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Trading Spaces

March 20, 2016 26 Comments

Have you ever just had a hankering to start moving furniture around for the fun of it?  Mr. Dock and I got a little crazy this weekend and switched up three rooms!  Half way through the semester and this is EXACTLY the refresh I needed.

I’m thinking this a common situation for families, but in our house we had a kitchen table and a dining room table- both moderately the same size and both adjacent to the kitchen.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t need two spaces to clean crumbs and spilled milk from.  So why not eliminate one?  That’s exactly what we did- removed the formal dining room table, and turned the room into a new school room (yay!).

House Update 01

We moved the old kitchen table in here and it’s now the schoolwork table.  Sure, it’s the same table we did schoolwork at before, but somehow I think that now it’s ONLY for schoolwork-ish things (not eating), it might feel new and exciting for the kids, and a little more of a distraction-free zone.

House Update 03

My desk had been down near my sewing area, but I decided to move it up to the school room so that we could all be at our little desks together. :)  And, to be honest, I think I needed to be closer to those new nautical curtains I snagged on sale!

House Update 04

We’re close- so I can supervise- but also give them space when they’re busy with seat work on their own.

House Update 05

This new school room (old dining room) is conveniently still right off the kitchen where we used to do our school, so I can still pop around the corner to prepare food or do dishes as needed.  But the slight separation is great because the boys can be eating in the kitchen, and not bother the school happenings.

House Update 06

So if the kitchen table is in the dining room, where did the dining room table go?  To the kitchen of course!  It’s a fact- we love eating in this sunny room.  Why try to deny it by scattering faux eating spots in other rooms?  We eat here, and we love it.  Period.  The kitchen is now the dining room.  So how did I make the room for our large table in the eat-in kitchen??  Two words- bench seat!!!!!!!

House Update 07

We’ve had a long buffet table under that window since the day we moved in but, you know, as Pinterest would have it, I saw a super cute window seat a few days ago and I thought, yep, that’s happening.  So out with the buffet (wait til you see where we moved it), and in with 3 Stuva benches from Ikea.  We lucked out, because they happened to fit in that space perfectly down to the very last quarter inch!

House Update 08

The drawer space is insane!  I have one filled with food storage containers and am still plotting what to fill the other two with!

House Update 09

Last night we ate in our new happy eating spot, and what a delight it was.  All 4 of the kiddos fit along the bench-side, so we could actually have friends over to eat at this table!  It’s cozy, it’s sunny, and we are 100% in love with it.

House Update 10

And last but not least- poor old grey buffet table from under the kitchen window.  Don’t feel sorry for him.  He got a royal spot under the Irish chain quilt (Mr. Dock’s idea) and I don’t think it could be a more perfect fit!

House Update 11

Hooray for nearly-free room re-purposing!  For just $200 for the bench seats, we scored 3 lovely new spaces.

I know, I know- what’s the big deal?  It’s just moving a few things around.  The truth is, it feels big.  I’ve discovered that for me, the environment I spend most of my time in plays a real role in my mood.  I’m sensitive to things like color, lighting, and the flow of space.  So put me in a room that feels dysfunctional or stale, and somehow I find myself working that much harder to stay perky and productive.  Does your house need a room swap?  Move a few things around and give yourself a fresh new feel!

XO

Filed Under: Decorating, homeschooling Tagged With: bench seat, breakfast nook, decorating, home decor, homeschooling, ikea, money-saving, mood, school room, thrifty

Comments

  1. Patti McGarry says

    March 21, 2016 at 3:31 am

    Love your new look! I’ve been itching to switch some things around too. I hope I’m as successful as you have been with your table swap!

    Reply
  2. Barbara says

    March 21, 2016 at 4:27 am

    I love your new space I could envision the new linens that Pioneer Woman just came out with on your tables the colors would really enhance your space.

    Reply
  3. Merrilee says

    March 21, 2016 at 4:43 am

    I completely agree! Having a “new” space can totally amp up the energy! Something about spring brings on that urge to spruce things up. Enjoy!

    Reply
  4. Karen says

    March 21, 2016 at 5:17 am

    Looks good have a great week in your new spaces. My spaces need a spruce in the form of cleaned up.

    Reply
  5. Susan Ruffalo says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:24 am

    How FUN!! I love the bench seating! :) I would love to see the rest of your house; especially the sewing area/ desk near the new buffet. Is that your family room?

    Reply
  6. Marlq says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:25 am

    So pretty and fresh. Something about moving furnished around changes the whole look of your house. I do it all the time with furnisher, pictures and things. That way your house does not get boring.

    Reply
  7. Margaret says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:31 am

    Genius! And what a lift to your spirits!

    Reply
  8. Kathleen says

    March 21, 2016 at 7:09 am

    It looks great!! All that new space and just one new purchase is awesome. I really can’t move things around in my house. Just a small cape cod style. My main floor consists of a kitchen and a living room. That’s it. We had to turn the one-car attached garage into a family room so we wouldn’t be on each other’s backs!!

