had been wallpapered so many times?

1930's bottom layer peeping through

We got all the way down to the original late 30’s stuff that was there when it was built, notes are on the plaster below of what “model” of wallpaper to use. We first started with scrapping, this took forever! Then we soaked the walls with warm water. This helped. But, it made a huge mess. (To our advantage we are not keeping the carpet in there). This process was still taking forever. After 2.5 days of scraping and peeling this tiny space, we had enough. I remember a lady I work with telling me about how her son rented a wallpaper steamer during his old home renovation. Off to Lowe’s on Sunday we went. They did not rent them. Instead they sold them. We purchased the Wagner 705 Power Steamer for $50. We were seriously hopeless and couldn’t believe how cheap this thing is and we have so many rooms to do. We went home and it melted paper off like butter! Unbelievable. We wasted so much time! It is the easiest machine to use ever, it does get very hot but it doesn’t require caustic chemicals, just water. Follow the manufacturer’s directions and the wallpaper will be running away in fear.

Kitchen wallpaper

Removing wallpaper even with the steamer is still time consuming but it definitely cuts it down to like 3 hours instead of 3 days. I have to hold it over the painted over wallpaper for 3 times as long. So, I just give a space 2 hours of steaming and walk away and come back later or another day. My shoulders are not happy with me! We just have so much to remove. Glue just stays in the plaster with its knock-down finish. I’m finding that even though I get most of it off, I still have to come back later and steam and run a stiff broom over the wall to get all the debris off.

I’m almost done. I have finished the foyer, stairway, 90% of the dining nook, and remember that luscious lady mural, well, she’s gone now. I just have the kitchen with its amazing wallpaper. It looks like only one layer so the steamer will tear through it. And I have the powder room, ughhh, it has been painted over and I fear it will take all of my patience.

Anyways, if you have wallpaper to remove do not hesitate to purchase one of these steamers. It is really quick and clean in comparison to your other removal options. It isn’t very expensive and you probably could sell it on Craigslist when your finished.

-Victoria

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The Dining Nook & Its Amazing Wallpaper

First impression: awesome wallpaper.

When this house was for sale, I peeped through the windows before being showed the home “formally”. Glad I didn’t get accused of being a Peeping Tom. I was peeping but not for those perverted reasons. Trust me, nothing to see here but junk and not that kind of junk. Geez. The windows through the back were open and I was amazed at what I saw. It was the most amazing red and gold wallpaper ever in a small dining nook. I just knew that I had to see more and boy did I see more.

I love wallpaper and this stuff is tops. It is felt and foil and completely fabulous. Unfortunately, it is grotty (filthy, peeling, felt rubbed off in areas) and it has to go. New windows are being put in and some electrical stuff needs to be done. It’s sad because I would love to work with this stuff, but dirty is dirty and repairs must be made. I hope to salvage and frame some of it. The print is just too good to disappear. I did find the exact same stuff online, Rosie’s Vintage Wallpaper (awesome site BTW), but for  $325 a roll! I would of splurged but a roll won’t do the space and the ceilings are tall and coved. It’s hard to “draw a line” of when to quit. I just thought it would be cool to be able to keep that bold print in such a small space. Heck, Brocade Home (pictured below) does this all the time and people love it. Brocade has tacky light fixtures as well but I don’t think any are as tacky as a Tiffany styled swag Huskies lamp. The carpet is going too. Can’t wait to see the wood floors beneath!

Everybody is doing it!

After looking for vintage wallpaper online, I came across some pretty groovy stuff at a thrift store for like a $2 a roll, some very Buck Rogers stuff. It’s foil, no felt. It’s a mod in a 70’s way design with silver, white, macaroni n’cheese orange, and yellow. I don’t know if or where I’ll use it but I do have a bit of a wallpaper bug right now. Perhaps in the speech studio?

-Victoria

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