A Dabbled Dwelling

Dabble your way to a dream home

Dining Room Refresh

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When my 4 year old lovingly referred to my dining room as the “mail room” I knew it was time for a dining room refresh. The space had been taken over by packages and become the unofficial “catch-all” of the house. Does anyone actually use their formal dining room for dining these days? I knew the best way motivate myself to clean it out (and keep it that way) was to give the space a nice little update.

Dining room with 4 black and white chairs with a bench and a gray and tan rug underneath. Large window with camel colored curtains and the back wall with board and batten, muted green paint, and 3 gold frames. A beige chair sits in the corner.
Dining room with 4 black and white chairs with a bench and a gray and tan rug underneath. Large window with camel colored curtains and the back wall with board and batten, muted green paint, and 3 gold frames.
Dining room with 4 black and white chairs with a bench and a gray and tan rug underneath. Large window with camel colored curtains and the back wall with board and batten, muted green paint, and 3 gold frames.
Before photo of dining room table covered in random items and boxes

Dining Room Table Refresh with Liquid Wood

The product I used to give my previously dark veneer table a new light wood finish is INCREDIBLE. I’m talking mind-blowing. I used a paintable liquid wood from Retique It (Code “dwelling” for 10% off!). It’s made of 66% recycled real wood and can be added to almost any hard surface to give it a new layer of stainable wood.

Because my table was a veneer, I wasn’t unable to strip or re-stain alone because it would have just exposed the MDF underneath. This product made it possible to get the light wood look I wanted! After painting on the liquid wood in “light wood” I was able to use to Retique it “Pecan” stain and “Weathered Wood” glaze to achieve this neutral color.

before photo of dark brown table and traditional beige upholstered chairs
Table BEFORE
woman painting liquid wood on table to give it a lighter finish
final photo of table finish with a light neutral colored wood stain
Table After

Dining Room Chair Refresh

I was tired of my traditional upholstered dining chairs so I found a set of 4 on Facebook Marketplace for just $25! They needed some work but I was confident I could turn these dated-duds into designer-dupes.

I spray painted them black and picked up some “Marine Vinyl” that looked like faux leather from Joann’s. Next, I cut them into 1.5 inch strips and stapled them to the underside of my chair frame in a basket weave pattern. This gave them such a trendy look! The whole chair project only cost $60!

old coastal looking chair with arched back, light wood, and navy patterned cushion
woman staples fabric strips to the underside of chair
finished chair sits near olive tree

Decorative Elements

I only changed a few other elements to update this space, giving it a little color and a touch of moodiness. This included swapping out the curtains for these beige velvet ones. This was a bit outside my comfort zone of my usual gray or white curtains. Also, I painted the back wall “Acacia Haze” by Sherwin Williams for that bit of color. Then added 3 gold frames that I will eventually add family photos to. Lastly, this incredible “Minoa” rug from Boutique Rugs that really pulled together the whole space.

Use code: “Dwell60” for 60% off at Boutique Rugs !

Check out another room makeover in my Powder Room!

Shop the room below:

Transforming A Powder Room With Paint

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In the first year or so of living in our house we did a lot of “band-aid” fixes. These were just temporary budget updates that made me feel like I could stand to look at a space. In the second year, we focused more on permanent renovations and big-picture designs. The powder room makeover already had a couple things done such as an inexpensive vanity and mirror but it had so much more potential! Read how I went about transforming a powder room with paint (and a few other things, but mainly paint)!

Powder Room when we moved in
After Bandaid Makeover

What I Painted (And What I Didn’t)

The first thing I did was give the ugly tile floor a facelift with my favorite painted tile method. Since I had a geometric design in mind for the walls, I knew I needed a more organic pattern for the floor to compliment and not compete. I chose a dainty flower and used my Cricut to make my own stencil.

With the desire to go BOLD in this tiny space, I chose a muted mauve-y color called “Purple Taupe” by Behr and painted 55″ up the wall to create a chair rail look. To keep things cohesive I also decided to paint the ceiling!

I also wanted to glam up this powder room so instead of buying new fixtures I simply painted my existing ones gold with my favorite spray paint. This included the light fixture, towel ring, toilet paper holder, faucet, and even the toilet flusher!