    Reply
  9. Stephanie says

    March 21, 2016 at 7:26 am

    It looks great Amy! I love all your decorations, so warm and inviting. I get in the kick to move things around from time to time myself. Just freshens things up a bit. Happy Spring!

    Reply
  10. Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts says

    March 21, 2016 at 9:31 am

    It’s great to get a mid-semester boost with homeschooling, and your changes likely did that for you and the kids! All three changes look so cozy!

    Reply
  11. Tana Lewis says

    March 21, 2016 at 10:02 am

    Love the post…….it always helps to freshen things up. I think I might do that at some point today also.
    Thanks for sharing. Smiles……

    Reply
  12. Marta S. says

    March 21, 2016 at 10:29 am

    Oh my goodness–soul mates yet again. I am a chronic mover and totally agree that even small changes make the BIGGEST difference! I absolutely love all your changes! Can’t wait to visit and see in person. <3

    Reply
  13. Little Quiltsong says

    March 21, 2016 at 11:01 am

    How wow – what a difference you made to house, rooms and to your own enjoyment. Fresh and happy start – in time for spring! Great work!

    Reply
  14. Ann says

    March 21, 2016 at 11:39 am

    Just swapped out the spaces I used for guest room/sewing room and Office/TV room. I moved the TV into the living room, the office into the guest room, and I now have my quilt studio all by itself where the Office once was! Happy happy! The only thing that stayed in the guest room was my design wall, which sits by the chair I sit in to read and study. Already the bottom is filled with verses from my Bible reading, and the top part is very decorative with WIPs all spread out.
    I love your rooms, and would have loved to home school there (my kids have all finished college and grad school now, so I guess it worked anyway :-).)
    Ann

    Reply
  15. Louise says

    March 21, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    Way to go! I turned our formal dining room, which we never used into the Colorado room. It’s the sunniest room in the winter and has great mountain views. It comfortably fits a couch and 2 overstuffed rockers. Family thought I was nuts but it’s now everyone’s favorite place.

    Reply
  16. Tiffany says

    March 21, 2016 at 2:33 pm

    This is awesome, way to go! I love the new eating space. I remember when I was a kid/teenager, I had to rearrange my bedroom every few months to keep things from getting to old and worn out. Plus, it was a good excuse to do some real deep cleaning…

    Reply
  17. Fay Marie Gardner says

    March 21, 2016 at 3:33 pm

    You have done a wonderful job of using space and making everything functional! I love the results! Your time was well spent with a wonderful result! Congratulations!

    Reply
  18. Rosemary B says

    March 21, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    This looks great!! and I bet you think “why didn’t we do this sooner”
    Your house looks pin straight, neat and tidy
    This is a very good change!

    Reply
  19. Janet Maddox says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    I like your changes and you only had to spend $200 for the changes. Great look for the three rooms.

    Reply
  20. Sandi says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    I love all your changes! It’s fun to swap furniture around to get a new look. Hugs,

    Reply
  21. Jerri says

    March 22, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    Love what you did to refresh the energy of your living space. I,too, have a need to refresh the space around me at times. It seems to help get my creative juices flowing. I recently did a couple changes to my dining room/breakfast nook and living/family room and sewing studio areas. It has really seemed to boost my creative energy. I’ve actually spent more time in my studio since the refresh than I had been before. I hope the changes you made will do the same for you and your family. God bless you!

    Reply
  22. Diana @ Red Delicious Life says

    March 22, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    Such a beautiful makeover in all 3 spaces! That’s a huge score for a relatively small price tag. I just love Ikea for those types of wins.

    Reply
  23. Brenda Caplette says

    March 23, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    It all looks great! I too discovered this trick about 10 years ago when we moved from Arizona to Florida. My old home was muted browns and tans like the desert. But when we moved to the southeast near the ocean we needed a change. I started looking at my furnishings in a new way. I painted most every piece, found or new, either soft white or black and distressed them. Now every few months I do a furniture swap. We no longer have the “formal dining room” it is our office. We have a smaller sitting room where the boys watch t.v. and hang with friends. We have our family room off the eat-in kitchen. All the furniture is interchangeable in any space due to the neutral black and white colors. We re-purposed old tables into book shelves and even took an old 80’s headboard from a waterbed, (the ones with the mirrors and little slanted cubby-type drawers) and hung it in the entry to house our keys, cell phones and chargers etc. It is fun to re-imagine your own items. Have fun with your NEW spaces. :)

    Reply
  24. suzanne challacombe says

    March 23, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    VERY VERY NICE!

    Reply
  25. Casandra Finlay says

    March 24, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    Love your new-to-you rooms! We are gearing up for “The Purge”. It’s not quite spring cleaning, but it is decluttering, and, well… a purge.

    Reply
  26. Steph J says

    June 17, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    I love this idea. I’ve been trying to get my house “set” for a long time. We were supposed to move into our 2200 sq ft new house on our 5 acre lot last year but that didn’t happen (for long involved and frustrating reasons), so while we are waiting on that we had a new baby in Jan and now have 6 people and all their stuff crammed into a 900 sq ft space. It’s making me crazy. And we home school too so I’m always home. I think I may need to buy some of these benches too. Love the extra storage space!

    Reply

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