Breakfast Room Progress — New Rug, Finished Curtains and Finished Peninsula

I finally have some progress pictures to show of the breakfast room with the new rug in place (I got this one from Overstock, and it’s so soft!), the back of the peninsula completely finished, and the curtains hemmed.

breakfast room with finished curtains and peninsula - 1

The centerpiece on the table is temporary…or at least unfinished. I bought the large concrete bowl at the Magnolia warehouse sale in January for about $15 (I think), and then I also bought two of these sage bushes for about $12 each. Then I had the brilliant idea of removing the sage bushes from their containers and using them to fill the concrete bowl. I think it would be beautiful, but I’d need probably five more to fill the large bowl. So a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d just hop in my car and swing by and pick up a few more sage bushes, but I wanted to check online to see if they were in stock before I made the long ten minute drive. Ummm…those suckers are $36 each!! I should have stocked up when I had the chance to get them at the $12 price, because there’s no way I’m spending $195 more for sage bushes for that concrete container. So I’ll have to find something else to fill my bowl.

So for now, the two sage bushes I have are just kind of leaning to one side to give the illusion that it’s full, while about 2/3 of the bowl is completely empty. 😀

breakfast room with finished curtains and peninsula - 2

I did go ahead and add cabinet pulls to the back of the peninsula. To my eye, it looked unfinished without them. But more importantly, the doors were very difficult to open without them.

breakfast room with finished curtains and peninsula - 3

I’m pleased with how the room is turning out so far, but it’s far from finished. I still have lots of decorating and accessorizing to do. And I do want to bring in some warm colors. I love blues and greens, but used exclusively, they tend to be a bit too calming for my taste. I need some touches of warmth — maybe some yellow or pink or orange — to spice it up a bit.

breakfast room with finished curtains and peninsula - 5

Today I’ll be working on the buffet. I had originally planned on painting it green, but when I went to pick out a paint color yesterday, everything was starting to feel way too matchy-matchy for me, so I went with something completely different and unexpected. Or maybe it’s not unexpected. I have no idea. But it’s definitely a new color for me.

So there’s still much to do, but can we just stop for a moment and reflect on how far this room has come so far? It wasn’t long ago that it looked like this…

breakfast room before - front of the room

And now it looks like this…

breakfast room with finished curtains and peninsula - 1

That’s quite an improvement, right? 🙂

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

152 Comments

  1. Such a lovely, lovely space! It’s been a joy to watch the progress (and learn so much along the way!).

  2. Kristi it looks absolutely fabulous. You are so gifted! Another beautifully executed project. The before and after…wow, just wow!

      1. Ha! Yes, that’s my Matt. 🙂 And can you tell I’ve rubbed off on him? He actually used the word “stunning”! I’m so proud. 😀

        1. Love it all and especially the pom-poms! Stunning is the right description of this transformation! ;-D

          1. Matt, I always wonder how your wheelchair works going from room to room and if you really like going in there to sit with Kristi as much as we imagine you do. She is such a gem.

            1. She is a gem indeed. Unfortunately, I don’t get to sit and watch her much anymore. It is awesome to see what she did the previous day though, and she brings me pics whenever I ask for them.

    1. Matt, Lucky you. She has a great eye to see the room as it will be. You are a great guy standing by her as she develops her talent.

  3. It’s great! You should be so proud of yourself. Think of how happy your house must be to be owned by you. 🙂

  4. You SHOULD be so proud and happy, and enjoy every meal in this beautiful room! And you also SHOULD get some more bulbs for that chandy, missy! Haha.

    Love how each element fits in perfectly, and can’t wait to see the buffet!

  5. Such a beautiful space. The trim on those curtains is awesome, and those white countertops pop! I cannot wait to see the buffet. In remembering your post on your new whole house color pallet, I’m going to guess we might see some sort of purple. That would be totally unexpected and fun.

  6. Wow! That’s looking fantastic! I have to admit that I didn’t really like the table…I thought the feet made it way too bulky for that room, but it really looks nice. I should have trusted your instinct. 😉 And I’m really glad that in the end you didn’t do the banquette. I think it would have made the room a bit too cluttered and built-in. This way, it’s almost light and airy. As a breakfast room should probably feel.

