I am at a complete loss as to what to do with this dining room! HELP!

Question

This room gets no sunlight and I'm on a budget, so I am just painting but can't decide on colors and how to paint the wood floor and cheap wainscoting. I also have this ugly black lacquer  cabinet that needs a redo. Any suggestions???

Polly Zieper · Answer

I like blue/aqua/ and/or mint green to brighten up a room, Can the doors to the kitchen be painted? And the laquer cabinet?Can you find or make a floor cloth or tapestry to use on the floor, maybe from a dropcloth?I've seen some nice ones here that were just tiedyed or stenciled dropcloths.

B J Alexis · Answer

I would start with a pale blue/aqua on the walls as suggested by 'Polly'.  The folding doors I would paint an off white and then see if the wainscoting and floor still NEED to be painted.  For the 'cheap cabinet' most cabinets like that can be sanded, primer and then painted, maybe the same off white as the doors--keep the work to a minimum and see how it looks when each project is finished before work on the floors is started.

CK · Answer

Of course with no windows it'll be dark....so your use of artificial light is crucial.  However....do you use that room as your main eating area or do you use it only for special occasions?  Sometimes that question is pertinent to how you'll decorate and what colors to use.

OK...about painting the floor. I can assure you it'll look fabulous!  We painted our master bedroom floor and love it!  We used white.  But that color may not work for the look you're going for.

You can also clean, prime and paint that cabinet if you need it for furniture in that room or elsewhere.

As to color scheme.....  I always ask my customers 'How do you want the room to feel?'  Some say they want it to be light and airy, some say warm and cozy, more like a cave-feeling.   Paint choice can help a lot with whatever you decide.

If you post more 'I like/I dislike' options for us on HT, we'll be able to point you in the right direction for more help :-)

Liz · Answer

Just a thought, but would you want to remove the doors?  That would allow sunlight from the other room to come in.   The other people have given excellent suggestions!  Paint can do amazing things to a room and can completely change the 'mood' to make a room a bright, happy place.    Inexpensive prints of bright, outdoor scenes can be bought on ebay and framed with garage sale frames.  It's a way of bringing the outside into a room.  Good luck, and let us see what you do.  Think of this as an 'adventure'!

Pam Walker · Answer

Depends on how feminine you are & your tastes.  What I'd do for the cabinet is to buy some cheap doilies, tape them on 1 at a time & dab some white paint over it.  When you lift the doilie, it will leave a pretty pattern on the cabinet.  Since it's black, it'd go with either white or off-white for the accent.  That will brighten it up & not too time-consuming.  It will only take a small can of paint or use spray paint sprayed directly onto the brush & then dab the doilies.  As for the walls, maybe painting them a solid color with some stenciling in a nice vibrant color.  LIGHTING:  You could use a big lamp or two on each side of the room to use when needed.  Tack the cords down running along the baseboards & painted the same color as the wall, will be less noticeable.  Hope this helps.  :)

Christina · Answer

Thank you everyone for your ideas and input!! I'll let ya know how it turns out!!

CK · Answer

If you're husband won't remove the doors into the kitchen, painting them a light color will certainly help alleviate the dark mood :-)

Karen Williams · Answer

First, I would remove the doors, paint or stain the floor (perhaps match wood from kitchen cabinets?), paint all trim & wainscoting a light color or off-white (rustic doesn't have to be dark or rough).  Do you have a theme that can be brought in from the kitchen?  A mirror would help bounce light around the room.  Paint/ stencil wall above the wainscoting, The black lacquer cabinet can wait - unless it's in really bad shape - place below the mirror.  Leave the windows bare - you need ANY light they can give.

Linda Sca · Answer

The lighter the colors, the brighter and bigger the room will appear.  I like the lighter blue, and green shades.  I, too, enjoy the brightness of a room.  In my downstairs family room I purchased LED light bulbs in daylight brightness,  they can do wonders for lighting.  Do be aware that a lot of LED bulbs are soft white,  and they will not make a lot of difference, so do make sure to read for daylight brightness, and ask if you are in question.  You will spend more upfront for the bulbs, but it will light up your room for pennies a day.  I like the Cree brand, but that is a choice you can make if you decide to go this route.  Good Luck in what ever you do !!!!!!!!!!  and Enjoy !!!!!!!!

Loretta · Answer

Like the blues, greens suggested with white wainscoting. Go on Pinterest for ideas for the room & the piece of furniture. I have louvered folding doors which I hated until I painted them white. Made a huge difference.

Nancy · Answer

Try painting the louvre red doors white.  Invest in a paint sprayer.

Nancy · Answer

A blue can brighten the room if the wainscoting is painted white.

Nancy · Answer

A softer blue/green can be mixed with black or darker woods.

Biteofreality · Answer

A soft yellow on the walls could give the feel of sunshine and light ,painting out the wood wainscoting and doors white , and the cabinet a light airy blue would continue to lighten, and brighten the whole room . The light bulbs you chose can also brighten the whole room.

Christina · Answer

Everyone's ideas and input has been greatly appreciated!!! I love color!! My living room is painted with 2 different shades of orange, my bathroom is red and done in pallet wood to make it look like an outhouse. So far I have painted the ceiling white and will be installing a ceiling fan. I was going to stain and white wash wainscoting and decided on blueish Grey color for the walls but that was yesterday and I find myself standing in this room scratching my head again!  LOL!!

