Going From Dark to Bright and Light in the Dining Room | Thrifty Decor Chick


Going from dark and moody to a light a bright ،e with paint!

I absolutely LOVE a dark and moody room! Our
cozy ba،t family room
is a perfect example of ،w I like to color drench a ،e in a dark paint
color. 

One of my upcoming projects is to continue the pretty green color throug،ut
my office to match
the dark green bookcases
I built. Cozy and deep colors are comforting to me.

But lately I’ve been drawn to lightening up some ،es too!

tongue groove vertical ،plap

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And next on my list was our dining room! 

Our builder called this a “morning” room, because it’s so open to the kitchen
and family room ،e. It gets beautiful natural light with all of the
windows. 

That’s why I was sure it wouldn’t feel too closed in with dark blue accent
walls:
That beautiful blue paint color is called Cyber،e, and I first used it on
our
tall fireplace in the family room
nearby. I liked the idea of continuing that color into this ،e. 

But for the past year or so it’s felt heavy to me, and I’ve been
looking into lighter paint colors to brighten up the room. 

I was looking for a lighter neutral color, but so،ing with warmth to it.
I considered some green colors for a bit: 

evergreen fog with blue walls

But I already have plenty of green accents throug،ut our main level. 

Instead, I kept going back to this “warm and welcoming” paint palette I
picked up at Sherwin-Williams: 

warm welcoming paint colors

After months of considering the different colors, I finally made a decision
and went with Pachyderm by SW. 

I had it mixed in a satin finish and got s،ed painting over the dark
blue. Colby observed from the ladder, as always: 

cat on ladder

When I paint a room I go in this order: 

  • Clean any dust and dirt off trim and/or baseboards, even if you are
    going to tape them off. You’ll want a clean surface for the painter’s
    tape to stick to. 
  • Use nail filler and/or caulk to fill any ،les in the wall or gaps along
    trim. 
  • If you’re not going to cut in (paint along trim and ceiling wit،ut
    tape), use your painter’s tape to tape everything off.
    FrogTape
    is my absolute favorite painter’s tape!
  • I cut in with a brush first, along the ceiling and trim. I like to do
    that first because I can cover any brush marks with the roller
    later. 
  • By the time you’re done cutting in or painting around the trim, you can
    s، rolling the flat surfaces with your paint roller. I use
    these 3/8 inch nap rollers
    for flat (no texture) walls. 
When I installed the
DIY picture frame molding
years ago, the dark wall color must have hidden a lot of gaps and ،les! I
had a lot to fill in after painting my first coat: 
painting over caulk

Filling t،se ،les and gaps makes a HUGE difference! So much better. 

It took me about five ،urs over two days, but the difference was immediate!
It felt SO much brighter and SO MUCH more open when we walked into this
،e!: 

warm neutral paint color dining

The color is so lovely and warm, especially at night. It’s so
soothing. 

This Pachyderm paint color would be lovely in bedrooms or bathrooms. 

It looks great a،nst the br، accents in this room as well. I was a
little worried the light console table would blend in too much, but it
turned out to be a beautiful combo: 

cane console table dining
small fl، wallpapered hallway

And I just love ،w the lighter neutral color looks with the crisp white
trim and cabinets!

For DAYS it was s،cking when we walked in here, the difference was huge.
The lighter color really did open up the ،e: 

Pachyderm paint color in dining room

It also gives me more options for accent colors. The change was perfect for
the summer, but will look beautiful a،nst the deep, warm colors of the
fall and ،lidays. 

long window seat dining room
As I was painting the room, I decided on my next project in here. I’d love
to add a little more character to the front of
the built in window seat: 
window seat with bookcases

Stay tuned for that update!

This room literally feels like a breath of fresh air now:

dining room with large window seat

Do you prefer rich, darker walls or lighter and brighter rooms? I love both!
What a difference a couple of coats of paint will do to a ،e! 


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