Dining Room Makeover-Bringing the Cozy with Sandberg Wallpaper & Billy Bookcases from IKEA
Happy Tuesday!! It is FREEZING here and flurrying outside as I type this post. We are in a winter storm watch for tonight and tomorrow; a reminder that winter is much still here. My dining room is feeling extra cozy today with the snow and cold and I am so excited to share it with you all! This is one of my favorite makeovers I’ve done yet. I was bold with my design choices and it definitely paid off! Grab a warm drink, a comfy spot, and come take a look at our dining room makeover!
dining room before
I had put these shelves and chalkboard up years ago and was ready for a change. We have a smaller kitchen and while I adore it, I always could use a little more storage space. I kept this thought in mind, while planning out the dining room makeover.
IKEA Billy Bookcase Shelves
The iconic Billy bookcase shelf! If you haven’t heard of these shelves then you maybe have been living under a rock. SO many people use these in their designs and it is amazing what people do to spruce them up. I waited until December to purchase these when they had free shipping. We live many hours away from an IKEA so it was a good deal! I purchased the tallest option I could and then added on 2 height extension units for each shelf.
These were VERY easy to put together. I’m not a huge fan of putting together furniture, who is really? So, I was not looking forward to this step- but it surprisingly went quite quickly, and I had no trouble doing it all by myself!
The next picture is with 1 height extender on both shelfs. My 2nd one was about 1/2 an inch too tall. (Insert hands over eyes emoji.) After some brainstorming, we realized this was not something we could do ourselves. We ended up having our contractor cut them down for us. Problem solved!
Sandberg Wallpaper
I’m a more fly by my seats kind of girl when it comes to projects, but I knew with my wallpaper choice, I needed to be opposite of that. I purchased 6 samples of Sandberg wallpaper and hung them up. By that evening I knew which wallpaper I wanted and purchased 2 rolls. Linnea Misty Blue wallpaper was the winner!
dining room after
After an evening of wallpapering, a failed attempt at hanging the new light fixture, a text to our electrician, and a morning of styling- the new dining room was finished! This space reminds me of a Nancy Meyer’s movie and it makes my heart SO SO SO happy!
new light fixture
Does anyone else get overwhelmed when choosing a light fixture?? SO many options out there. That is why, I don’t let myself look for too long. The more I look the more confused I get and more options I find. When I found this light fixture on West Elm’s site, I knew it was the one. It was the right price and size, and I knew it would be gorgeous against the backdrop of the wallpaper. Add to cart. Done.
To me this light fixture is classic & timeless while also being a little modern. It’s just so beautiful.
IKEA Billy Bookcases & Shelf Styling
I really wanted these to look like custom built-ins. I’m still working on those details to make them look like so.
There’s nothing I love more than a blank shelf starting back at me. Shelf styling is one of my favorite things to do; if it was considered a “hobby”, it would definitely be one of mine. For the shelves in here I wanted them to look collected which is why I did a mixture of essential pretty kitchen items- bowls, pots, etc. as well as some decor and antiques.
Most of the items I used in the shelves, I already had on hand but some I purchased specifically with this space in mind. The orange artwork was a find at Target; the instant I saw it I knew it would be perfect in here. The large white and navy blue ruffled platter was under $10 at Hobby Lobby. It’s pretty sitting here on the shelf and will also be great to use when serving food.
Live plants bring life to a space, so I typically always include them in my shelf styling.
This blue vase was another find I specifically bought for this space- I believe I found it at Home Goods. These faux flowers are from World Market. I am VERY PICKY with what faux flowers I use and these are really good and look very natural to me.
little details
The little details are equally as important as the large ones. This is something I’ve learned as I’ve continued to educate myself when it comes to design. These chair cushions play off the blue in the wallpaper.
Accent pillows create a cozy, layered look. All of these pillow covers can be taken off and washed, a must for the dining space.
This table runner was another World Market find; it’s the accent color I used in a lot of my decor items.
My goal was to create a beautiful, cozy inviting space while creating more storage space. I think I accomplished my goal! There are a few finishing things I still need to do- I would like to add a trim piece between the top of the shelves and ceiling to give it more of a built-in look. I really think that will finish it off. I also need to decide whether to wallpaper the section of wall that leads into the new addition or do my faux brick. Still deciding.
