Where we are headed

I showed you our breakfast bar and  kitchen table as they have been for the last eight years in this post.   And now, here are my plans to update the space:

My plan is not to do a complete overhaul; I actually like many things about the room.  I still love the light fixture and the scale of the table is perfect.   Normally, I would change the paint if I wanted big results for little impact.  Our house is completely open concept, however, and changing paint would be a massive job.   The paint stays!  

While I like the sleek black chairs and barstools, my goal is to soften and update.  They black leather sadly is just not working with this vision.  We are replacing those pieces with these barstools and these chairs, which are on sale at Arhaus.   They are a wee bit more than the ultra-affordable ones at Restoration Hardware (did you know the words affordable and RH could go in the same sentence?), but much better constructed and more comfortable in my opinion. Since the 6 chairs and 4 barstools were a big budget item, we are trying to utilize what we have for the rest of the update.

The good news is that I love the art in the space.  It is a sweet Graciela Rodo Boulanger featuring ballerinas at practice, which is just the most perfect representation of our family.  The scale is off, however, for the big, blank wall. I have a plan to fix that.  Way back in Mr. 31-derful's bachelor pad, we had an early version of Pottery Barn's Studio Wall Easel.  It was similar to this one, but in chrome and a bit more modern.  We have stored it for the past 13 years, and are about to bring it out of retirement.  It will be getting a facelift and housing a few beloved art pieces we already own. When they are all grouped together, they should fill the wall nicely (and hopefully each piece will still shine)!

My sister-in-law ordered a natural rug in a lattice print, but it was accidentally shipped in brown as opposed to the gray that she ordered.   They ended up letting her keep both, I and I may utilize her cast-off if it works.  I am always torn about a rug under a dining table.  My inner wannabe-decorator says," yes," but my head says, "what a mess to clean!"

Finally, I want to change the sleek glass table top out for a wood one.  The table is from Room and Board and they offer new tops, but they are a fortune (like I should just get a different table, but I like this one). I have bids out for having a wood top built.  Mr 31-derful's parents have offered up their beloved wooden pedestal table, which has tremendous sentimental value (and actual value), but I fear that it may be too much wood.  So this is a big TBD.  

What do you do to spruce up your space and how often do you think decor should be changed out???