Our dining room was the beginning of this home decor journey of mine. It was the first room in the house with a huge blank wall on which I decided to try some shiplap. Shortly after, two other rooms had shiplap in them. It was so cheap and easy and I suddenly felt empowered to change my spaces. These faux shiplap boards are just 1/4" plywood ripped down into 6" boards, and at the time, plywood boards were just over $12 each which meant I could change a wall (any wall) for about $50. That was an amount that I could find in our grocery budget if I cut and rearranged some things.
And I'd had a specific plan for that wall: back then I had an Etsy shop and shiplap was the perfect backdrop for styling the antique pieces I was listing, like that gorgeous Victorian tin wall panel on the mantel above. But seasons changed and I moved away from selling antiques, and as I did I noticed myself being drawn to more eclectic styling. When Anewall wallpaper company reached out to see if I wanted to do a collaboration I was really excited to try something new and take this room in a completely different direction.
I picked a pastoral scene that felt calming and simple and which could be styled in a modern or vintage way. It's a little farmhouse, a little modern. I just love pieces that are flexible. When my wall mural arrived I moved all of the dining room shiplap over to our music room and suddenly the makeover turned into a two for one. I mean, there was no way that shiplap was going to waste!
I love how the mural brought depth to the space and movement. Without changing anything else, it made quite an impact. It seems to come alive in certain lighting and really pop. I especially enjoy how it feels different from sunlight to candle light and sets a certain mood for each occasion.
Over the past year I've been on the lookout for an antique buffet to finish this space but it just hasn't revealed itself yet, and I've learned to be ok with the waiting and the unfinished. There's a lot of joy that comes with finding just the right piece. If I end up building one instead I'll be sure to share it with you. Until then, this is our dining room - the place where we gather together every night, the place where we host friends, celebrate birthdays, Thanksgivings and Christmases. This space has a lot of memories and joy in it and that is the most important thing in any home.