    About the planter… Since it’s so close to your kitchen and there’s so much natural light in that room, why not put real herbs in it? In fact, there are some gorgeous low-growing sage varieties that have beautiful thick fuzzy-velvety leaves, almost like succulents that look different shades from different angles. And if you can get it to flower indoors, it produces pretty purple blooms. I have two sage plants I bought for a dollar at the end of the season lining my driveaway and people ask me what they are all the time when they’re in bloom. So few people use herbs as ornamentals and we rarely let them flower. I’m considering putting some chives in there, since they look really unique when they flower (and the flowers are edible).

    Another option for your bowl is a creeping rosemary (rosemary prostrate, I believe), which grows low and vines out a bit so it works well in a planter or hanging basket. Something else unique that you supposedly can grown indoors is “everbearing” strawberries. It’s a strawberry varietal that bears fruit throughout the year instead of just in June. The flowers are pretty white and the fruit looks pretty too as it matures and you can pluck them and stick them in your morning cereal. If the cats don’t get them.

    Of course, you’ll probably need to line or seal the concrete somehow and I’d recommend planting the actual plants in an inner pot or plastic bowl with holes drilled in the bottom. I’ve found (recently) that it’s easier not to over-water indoor herbs if you water the larger container or tray and let the water soak-up into the inner pot from the bottom as-needed.

  7. I can see that you are setting the stage for a bright-wow-pop on the buffet, and I can’t wait to see it!!!! I am going through the crayon box in my mind ..and think it will be in the purple family?!?
    Great job on the room so far. I love your attention to detail:)
    Its almost done Kristi!! The fun stuff remains!

    1. You’re very close! It won’t be bright, but it will be purple. A dark plum color called Voodoo by Behr. I wanted something with color and interest, but I also wanted it to be kind of dark, moody, and anchoring for that wall so that I could put brighter and more colorful things on and above it. 🙂

      1. ohhh that sounds perfect! cannot wait to see it! I guessed coral in between but then thought: no wait, it’s already been that colour 🙂 I love purple and cannot wait to see how it looks in the room!

        and I was suggesting, similar to Justin, to just let the sage grow a bit – it does so fairly quickly and expands a lot, so a planter which is too big shouldn’t be a problem for long 🙂
        love the room!

      2. Love the room so far – the drapery IS stunning! Love the rug! And VOODOO – awesome color! So excited for you, can you tell by all the exclamation points?!!!

  8. Very pretty. Love the color of your cabinets. I was originally confused with the green on your curtains, but it looks so nice with your chair fabric.

  9. This transformation is AMAZING!! I would like to see how the drapes look in the closed position during the day to see how the light is filtered. I was not sure about the pom-poms when you showed them, but the finished product is so great. You have a wonderful sense of style that is unique and playful, but very stylish. The rug looks great there too.

  10. I really can’t get over how different it looks. It’s really amazing that you did that all virtually by yourself! It is such a pleasant space, now! How many chairs can you fit around the table when its extended? I can’t remember. When you get it all pulled together, I’d love to see a picture when the table extended. And when you get working on your pantry, you’ll have to take pictures going the other direction (back towards the pantry). Very exciting! Can’t wait to see the buffet and which warm color you pull in!

  11. I was confused the other day as I looked at the green trim on your curtains, and the teal on your cabinets. Now that I see the AMAZING fabric on your chairs, I get it!😊 Gorgeous!!

  12. The room has come a long way. It’s looking so pretty! Can’t wait to see what you did with the buffet. Did you paint it purple? Magenta? 🙂

  13. I love this room! I thought the pom-pom trim would be too cute, but it’s a nice touch of whimsy in the room that works perfectly.

  14. I love it! The colors are wonderful and just feel “right.” I can’t wait to see the buffet. Thank you for sharing your home and inspiring me!

  15. I LOVE this room!!! It is so nice to see it clean, bright, cheery and not filled with construction materials!

  16. Not sure about those draperies with the pom poms yesterday, but your instincts were on target. They look great.

  17. Well done Christy! Your vision from the before state through to the finished state is a real gift of design talent. The breakfast room looks beautiful and I really like how the curtains turned out and look in the space!

