A Kitchen Re-Style: Part 3 – Dining Room Consultation with Black Goose Design
I think I’m ready for another kitchen update, how about you?
You can visit part one and part two of our kitchen restyles as well, to get caught up.
But THIS time, instead of talking cabinets and counter tops, we’re going to be chatting all about our little kitchen nook (aka: the dining room). I’m sure some of you have caught on, if you’ve been following us for a while, that we have been without a kitchen table for ohhhhh… about 7 months.
Ack!
Last May during our epic garage sale, we decided that we wanted to sell our square black table and chairs, to make room for something a little different. The table and chairs sold in no time flat and although I was thrilled that someone could use them, I KNEW at that very moment, we’d be without a proper place to eat for a looooong time.
don’t ask… I have no idea, and this is the only picture I had of our forever-empty space.
You see, we have a very specific buying style, when it comes to purchasing large pieces in our home. Our motto is:
Quality Counts!
If you buy it right the FIRST time, then you won’t have to spend money on another for a LONG time.
What does this mean?
Well, I kind of like to compare it to the perfect pair of jeans. Come on ladies, we ALL know how hard THOSE are to find, but at one point or another in our lives, we’ve had the pleasure of owning a pair. You know… the length is perfect, the wash is just right and your butt looks fantastic. As you’re turning and posing in front of that full length mirror admiring yourself, you don’t look at the high price tag and say… “Eh, I wish they were a lot cheaper, I’ll just find another pair”… You BUY THEM! And even though it may hurt your wallet for a minute, they usually end up lasting for MANY years.
And THAT’S how we feel about large/big ticket items like couches, dining room tables, digital cameras, computers, washers & dryers, etc… all things that we want to last forever (or till we’re ready to upgrade). So for us, even though we try to save money where ever we can and look for sales, typically, we tend to splurge on these types of things.
Since we’ve committed to staying out of debt for anything that isn’t an emergency, sometimes this means having to save up for a while (even 7 months) to afford what we really want. And YES, this is why our updates on spaces can take a LOT longer. In all honesty, quite often, we just run out of money!
Can it be a bummer to have to wait THAT long for something? Absolutely… but I must say, it definitely gives you time to think about your purchase.
For the first 3 months I was SET on having a round table in our space. Then I measured my tiny nook, and realized it probably wasn’t going to work like I thought. Next, I found an industrial type designed table with metal legs that I knew was going to be mine… until Cason decided that it looked like something you’d lay Frankenstein on to bring him back to life. (LOL. oh gosh…). Since he was feeling so open to voicing his opinion on the topic all of a sudden, I asked him if there were any OTHER kinds of limitations that I should know about, before I got my heart set on another style that he wasn’t too fond of, and he mentioned this list:
No farmhouse legs
No two tone finishes
No super dark wood
No painted wood
and
No fixtures under the table or on the sides, that prevent chairs from scooting in or people from putting their legs out or knees under.
So after THAT list I was all…
and then like…
Apparently, Cason’s lived a life full of “kitchen table drama” that I wasn’t aware of. Because he’s so tall, and his legs are so long, he always has to sit slightly sideways, so that he can stretch his legs out a bit and also so he doesn’t slam his knees against the table when he’s sitting.
Who knew!?!?
All this time I’ve been married to him, and he just NOW explains to me why he always sits sideways on chairs, while at certain tables. LOL. I know it’s not funny, but I just thought it was something that was a habit, or that he liked to do (?) So now I was in a real pickle. I basically agreed with him on his style choices, when it came to what type of color/finish we wanted for our table… but now I was stuck with structure limitations too!?
No matter how great, innovative or knowledgeable of a “decorator/DIY’er” we like to think we have become over the last few years, sometimes we just need help from other people who specialize in areas we may not.
Mine came from:
I don’t know what it is, but one of my biggest problems with decorating a space, is taking into consideration; SCALE. I have a tendency to buy items for my home that always seem a little too large for our small space, and knowing this, I really wanted a second opinion as to exactly what shape and size I should be looking for when it came to this new table. Another thing we were having problems with were our bay windows. Because of all the white with the newly planked walls, we wanted to lose our blinds and add some natural colored woven shades instead, that would soften the space… but because our windows are a really odd size, we couldn’t just purchase them anywhere we wanted to, nor could we find the exact style we were looking for.
Since we’ve worked with Black Goose Design in the past and they had mentioned doing in-home design consultations for lots of their customers, they were the first people we turned to. Once I booked an appointment, Brooke and Emily came out to our home and we talked about what we wanted for our kitchen space while they took lots of measurements and photos.
this is when Brooke and Emily came out to measure for our window coverings
A few days later I had an appointment to go out to their shop, so I could see what they had to offer. Specialty furniture and decor shops, like The Black Goose Design, are chuck FULL with about a hundred thousand more options for tables, finishes and fabrics than I could ever find on my own. I literally spent 6 months searching for the perfect items for my kitchen nook design, and in only about 30 minutes with Brooke’s help and a vast array of in-stock decor/furniture, catalogs, swatches and books, found exactly what I wanted!