What I didn’t end up painting was the Maze Dove Grey Wall Mural. However, I think a pattern like this could absolutely be achieved with paint. Also, another update was creating a concrete counter top for the vanity with leftover material from the kitchen countertop project.

In the end, the most impactful parts of this powder room transformation were simply from paint! Sources below!

Everything You Need To Know To Paint Your Tile

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I have officially painted all of the tile flooring in my home and I want to tell you everything you need to know about doing it yourself. Tile can be costly or labor intensive to remove and replace so try this method instead!

Does Painted Tile Last?

YES. Are you surprised? I have painted tile in my home as old as 2.5 years and in high traffic areas like bathrooms, entryways, and kitchens. There isn’t a single scratch or chip and they withstand water as well! Use my painted tile method and read all about the tips, tricks, and everything you need to know to get a beautiful long-lasting painted tile finish.

Above shot of white painted tile with a dainty flower stencil
pregnant woman sits on floor painting tan tile to a gray color
Entryway with white and tan painted tile in the Maestro pattern.
Bathroom with light blue bead board and towel hanging with painted tile below

Everything You’ll Need to Paint Your Tile

Getting Started with Painting Your Tile

Before painting your tile you will want to clean it well. I’ve experimented with many cleaning methods from soap and water to degreasers and I didn’t notice a difference in the end product. Just make sure your tile is cleaned thouroughly and free of any dirt or debris.

Priming Your Tile

The first step to painted tile is to prime it. I’ve linked my favorite tile primer here. Simply brush your edges and roll the larger surfaces. You can tape off the edges if you choose. This primer is dry within 30 minutes and you can re-coat in 3-4 hours. I like to do at least 3 coats and if I’m using the primer as my base color, I’ll do a 4th coat. A single quart of the primer will do the job in small areas.

*TIP: Work your way out and don’t accidentally paint yourself into the room. Keep a clean towel outside of your workspace to wipe your feet off as you walk in and out.

woman on floor painting tile
woman painting a tile primer

Painting Your Tile

I like a white base coat so I often stencil right over the primer. If you want a different color base, you would go ahead and paint that now. Regular latex wall paint works great! You can leave your tile a solid color or add a pattern next.

Once you are ready, I always suggest adding painters tape around the edge of your stencil to keep it from slipping. THE KEY TO STENCILING is to use BARELY ANY PAINT. The more paint you use, the more it will bleed. Instead, barely wet your foam roller with the paint and roll it over your stencil ever-so-slightly. Then, pull the stencil STRAIGHT UP to avoid smearing your pattern.

Its important to skip around (like a checker board) so that you aren’t overlapping your stencil on wet tiles.

DON’T get caught up in the imperfections. Painted tile is supposed to have some character and with a busy pattern its very unnoticeable.

*TIP: If you really mess up you can use a damp paper towel to wipe up your paint and try again.

Tile stencil with blue painters tape around the edge
Paint pan with gray paint and roller
Close up of woman rolling paint onto tile stencil
tile stencil being removed
Painted tile pattern progress photo with some tiles painted and some not

Sealing Your Painted Tile

The final but most important part is to seal your tile. This gives it the permanence, durability, and finish of regular tile. You can choose any finish of Polycrylic from matte to glossy. I find that glossy is slightly easier to clean but matte hides more imperfections.

To apply you will repeat the same process of the tile primer. Brush the edges, roll the surface, and allow 3-4 hours of dry time between coats. I always aim for 3 coats and I will often do 4 if I have enough product leftover.

Its important to make sure your floor is clear of any debris with each coat so nothing gets stuck in your seal. DO NOT press down on the foam roller too hard or fast or else you will create bubbles.

*TIP: Wear your hair up so you don’t shed any hairs into your seal.

The floor should be ready for light foot traffic after 3 hours but I always try to wait 24-48 hours before moving furniture back.

Thats everything you need to know to paint your tile!

Finished tile shot with feet on a jute rug, basket with furry pillow, and wooden candle sticks styled around the floor

If you like this project you will love Easy Bathtub Trim With NO Power Tools!

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