  18. GORGEOUS!!!!! As always. I love to watch your work, your thought process, your technique, and see it all come together so beautifully. Just incredible.

  19. Well done Kristi! Your vision from the before state through to the finished state is a real gift of design talent. The breakfast room looks beautiful and I really like how the curtains turned out and look in the space!

  20. As someone who has been working on rehabbing a tear-down, I totally appreciate all your hard work, vision, talent, and tenacity! You are amazing and it looks absolutely beautiful! Of course, all that truly matters is that you love it 🙂 Just an awesome job….congratulations!

  21. Looks lovely, simply lovely. And a pop of unexpected color in the form of your buffet would be exciting!! Enjoy your new fresh clean space! (And, I hope one chair or two are generally placed against the wall so that Matt is welcome to come sit at the table and enjoy that pretty space at all times too!!)

  22. It looks great. It’s really coming together. Wouldn’t the buffet in black worked in this room too or were you looking to make it lighter and brighter? Can’t wait for the reveal.

    1. Not necessarily lighter and brighter, but just a bit more colorful. I’m not really using a whole lot of black (if any, other than very small decorative touches here and there) with my new decorating plan. In fact, I think the only things I’ll end up keeping black are my sliding doors in the music room.

      1. I am so glad to hear that about your doors because they are one of my favorite things of all time!! I love them……….serious pocket door envy lol

  23. Colors, whites, wood stain, textures, metal mix, all perfectly lovely! And the floor is level, the ceiling looks great and the trim is beautifully proportioned. Your photos are so good too, what are you taking them with?

    1. My iPHone 7Plus. But let’s just keep that between you and me. 😀 I do have a really nice and expensive DSLR (a Nikon), but for the life of me, I can’t get pictures with it to show true colors. It completely washes out the color of my cabinets, and makes it looks an awful light blue blah color. So one day out of frustration, I put down the camera and grabbed my iPhone. I couldn’t believe how much more true-to-life the color was with the iPhone pics! So I actually use it quite a bit more now than my DSLR. I’m sure it’s user error with the camera, and I would like to get a new one and take photography lessons and really learn how to use it, but for now, the iPhone 7Plus does the job. 😀

      1. It takes amazing photos… I’m doing baseball pics for my son’s HS team…. those photos are just WOW! Room looks just lovely.

        1. Thank you for this link, Adele! Kristi, the curtains are just right! The whole room is so wonderful. Congratulations.

  24. Just lovely. If I weren’t in Ohio and you in Texas I’d have you to come give me a few lessons in my home. I love following you and your progress. Keep up the good work!!!!!

  25. Beautiful, just beautiful and I have been with you every step of the way. You are one talented lady. Keep up the good work!

  26. I’m going to guess purple or hot pink high gloss buffet!
    This room looks beautiful and I know it will only get better and I look forward to learning more

  27. First time commenter here! I just had to say how divine this room is! It is absolutely gorgeous and it’s inspiring me to do something similar.

    I have admired your chairs for quite some time. I’m assuming you painted and upholstered them, but I haven’t been able to find a blog post about them. Did I miss it? I’d love to learn how you transformed them.

    Thanks!

  28. You are so inspiring……. it looks great. Have you thought of leaving the planter empty so Peeve will have a nice cozy spot to curl up and can be the warm colors you were looking for??

  29. As usual, beautiful! You aren’t one talented girl. Like you, I need color in my home. I can look at those all neutral rooms and think they look nice but I personally could not live without color. For me it’s like black and white tv or living color! You have done a great job of coordinating the elements in this room with your kitchen and I’m sure the buffet will be just another wow factor. Table, chairs, drapes and cupboards are all fantastic!
    BTW I love the cement planter. I will be anxious to see what you add to it.

  30. Kristi, it looks fabulous, I love the colours. I can’t wait to see the plum buffet! Question: I will be ordering the same shades as yours but was wondering if they need to be close in colour to the floors, i’m guessing yes, but not sure. Thanks

    1. I don’t really think they need to be close in color as long as they coordinate well. Just be sure to order samples before you order the shades!