As I mentioned before, the actual kitchen table was going to have to be something very specific, so we looked in catalogs, prior, for what I wanted, and ultimately FOUND it!
Could I see it in person, touch it and feel it before it was ordered?… No. And that’s what made me hesitant. But little did I know, that’s what Brooke had taken all those measurements for the first time, and what Emily had come along to do! Emily specializes in perspective drawings, sketching, space planning… well, I’ll just show you…
Yup, I died.
If your mouth is hanging open, don’t feel bad, I had the same reaction.
๐
In just a few days, Emily had each piece of furniture in the finishes and fabrics that I had picked out on my own, implemented in this amazing, completely to scale drawing piece of artwork for me to see!!! I knew the SECOND I saw it all together, that it was the table that I’d been looking for all this time and after about 6 weeks of waiting for it, it finally came!!!
Eeee!
I’m totally smitten, and SO happy that I reached out for help from people who had such amazing talents and so many more resources when it came to custom furniture and finishes than I ever would have had!
I’m realizing very quickly, that “Doing-It-Yourself/Ourselves”
doesn’t always have to to mean doing it all on your own.
Whether it’s literally building something with our own hands, asking for help from a more seasoned DIY’er like my Dad, or even occasionally hiring out a professional to implement our ideas for us, that we just don’t think we can or want to do… there’s always that feeling of accomplishment in the end, knowing that we’ve actively made it all happen.
We’re beyond excited to keep working with The Black Goose as we slowly incorporate more of our ideas into this space. Something that I love about their designers, is that they encourage and suggest, instead of telling you how THEY think it should be done. And let’s be honest, that is sort of a hard thing to find for people like us who usually have a very clear vision, but just can’t seem to actually FIND those unique, special pieces that we’ve dreamt up in our heads.
ha!
Now that we’ve got our new, beautiful table, bench for the kiddos and two X-backed, armed captains chairs, it’s time to think about those yummy, texture-filled woven blinds! I’m pretty sure we’re going to go for this more beige toned weave with white cording for the two bigger windows. Oh, and also add lining to the back of them for privacy and to keep the heat out during the Summer, when the sun beats down on this part of our house and gets crazy hot.
Some of the other things we’re still working on, and will talk more about later are the settee for the other side of our table and maybe some custom roman shades in a colorful fun fabric for our kitchen window above the sink! But one step at a time, right?
๐
If you’re interested in finding out more about some of The Black Goose Designs consultation services, you can contact them at 801-562-1933or visit their website. They can also help anyone in the store free of charge with design tips, if they bring in photos of their space. If it turns out you need more help in your home they can come out for a small fee to give you further suggestions. For pricing (because it can vary with where you live and what you need help with) you can email Brooke at (brooke@gardnervillage.com).
I know that even a few of our readers have had items that they’ve seen on our blog shipped to them, who live out of state, so that’s a possibility too, for those of you who aren’t local!
Also, just a quick heads up that The Black Goose, along with our other favorite Gardner Village shops are hosting an awesome Friends and Family sale this weekend starting on Thursday! They don’t do the Friends and Family sale very often, so when they do I’m ALL over it, because they always have special items and great discounts.
Till next time!…
Nancy@owensolivia says
Looking good! I can't wait to see it all come together. And I love the planked walls. ๐
Carrie says
love the whole look
Iuliana@Hip2Thrift says
My husband too surprises me with sudden strong opinions about things in our home. And I'm always like…since when do you care about these things? Lol.
Your table is perfect.
cleverlyinspired says
Absolutely stunning:) and I would totally frame that sketch:) love it all!!!
Jenn Jantz says
LOL!! this is funny.
My husband just built me an industrial type table similar to the picture. I LOVE. it.
He'll custom build you one if Cason changes his mind ๐
Tami Michel says
Wow. That table is gorgeous. The space is going to be beautiful! Good luck!
Tami @ Curb Alert!
Unknown says
What a lovely table and that concept drawing is beautiful. I hope you got to keep it so you can imcorporate it back into the space as art.
{Rebecca Fellows} says
Yes, my mouth was hanging open at that sketch! Gorgeous. So glad I'm local. I'm going to have to go visit them! Thanks for sharing. Wish we were at all handy. I LOVE your plank walls!!
valentinegirl says
Looks great. Love the rug under the table, too!
Sausha @ Sweet Pickins says
looks awesome!! Thats exactly the type of finish on the table that i was imagining when we talked about it – soooooo long ago!! Cant believe you've been tableless all this time!
Kyra @ RACKS and Mooby says
The sketch is amazing! And I love the table! Don't suppose you'd be willing to share the source with me? I won't share it, I promise! ๐ thanks.
gmaliz says
Lovely! Can you tell me about the chandelier over the table, please?
gmaliz says
This is lovely. Looking forward to the final pics. Can you tell me about the chandelier over the table, please?
gmaliz says
Lovely! Can you tell me about the chandelier over the table, please?
