Thursday, January 26, 2012

Curtains and a Lantern dress a dining room

 A cozy dining room in a Cape Cod style home outside of Boston gets a nice update thanks to some Pottery Barn sheer linen striped panels and a new lantern. The sheers are waiting to be hung, but before I do, I wanted to make sure you can all see how much of a difference it makes to hang your curtains as high as possible~and to update your curtain style and add some panache with a great light fixture.
The client's room before photo showing off the outdated swag and jabots and the standard 5 arm brass chandelier hung over the dining room table.  She and I discussed ready made drapery options, but what I really wanted to update as much as the window treatments was her light fixture.  A lantern brings both a traditional New England vibe mixed with a bit of contemporary elegance, perfect for this young couple.
That is what spurred me to write a recent blog post on using a lantern in favor over a chandelier~and so after reviewing it, she selected this bronze lantern from Overstock.com. You can read more about lanterns here.
 Before
Now the room is ready for curtains~I love the 8 over 12 windows in this Cape.  I picked out the colors for this room a few years back~
 After
Everyone loves a good before and after, and I understand why.  It shows dramatically how small changes can make huge differences.  The long sheer panels make the ceilings feel taller and the mood more elegant without being stuffy.  The Lowes curtain hardware was selected to relate to the lantern.
A curtain closeup~ hard to detect, but these are striped in cream and taupe, and almost 100% linen.
 I did a little styling to add some glamour to the shots~
all that was missing was a chilled Sauvignon blanc!
 My canine companion, Lucy,
a resident of the house, made sure I got it just right!
 Actually, I had some dog treats in my pocket and she was
sitting patiently waiting for her reward!!
 From this~
 To this~
Making a few changes like this to your rooms will reap big rewards~
you'll enjoy those rooms so much more!




29 comments:

  1. I've had a lot of people ask for lanterns lately, and it's made me remember how much I love them. I love some of the new styles out there now. This looks great Amy. Have a great day!
    Stacy

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  2. I just replaced my chandelier with a lantern last year and although it felt a bit 'risky' at the time, I just love it and am so happy with it! I really love the feel in this room now!

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  3. Love the lantern and the drapes make all of the difference!

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  4. Hi Amy,
    Love your blog!!
    Thanks for sharing pics of the room 'makeover'. Sometimes we forget that little changes can have a significant impact.
    Love those curtains---linen is so wonderful. Fantastic work.

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  5. Lovely! The lantern really gave it an update!

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  6. Such a great update, Amy! Just two things made such a difference ~ window treatments and a light fixture. Love the sheers!

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  7. You are so right. The change is so dramatic. Wow. Love the new lantern and drapes. Hugs, Marty

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  8. Beautiful Amy! You are so right, small changes can make such a BIG impact. Love the lantern....may have to look into one of those for my dining room :)

    Have a great day!

    Lou Cinda

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  9. Great new look. Love the lantern and great shots.

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  10. All i can say about that is, WOW! Well, i can always say more... that is insane how different the room looks, and i'm in Love with those curtains, they are PERFECT... I totally want some of those, ... back to the post to reread where you got them!

    Cindy

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  11. I agree with Cindy WOW! the room looks really bright and breezy now,you so know your design Amy and i love reading and seeing how you change rooms,everything you do looks stunning.
    I am going to do this with curtains at the cottage when its finished i just love the Maison Decor look.
    xxx

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  12. Ahhh....it's a breath of fresh air for sure! Love the transformation.

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  13. Amazing the power of those subtle changes, the lantern made a huge difference and took it from a somewhat dated feeling room to a fresh, tradiional but modern feeling room...love it!
    Lucy is such an adorable assistant.

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  14. very nice. little changes= big impact! love the curtains and the lantern (and lucy0.

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  15. Love the changes! Lanterns are making a big comeback and (of course) you are right in style! I do a Thursday Shopper segment in my blog and I am seeing lanterns everywhere!
    Lorraine

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  16. Hi Amy,
    what a wonderful job you did for your client. The sheer linen curtains add softness and the lantern light is just perfect.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  17. I love the new updates you gave to this dining room. I'm sure the homeowners are happy too. Thanks for sharing!

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  18. I am loving the lantern! I am trying to think of a place I could put one!! You did a marvelous job, the curtains are so pretty!

    XO,
    Jane

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  19. Pretty Blog header... love the new look. I really like the room too that chandelier it made such a huge difference. really brought it up to date.

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  20. What a difference curtains can make! Just gave the room such an airy feel. Love the lantern too! Traci

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  21. That's a beautiful update on the dining room. It's so fresh and pretty now! I love how the curtains are high.

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  22. Love the new look of your blog header! And I love the after look of your client's dining room. Stunning!

    I also re-read the post showing romantic curtains. It's great inspiration for our new home's living room windows.I've gotten some great ideas from that post. Thanks Amy ;-)

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  23. You are so right Amy...what a huge difference!

    Love the lantern and you staged the room beautifully.

    janet xox

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  24. Hi Amy,
    Love the new look. What a huge difference the window treatment makes. I love the curtains and how much larger the windows look with them being hung close to the ceiling.

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  25. Love the light airy feel of the drapes, Amy! And, the lantern is the perfect mix!

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  26. Love the changes in this room, especially the lantern. So glad to have found your blog through the Enchanted Home!

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