When we remodeled the kitchen, we had to remodel our sitting and dining rooms. The dining room was on the same level as the kitchen, and the sitting room had a sunken floor. When we made the kitchen the length of the original sitting room, we knew we would have an informal dining room and a smaller, more cozy sitting area. Our once divided room turned into a large, great room with comfy seating in front of a gas fireplace, a dining room table where many games are played and many more meals are eaten, and our dream kitchen.
The Remodel
In this remodel, we removed multiple brown-toned carpets and a large brick fireplace, mantle, and hearth. The dining room was carpeted. We were disgusted but pleasantly surprised when we ripped up all the carpet, and the floor wasn’t too gross. The old fireplace took up a large corner of the living room and came out quite a bit, so we wanted to make it more streamlined and clean, so we installed a modern gas insert.
We had to raise the sunken floor to be even with the kitchen flooring. Whenever we rip out anything, there is something weird that the builders or the previous owner did when remodeling. The base flooring was particle board and sheet board. We believe this is when they put in the central heating and cooling system. Particle board absorbs and expands if water is introduced to it. This is a nightmare if your base flooring gets wet under your main flooring. This happened to us when our kitchen flooded for the first time. We put 2x6s in for support and then put the sheet board on top. We had to rip some of the 2x6s to make them all level, but the once separated rooms became a great room after the flooring was level.
We got matching gas fireplace inserts for the sitting area and our downstairs family room. It’s best to do all your gas work simultaneously when installing gas fireplaces. That way, you aren’t paying the company to come out multiple times, thus making the labor bill larger. It might be a steep bill up front, but the price is less overall. Gas fireplaces were a great way to add some cozy to a large home. They are gathering places, and we love to create spaces where people feel cozy and comfortable hanging out.
Furnishings and Decor
Cozy and Functional – The Sitting Room
The sitting room proved difficult to furnish as it’s such a small area, right next to the entryway and between the kitchen and dining room, leaving little room for walkways. We finally figured out a configuration that works for us, fits well in the cozy area, and provides comfortable seating for up to 4 people. We went to Costco one day to pick up one thing; we came out with these four chairs. We wanted something that would swivel 360 degrees so people sitting around the fire could still chat with those in the dining room or kitchen. We wanted it to be functional, and I feel like we have made it that. We also didn’t want light-colored furniture as I knew people would want to drink their coffee in there or use it as an eating area if the table and bar were full.
These chairs get a lot of use. When I am in the kitchen, guests or family sit at the island or in the swivel chairs. Either way, I can see them perfectly and continue the conversation easily. It works out wonderfully.
I found the tile we used around our gas insert at a garage sale and got a screaming deal. We got the mantle from Wayfair for free because they sent the wrong color twice. We sanded it down and stained it to try and match our cabinetry on the island. Lesson learned: pine wood has lots of yellow tones, so it will be resanded and restained when we find the time.
The mantle has different decor throughout the seasons for different holidays and such. I like to keep it simple and fresh, so it’s my little area where things consistently change with new, seasonal, or meaningful decor.
Using What We Had + New Chairs – The Dining Room
In our dining room, we used the table that Jordan built for our old house, and although it doesn’t go, we love it because Quinn and her friends can do arts and crafts on the table, and we aren’t worried about paint or glue drying on the table if we miss it while cleaning up. We got our chairs at Target. We got black to match the countertop stools. We also chose these chairs because they will fit any table we purchase (or build) in the future. We added a chandelier for our dining room to add dimension and differentiation from the kitchen and sitting area. We also added large prints to fill the large wall behind the table. We got the frames from IKEA and filled them with some favorite photos. Probably should update those pictures. haha
I keep our decor on the table simple. Whenever we have a fancy meal, I add a simple, neutral tablecloth over the table and decorate the middle with whatever creativity strikes for that specific meal and holiday. I have a long bowl for everyday decor that I keep bowl-filler in with candles according to the different holidays or seasons. I don’t like having a ton of stuff on my table because I don’t want to move it all the time when we play games, have friends over for dinner, or what have you.
The Details: Paint, Trim, and Flooring
Our walls are Sherwin Williams “White Label,” and the trim is Sherwin Williams “Pure White.” For our trim, we did 1×6 primed pine boards for the floor trim and 1×4 pine boards for the windows. We trimmed the windows out before we did the floor trim, and we learned a lesson. If you can afford it, buy the primed boards. Our unprimed boards are not very smooth, and you can see the knots and different features of the wood. With the primed white, yes, they are more expensive, but they also don’t soak up as much paint and have a very smooth finish when they are done.
We know that trim finishes a project, wraps it up in a bow, and completes the look. But gosh, trim is hard to do when you finish the main part of your remodel. We are slowly finishing the trim in our remodeled house areas, but the trim is still not up in our dining and pantry areas.
Our flooring is LVP by the brand Paradigm in the color Citadel.
Get more remodel LoDown in these posts:
The Kitchen Remodel – That 70s House