New England Farmhouse Dining Room in Winter

I have a hard time with labels, so I'm hesitant to label this space "farmhouse," and I've found that I'm also leaning towards a more minimalist mindset, so... hmm, where does that leave me? Farmhouse minimal? Streamlined farmhouse? I'll have to think about that. :)

I typically keep things neutral in January, with maybe a few pops of color, partly because I like the clean, fresh slate feeling after Christmas; and partly because there are inevitably a few lingering holiday things that need to get used up or thrown out. I joked on IG that the coffee bar nook is having a slight identity crisis with all the candy canes still hanging around.

If you look below, you can see how we sanded down the table leaf on the left- this table is pretty awful BUT it's what we have, and Levi is going to wreak havoc on it for the next few years, so I can't justify purchasing a new one. Anyway, we tried using a Danish oil instead of poly as a sealer and it just plain stinks. Literally and figuratively. It took weeks for the smell to dissipate, gross! And I don't like how it turned out, either. I'm thinking of sanding and applying a creamy chalk paint- any thoughts?

We also got a wild hair and decided to remove the big rug out of here. We got that for our second house back in 2002, so it's been with us a while, and my tastes have definitely changed. And it's pretty worn out, ha. I like having it gone, but I'm not sure I like such bare floors. We shall see...

The other change in here is the curtains. After redoing this space (and the living room) almost two years ago, I just couldn't commit to window treatments. It was SO nice having everything light and bright, but lately it felt a little too bare. So we tried several different wood and faux wood blind options, and NONE of them worked. The builders decided to frame the windows with two pieces of trim instead of one, and the one closest to the window sits at an angle. Just why? WHYYYY? The right size blinds don't fit because they bump against the angled trim. The smaller sized blinds just look weird because there is too much space on either side. So blinds are out.

Considering we already had the curtain rods from when we first put them up shortly after moving in  (2016), AND we've committed to a 90-Day No Spend plan, we simply used what we had. And I like them! The curtains from our previous house, and since I don't have the last two panels to complete each window, I opted to do this. I didn't think I would like it, but I do! That ridiculous chandelier, not so much. BUT. 90 days, people. We can do this!

Ha ha, guess I was snapping pics during lunch. :)

Here is a shot from before the curtains and prior to ditching the rug...

And here...

I've got a question for you: are the photos on blogger not acting right for anyone else? They seem super grainy and dull. No bueno.... oops, now I hear someone calling for me, gotta go! Happy Tuesday! And you can find me on Instagram @bethanylivs_life , so pop over and say hello!

sharing with Tuesday Talk today! 

Just wanted to share that I've got some pretty new nightgowms in my shop, too, so feel free to take a look. And THANK YOU  so much for your support by shopping small!! 

Rose and Ruffle