  31. Kristi–i agree with your Matt, this is stunning! You have amazing talent and creativity. I wish I had your imagination. It all came together so well. Now is the time for you to sit down in your new breakfast room with a glass of sweet ice tea (or your favorite beverage) and sit and look at all you have accomplished. Bask in that glorious feeling, even if it’s just for a few minutes. You deserve it, girl!

  32. Such a beautiful transformation! I love it and the calming colors. A peaceful place to sit and enjoy your coffee/breakfast etc.

  33. This room is a triumph already! Of course I am very partial to your main colors, but still. That before/after photo comparison is jaw-dropping. Can’t wait to see what you do with the buffet and a dramatic piece of art – opposite on the color wheel, I guess a bold red-violet? We will see.

    Suggestion for your concrete planter. Love the texture of that planter on your table, btw. To fill your planter nicely, think about a dense grouping of small succulents. I got a selection of succulents for a better price than I could get them individually locally. Various shades of green with blues and yellows. Here’s the link – https://smile.amazon.com/Shop-Succulents-Unique-Succulent-Collection/dp/B018WLMXG2/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1493307740&sr=1-2&keywords=succulent+plants

  34. Very pretty Kristi, it is coming along beautifully!! My tv room has a lot of blue and green in it and to warm it up I put a touch of orange and it looks great! I’m anxious to see what you choose.

  35. I love what you have done and have enjoyed watching the progress! You inspire me!!
    Could you link me to your chair redo? I need new dining room chairs and like what you have done.

  36. This is incredible, all right! Your curtains always hang so perfectly that it just amazes me. Considering what you started with and everything that you did to get this room to this point, I think you should get some kind of award for bravery!

  37. You’ve done it! You may have a similar palette as the condo, but this definitely has a different feel. There is an elegance and maturity to it without being stuffy or too perfect (matchy, matchy). I wasn’t sure about the pom poms, but they do add a fun splash to the room. I love your use of texture, something I have yet to master. And you are so right that room still needs something more, so I can’t wait to see the buffet and the final accessories.

  38. Ditto to stunning!

    Where is your table with the liming wax. I tried it on my kitchen table leaf but it didn’t look as good as yours. I have already painted the base and apron white and have stained the table top with Jacobean, but I have to figure out what to do with the top.
    I had my red oak floors sanded and stained grey to better go with my new granite counter tops, but I don’t like the Jacobean stain with my new floors. Any suggestions? Not sure if I could apply another coat of stain (different color) over the Jacaobean? It was stained over two weeks ago.
    Thanks. Would appreciate any suggestions from any and all.

  39. So Very Pretty and I love that Matt loves it. I’m really looking forward to the plum buffet- you are on trend – isn’t that a color of the year?

  40. Love Magnolia, but geez, their prices!!! They had a long centerpiece of tulips on a long table when we were there, and I asked if they were stems or bunches. The girl said stems, at (I think) $6 each. No thanks, not when I wanted a couple dozen! Everything I loved was around $70 or more. I bought a wooden flower pot for $36 just because I had to have it.

  41. Well , if any room deserves to be called the MOAM (short for Mother of All Makeovers), it’s this one. It’s totally amazing. Everything is just perfect. And I am still trying to process that you made those chairs. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your plan come together. Susie from The Chelsea Project

  42. That room, like all your finished rooms are something I would LOVE to have in my own home. You have great taste and awesome talent and I follow you for those reasons.

  43. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh..
    Love a room that makes you just feel good when you see it.– Makes me want to grab a cup of coffee, sit down and take it all in–Still amazes me how quickly you get your projects completed! (Does your WonderWoman cape get in the way when you paint??) LOL😜

  44. Unbelievable and Gorgeous! Wish I had half of your talent! Now show us some cooking in that kitchen😀👩🏻‍🍳

  45. SO beautiful!! You could always plant some sage seeds in containers and grow your own, it’s not very hard, you’d just have to wait a while for them to be that pretty. Or you could check out any greenhouses and see I found they have any sage plants. You can buy herbs for a whole lot cheaper than $36 (!!!!!).

  46. Your breakfast room is just absolutely stunningly gorgeous and I love the hardware on your finished peninsula, it certainly gives it a polished look. I can just imagine sitting in here having breakfast/coffee/lunch……so fresh and bright and perfectly complimenting your new kitchen cabinetry color. Words cannot describe the transformation of this room, with what you started with, especially the strange angled ceiling. I’m in awe of your amazing talent and vision! Kudos to you Kristi, you must be so proud of your achievement as we are of you!