Melanie@Crafty Cupboard says
My husband is the same, except about food. Like 5 years and 80 Enchilada dishes into our marriage, he announced he never liked my Enchiladas. What?!? But I'm short(ish) and I hate bonking my legs on under-the-table things too, especially if they hinder any secret footsy-ing.
Anonymous says
I love the finish on that table! It looks great with the walls, chairs and rug but… don't hate me for saying this, I do not like the bench and table together at all. The wood color, style and leg shape of the bench looks not quite right to me. It does not help that gorgeous table be the "STAR" that it is meant to be.
Natalie @ Blossoming Visions says
Oh wow! Let me just say that it's already looking fantastic. I mean that table is just gorgeous, and from looking at that picture, the finished product is going to be nothing short of amazing!
Melinda says
Oh, it's beautiful!!
Melinda says
Oh, it's beautiful!!!
Princess.Ms says
what a talented artist she is!! i love that sketch! shelley do you get to keep it?? i would love to display it in the room! the planked walls are perfect! i can't wait to see it when it is done.
Emily says
Love the sketch. Were the photos with Brooke & Emily staged? How is it that the table is already in your dining room during the photos of them measuring?
Jennifer@ClassicStyleHome says
I love it! The mix of chairs, benches, and fabric is perfect. My breakfast table is similar to your old one and we've been looking to replace it for a while, but I haven't decided what to buy. The black just gets so smudged!
Our Pinteresting Family says
What a gorgeous look they have given your space in the drawing! It's giong to be so beautiful. Megan
Andrea says
Loving it! Can't wait to see the rest!!!!! Oh how I wish a kitchen table would fit in my house!!!!
XO
Andrea
Shauna says
I love the kitchen nook design, but Emily's hair is awesome too!
LovePink says
A covered bench at any table, especially one with a high back is my obsession. I pin every pin I see on Pinterest, rip out every page in every magazine I see… amazing.
Ann says
I LOVE your rug! Where in the world did you find that. I have been trying to replace a rug for a year!
House of Smiths says
Oh, I plan on it! ๐
House of Smiths says
Kyra,
I'm not sure of the brand name, sorry, but you if you call over to the store, they can definitely help you out ๐
House of Smiths says
Yes! We got that from a Joss&Main sale online, a few months back. It's a Candace Olsen chandelier I believe.
House of Smiths says
To each their own right? ๐
I love the difference it brings. I hate matchy matchy, so for us, this bench works great in the space, because it ads simplicity and the extra seating we need for the kiddos and guests, but still coordinates with the tables finish.
Plus, the rustic feel of looking like a picnic bench seems so fun to us!
House of Smiths says
YUP I get to keep it, and I'm thrilled! ๐
House of Smiths says
No, this is when they came out to measure for the woven shades that we had picked. A little out of sequence, but it's what I had to work with. ha!
That's what happens when you do things in tons of different stages.
๐
House of Smiths says
Her hair IS awesome! I thought the same thing when she came over ๐
House of Smiths says
I found it at Rugs USA and got it when it was on sale.
They have TONS of great stuff over there!
Mary says
REALLY neat! Love your walls, and love your new look.
You are looking SKINNY by the way! Still pretty as ever.
Suzanne says
I love that you talked about your blinds, we just bought an older home back in august and have been looking for the RIGHT blinds, just like what you are getting. Unfortunately we don't live in Utah, but now i'll have to try going to the local design company and see what they have, because Lowes, home Depot, Target, Walmart, etc… don't quite have it right. Love what you do by the way!
Reenie says
Love the sketch too! Looks great ~ can't wait to see it all. Have you thought about putting your laundry room chandelier in there…. painted yellow =)
Anonymous says
Love it. Love the colors, the furniture. Very pretty. I wonder, how does it work for you with food spilled on the rug though? I've always like the idea of having a rug to bring some texture and colors but with my kiddos, I'm not sure if I should go for it.
Cristin says
LOVE that sketch, and your new table!
Anonymous says
Can't recall who first said it, but the adage seems applicable: "Buy the best you can afford and you only cry once!" Believe your purchase was worth the wait! Happy dining, Barbara
AJ says
I'm very excited to see your upholstered bench at the table. Are you going to add pillows like your entryway nook?
Infarrantly Creative says
Girl, I am SOOOOOO Jealous of that that table and large bench seat. This space is spectacular! And So you and your hubby!!
Lisa @ Cozy Condo Living says
Beautiful! Good for you for asking for help especially when the hubby made it more difficult. Just kidding hubby! Can't wait to see the settee you choose. That will be fun!
leah says
I am in LOOOOOVE with that table! Beautiful!
Unknown says
Loving the table but where did u get the darling wreath and ribbon laying over the chair??
SarahJane says
Beautiful space! Thank you for all the inspiration! Can you tell me what the teal-ish floral fabric is and where you got it? Thanks!!