A New Dining Room on a Budget
I recently had the pleasure of working with a couple to create a new formal dining room in their home. Because it was an older house, and the space was pretty worn and outdated, the couple decided to gut the room and start over. I couldn't have been happier. But the joy of working with a clean slate was quickly tempered by a somewhat limited budget.
The project began with a long anticipated day of demolition. We took out the windows and butler door, tore down the walls all the way to the studs, and pulled up the old floor. It was both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. As I headed home after that first day, I was wondering how we would be able to pull of my designs while staying within budget.
During the design phase we talked about using things like vinyl flooring and Corona furniture to keep the costs down. But as a professional with a lot of experience, I knew cost overruns were part of the game. Thank goodness the demolition didn't reveal any hidden problems that needed repair.
The second day met us with new vinyl windows, double-paned of course, and a truckload of drywall. The windows were installed in a just over an hour, leaving us to start the drywall after a hot cup of tea. It took most of the rest of that day to hang the board, tape it, and get the first coat of compound on. We decided to leave the floor until after the walls were finished.
Four days later we found ourselves on hands and knees installing a vinyl floor that simulated real wood. We considered using an engineered product but couldn't justify the cost on such a tight budget. The floor went down without a hitch and, as an added bonus we were all surprised by how good it looked. A stained pine baseboard finished it off nicely, complimented by the matching crown moulding above.
With all the construction work finished, it was time to discuss the dining table and chairs. I was hoping my clients were serious about the Corona furniture idea, because they wanted a china cabinet in addition to the dining set. With the budget already being very close, I showed them pictures of two Corona sets; a light but elegant Seconique and a dark standard Corona. Much to my relief, they chose the darker set.
It's been about three weeks since the first dinner party in their new dining room. I'm happy to say that my clients are very pleased. We completely remodelled their dining room space with a look they love and budget they could afford. And that makes me happy, too.