If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I have been struggling with what to do with my dining room walls. They are currently boring beige, and I was thinking of giving them a POP of color like coral or a pretty wallpaper or something to JAZZ THEM UP! Well, after pinning a BAZILLION wallpapers, I could not find just the perfect solution. So, a few weeks ago I told my husband, “I am just going to paint the dining room walls the same color white as the wainscotting and we can decide on something more dramatic later!” So that afternoon, I edged, and he rolled, and BAM! It was done. A nice blank slate.
The Big Black Hutch
As I was moving the china cabinet back into its perfect spot, an IDEA popped into my head! See…that is truly how my brain works when curating my own home. I fiddle and futz and play around with the things that I have curated over time. Sometimes things work! Sometimes they don’t. But today, I was looking at that big black box and thinking, “My how sad you are! Such a big black hole!”
I knew immediately that THIS was where we needed a POP OF FUN! The question was: But what? What was I going to do to take this big black box and make it fun and inviting?
Well… we had just finished doing our holiday card photoshoot on Sunday (wait till you see them! I will share those later in the season, once I know what I am doing with them! LOL!). I realized I LOVE my dalmatian print stools. Black and white has always been my signature. I do not know when it started but I love the contrast and versatility of black and white. Put ANY COLOR with black and white and it always looks AMAZING!
Opal House Wallpaper
I knew from other design blogs that Target carries a peel and stick wallpaper in a dalmatian print by Opal House. Target has tons of peel and stick options online and carry about 7 options in the store. That is how I found the peacock wallpaper I used for my daughter’s bedroom. I was just walking by the display and the turquoise of the bird with the coral accent just spoke to me.
From that experience, I knew the product was easy to use and makes a big impact without breaking the bank! Design advise: when you are making design decisions for your home, if it is trendy, do not spend too much money on your design choice. If it is classic and timeless, the money is worth the investment.
So, off to Target I went to get 1 roll of the Opal House wallpaper.
Getting Started
Getting started is truly the hardest part! First you have to figure out where to start, what length you are going to cut it, IF you are going to cut it or just wait till you get to the bottom, etc. I am not going to bore you with the details on how I did the back wall of this hutch but Home Depot has a quick 2 minute video you can watch here. About an hour later, the wallpaper detail was finished and the cabinet was ready to be loaded.
The Details
I wish I had a “before” picture of the cabinet from last February when we emptied it to prepare for refinishing our floors. Let me just say I had a LOT of stuff in there! Dishes, china, silver bowls, trays and candlesticks. I had glassware and platters and pedestal planters. Any time I got something new, it went in the cabinet until I could use it again. My philosophy is: if I see something pretty, rare and a good price, I have a hard time saying no to the purchase. It is a problem.
Now! With the black and white dalmatian print in the background, I limited the items I put back into the cabinet, keeping the color scheme to a simple palette of glassware and white. I did add a pop of color with the art print and for the holidays I will probably add some more fresh greenery and red berries. But for now, it makes me so happy to have my china out on display again and ready to be used at any second!
What’s Inside?
I can see the platters that all our wedding guests signed on June 22, 2002. I can grab a coupe glass and shake up one of my friend Josh’s yummy cocktails. Or, I can snip a fresh bud from the garden and display it in one of my milkglass bud vases. If only I could say I can set a table for all my wonderful friends to come over for Friendsgiving! Maybe next year when there is a vaccine for this terrible COVID-19.
Until then, I toast to another home project complete just in time to deck the halls for the holidays!
Hope you are having a great day!
xo, Melis
Melissa K Manos Designs 