How to transform your dining room...in a week

So I posted about these crazy antics on my instagram (bcarter85) mid-last week.  I got a wild hair and decided that last week should be the week in which all the black furniture in my dining room shall turn white.  All before I was hosting a baby shower at my house (let's be clear - I provided the house and a few goodies for the shower and my SILs did the rest - but the house part was important!).

Preface to why it wasn't SOOOO crazy:

1) this is furniture we have had for a long time - like our married lives moved from our old house

2) it's been spray painted black before

3) I honestly think to myself "man, this room would look so much better with white furniture" every time I walk up the stairs and glance over my left shoulder at the dining room (which this thought has been happening for a year or so - and really that's the only time our dining room is looked at - unless the underneath of the table is being used as a fort!!)

So with a week before I was to play host, I decided to just get out my half full can of Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint and just started painting.  Saturday was fine - but I quickly realized, I was going to need another can, so I went there with Maddie and got it before we went to a couple's shower that night.  Sunday, I painted the second coat on the table legs and was feeling VERY accomplished.  And then I started on the chest thing and I was exhausted come Sunday.   I had tried to just spray paint the chairs (like I did when I turned them black from oak wood color) - but yeah, that wasn't really working out and the off white spray paint sure didn't sit evenly at all.

By Monday - I was feeling like this was a HORRIBLE idea.  Especially after a long weekend that was just behind us.  Last thing I wanted to do was finish this stupid project that I started because really - black or white furniture, who the heck cares?  I'm pregnant - I should be sleeping when my older kids are!!

And therein lies the issue with picking up a paint brush and starting before truly thinking about if you have the time to do this and complete it before your "deadline".

You have no choice and you just push forward.  And to be honest, I'm one of those crazy people that works much better and faster under a deadline/pressure/you name it.  The ending to the story?  It was brutal and there were some late nights and less blogging, reading, TV watching, talking to Jimmy....but the un-assembled room was reassembled late Saturday night and all the furniture magically went from black to white thanks to the painting fairy.  AKA me.  But let's just pretend a sweet little fairy did it because that makes me not remember how much my back, hands, legs, hurt from squatting to paint and sitting and getting in weird angles.  Thinking someone else did it makes me like the pictures a lot better!  

Here are some before pictures of the furniture I painted/replaced!

Oh and Maddie was hanging out looking all homeless with her hair in her face.

See - don't you think the black just doesn't "go"?  Or am I just crazy?!

This was artwork I found at Hobby Lobby and loved (clearance for $35!) - but this piece of furniture?  It had to go.  Obviously it was not being used because our children use wine bottles as weapons (what almost 4 year old boy doesn't when given the opportunity?) - so down to the basement with all the other furniture I recently declared as "rejects".

Oh and this corner - oh yes.  This was not actually done in a week - but you will DIE at the results.  My dad is simply amazing and I did give him 2.5 weeks (not just a week) to complete this project with minimal vision from me - but as always - he executed it with perfection and on time.  The after is simply amazing of this space/wall area (PS I am sad because these awesome paintings I got in Paris last summer - FINALLY had a home and then - poof they are gone again.  They will find a spot in my house somewhere!!)

This was just one demonstration of my crazy painting project.  I had overtaken like the whole kitchen/hearth room and somehow my children were completely unphased by the whole thing.  Apparently I do weird things like this enough they don't notice?

And - TA DA - for the after.  The result of Annie Sloan Old white chalk paint, the flat coat finishing stuff and a whole lotta elbow grease!

I mean - just so much better, right?!

PS do you like the stencil wall?  All that credit goes to Jimmy - he rocked that project probably 6 months ago!

And while the wine chest thingy went down to the reject pile, I resurrected a current reject that was down there - this was previously black and I painted it with just a sample of Annie Sloan chalk paint (blue something or other - I will double check if anyone is interested - but I did like the color a lot!! But it's a cute little spot (in which I still need a picture or something for that frame that I also spray painted - I'm obsessed with spray paint for everything if you didn't know) that houses our two extra kitchen chairs that we can now easily pull into the kitchen to use if we need extra spots!

And this area.  I told you that you'd freak out.

Here is a side by side to jog your memory.  I mean is my dad not amazing?  I think the final piece will be a long sign that spans the entire top above the shelves that says something about "grab a drink" or something of the sorts.  I've been hunting around - so if anyone has any cute rustic looking sign/saying ideas - send them my way please!!

But essentially he bought a wine/beer fridge (that is awesome!), then got a pre made cabinet from Home Depot and cut the top off (because all the other others that weren't tall were too wide), then did his magic and made sure they didn't "ruin" the current wainscoting on the wall but they were super secure.  he painted the cabinet the same color to match the trim.  Then we went to a granite place and I found this scrap piece of granite that was the perfect size and matches our granite in our kitchen.  After they cut it perfectly, they came for a quick installation and ta-da!  This little beverage center is born!  I got the shelves from Home Depot and the super cute bottle cap opener/holder thing from Target - and like I said - we just need a sign at the top to say something creative.  I let Jimmy dress up the shelves himself with some of his favorite glasses and of course threw up an empty picture frame that I spray painted that will have something cute in it.

So there you have it.  A complete dining room makeover!  The painting took a week (which was for sure pushing it because doing after work/kids in bed, I was BEAT!), but it was so worth it to be done and enjoy it on Sunday at the shower!  It looked awesome and I'm obsessed with this room now!  And the beverage center?  My dad really out did himself I think - I love it and on such a short time line and (hopefully) within the budget I gave him!  Seriously, can I mention he is the best??!!!  Can't wait to use it again tomorrow night when some of the neighbor girls come over to hang out!

Ok - so now I just need to get on the nursery because right now it's still a guest room and we only have 19 weeks to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AH!