Jacalyn · Answer

I love Biteofreality's ideas, above.  Yellow is always cheery and makes me think of sun, even when there is none.  I painted my tiny, windowless laundry room yellow (Behr Butter Cookie) and looks brighter and sunny.  Good luck and remember to post after pictures for us!

D roach · Answer

I saw a lovely post on here about a dark hallway. They had put a false window at the end with light behind it. Would probably work in your room too.

Annie Doherty · Answer

My favourite colours at the moment are greige or a soft warm grey you could use this also on your Wainscoting.  For your black cabinet, use a primer like Zinsser bullseye will prime anything, no need to sand just clean your cabinet when dry prime, then maybe a slightly deeper shade than the one chosen for your walls, in eggshell this is very hard wearing and will give a slight sheen. I can't actually see what it looks like from your photo, if it has knobs maybe change these or if suitable prime and paint to match. If your cabinet has drawers or cupboard, you could consider using wallpaper to line these out. Good luck with your project I would love to see your finished room.

Suzanne · Answer

Since you like color -- terra cotta on the walls, white on the Wainscoting, keep cabinet black and paint the louvered doors black as well.

Jack Rogerson · Answer

Christina,
Maybe you could paint the walls a pale green colour, which is the most relaxing colour. You could even paint the floorboards too, with a complementary green colour. The cabinet would be best white, I think, or even a very pale green. If you buy one pot of green paint and one pot of white paint, you could mix and match as you wish.  More light could be got by making an imitation window, on the wall, complete with curtains etc. It's called a Trompe D'Oeil....Google it... Put a flourescent tube across the top, behind the pelmet/frilly bit to get the extra light.
Best of luck.
Jack
West London....UK

Christine · Answer

Some questions:  Will the doors be open to the kitchen?  Do you want the kitchen to match or complement the dining room?  Is this a room that will be used often?  Do you think you would refinish the floors in the future?  Once painted, stain will  not be a good option so think carefully before painting them.  If you are still deciding on how to decorate, I recommend going neutral.  Pick a moderately light color for walls that can be painted over more easily if you change your mind.  Something with a soft butter cream yellow would bring light and warmth.  Is the farmhouse look going to be distressed?     Will the room be open to other rooms?  If so, what are their color schemes?  Do you want them to match, contrast, etc.? I agree with other suggestions that you should consider what you use this room for (everyday use, occasional?), what feeling do you want to convey, how you want it to 'go' with rooms that open to it.  A neutral wall color leaves you the option of changing up the chair covers, table cloth, pictures, etc., without a lot of cost.  I use semi-gloss on all my walls and woodwork because it is so easy to clean.  If you are not sure about the floor and stain in the future, I would go with a light tone stain for now.  You can cover with a rug and it would be easier to darken light stain than lighten dark stain.  For the dark cabinet, consider waiting until you have painted the walls and chosen a floor color choice.  You may find having that one dark piece won't be so 'dark.' You can also consider distressing that piece by painting over the black with a light color.  I also recommend checking out Pinterest for ideas as well as this site. Good luck!

Christine · Answer

Check out this dark, distressed cabinet! http://createinspireme.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-buffet.html

Karen Williams · Answer

If you're painting the wainscoting, you don't need to sand other than removing any damage or glossy finish.  Think light or bright colors & limit dark pcs to a minimum.  It's good that you're open to new ideas - it can help to try something not normal for you.  I also love jewel tones & grays, but a professional painter told me I wouldn't regret his choice for my newly renovated dining room - a neutral, sandy beige w/ white trim.  I HATED beige, as the refuge of color-shy folk!  But he said he'd do it over, if I really didn't like it & it's still there - 7 years later!  Someone once said 'give your eyes a place to rest' & it's something to think about.

Christina · Answer

Good morning to my helpful home talk crew! It's been a crazy week with this room, sanding,  then painting and sanding it off because I didn't like it!! I did manage to finish the ceiling and windows, put a coat of white paint on wainscoting, whether or not it stays is yet to be seen. I stained and painted the baseboards and have narrowed my wall color down to two!!

Charlene · Answer

1- Chose a wall on the outside of the house and add faux windows with led lights behind them to give the effect of sunshine, add drapes to finish the effect.
2- LIGHT COLORS make a room appear larger, I prefer the green and grey tones together and some red for a pop of color.
3- White wash all but one dark piece of furniture, you can distress the piece to show some of the dark color but choosing one piece as a focal point will enhance the room.
4- Fresh flowers in a room adds a change of color weekly.
Good luck.

Christina · Answer

With the help and awesome suggestions from the home talk community I have things rolling! Walls are painted a blue Grey, floor is sanded and stained and getting ready to white wash, the wainscoting is still a thorn in my side. I have painted, repainted 3 times and still have yet to decide. It's  getting there and I will keep you posted. Thanks to all!!!

Jcraw · Answer

I agree with distressing the black cabinet.

Annie Doherty · Answer

Christina how about considering a slightly darker blue grey than the wall colour or a warm slate grey. It sounds as if you have done a great job to date, I would love to see the finished result.

Bonnie West · Answer

would love to see the finished result!!!

Hb · Answer

guess the finished product wasnever shared. shame after all the efforts people put into trying to help this person

I am at a complete loss as to what to do with this dining room! HELP!

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