  47. What a transformation! You never cease to amaze! I love all of the attention to detail and the unexpected “just right” touches (pom pom trim!!).

    I would love to see the planter centerpiece filled with a mix of oranges and “cuties” to bring a warm pop of color to the center of the room. You are definitely on the right track with an organic element in your centerpiece.

  48. It’s all beautiful! I love the center piece bowl and your curtain, chair and cabinet colors. Another great job.

  49. Absolutely beautiful! And that plum buffet will be amazing in that room! Can’t wait to see it in there.

  50. Wow… I’m speechless. Can you come over my house… 🙂 … I gotta couple of rooms that need your beautiful hands.

  51. I can only hope that my dining room looks as stunning as your breakfast room does someday. Way to set the bar high, Kristi. 😎

  52. What a gorgeous, well put together room! It feels calm and energizing at the same time. The colors and patterns are simply beautiful.

  53. Yes, quite an improvement! It really is satisfying to see your finished product. I sure hope that concrete bowl does not scratch your table top. Have you thought of putting some self sticking felt on the bottom of the bowl?

  54. You should be very proud, I love every single detail and am a little jealous as I am living in a every room is only half done house right now 😁

  55. Love the curtains. Well, love evety darn thing! Congrats! Can’t wait for those accents you are talking about!

  56. You might be able to find some of those sage bushes at IKEA. They look like some I got and I think I paid about $4 a piece

  57. OHHHHHHHHH! LOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!! I have an idea on the centerpiece (actually two!) — how about planting the sage in the center of the bowl and then filling in around the edge with some smooth dark river stones (contemporary feeling). Idea #2 (almost the same) plant the sage in the center and surround it with colancho plants (this one would add the color zing you were looking for) or surround with persian violets for a smoother look!

  58. OH Girl, you hit a grand slam with your breakfast room. I know you did a. Lot of rethinking this year, but….this is just lovely. Can’t wait to see the buffet. I love the drapes as well. Can you tell I love he room?

  59. This room is so welcoming. I love the dining room chairs and the wood blinds and the trim—oy, I love everything about it. I’m one of those back seat decorators who sees a lovely room and thinks, “What would I change?” Well, in the case, the answer is “Nothing.” You’ve hit this one out of the park. Brava!

  60. Perfection, pure and simple. A place for you and your husband to enjoy each other’s company—your hard work is such a gift to the two of you. THAT is what makes me smile. The proverbial “cherry on top” is how visually gorgeous it is. Functional space that is beautiful and personal. It does not get any better than that!

  61. This room leaves me speechless … it is so beautiful and inviting … not just magazine beautiful … but even better, livable and beautiful. I would love to see a picture with the shades down and another picture with the curtains closed. I am in love with the bamboo shades … and the whole room!!

  62. Looks so pretty!! You could add some easy yellow and orange by putting lemons or oranges in the bowl for the centerpiece? Love it !

  63. It has been wonderful to watch you put this room together and so many people including myself are amazed at your talent for hard work, which has paid off making a house into a home. I always love to read the comments from your followers and see things they notice that I have not. I am going to follow you in the sense of making a list of what I am going to accomplish in a month and I might make it reality. Thanks for that idea.

  64. You are one very talented girl! I love all your decorating decisions so far. Can I ask what rug you have in your breakfast area. I was looking for something similar for our dining area.

  65. Ever since I saw your chairs I felt like that room needed a bouquet of Peacock feathers. They are so beautiful and so is your room 🙂

  66. Thank you for showing your ‘before’ picture because it gives me hope. I am living in your before picture right NOW! And there are times when it feels like there is no end in sight…

  67. Yup! Pretty sure this the picture that I saw (somehow) when I came back to catch up on your blog. It’s just beautiful!!!! Love it!!!

  68. You are amazing and I cannot stop looking at this room. The before and after are a stunning transformation. And I love love the cabinets in teal. I first started reading your blog when you were building the kitchen (how many times did you sand that floor?) and I loved all of your work. The green was never my color but now with the teal you can officially invite me to move in! Great work.