Our dining room make over part 1

Our dining room had wonderful real wood paneling, right from 1970!  I have seen on home blogs people actually going out and buying paneling and wainscoting it.  I am sorry.  I am tired of the dark wood in the house.  It is so dreary looking.  DH knew we had sheet rock under it.  So, the work began.  

Here is what the dining room looked like at Phoebes birthday.  We had a square table which did not work for the area and dark paneling all the way around. 

Here is the wall on the opposite side.  We had taken the paneling off a long time ago.  This was the only sheet rocked wall in the dining room. 

We started by cutting this wall out to make a false window on the above wall.  Behind the wall, leads down to the stairs.  We figured it would open the space up.  We actually were just going to do this cut out and nothing else in here.  Then you know how a project goes... One thing leads to another.  

Here is the wall cut out.  Where DH is standing is the top of the stairwell.  Notice the oops spot on the right where my husband started the banging the sheet rock out, not realize there was a stud there.  

Painting the ceiling.  That is not fun.  I painted what I could, but being only 5"1' and over stairs is not a fun time.  

Looking at the opening from the top of the stairs with trim added.  Notice the paneling still in the back ground.  

View from the dining room.  

I painted the trim Behrs version of Benjamin moores decorators white and the walls are painted in Behrs version of ben moores antique white.  I saw these colors in the pottery barn magazine and liked them a lot.  I think it adds a clean bright look to what was a dreary room.  

Part two coming tomorrow.