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Living & Dining Room Makeover | Hardwood Floors Are Finished!

ByAnn Drake

Living & Dining Room Makeover…
Hardwood Floors Are Finished!
See the transformation new
hardwood floors made to
this dated space.

Living & Dining Room Makeover Hardwood Floors Are Finished! | See the transformation new hardwood floors made to this dated space.

Things around here are beginning to get back to normal…but a new and improved sort of normal. It’s been an interesting last few months and even though I love how our makeover is coming together, I’m very glad it’s almost over. I have never attempted a project this big before so it’s been a learning experience as well as a test of my patience. I did get one very lucky break with the scheduling of my carpenters. I thought I was going to have about a week of down-time between the hardwood installers and the carpenters. Turns out the carpenters had a cancellation and were able to show up here the day after the floors were finished. Our project started on March 22nd and ended on April 10th. That’s just over three weeks of workmen in our house, but the end result was worth every pop of the nail gun and every fast food dinner. 

Click to see the BEFORE pictures and the plan.

The hardwood installation went very smoothly except for one thing. Towards the end, the crew decided at the last minute to remove old ceramic tile from the half bath floor. They had originally said they could glue the hardwood to the tile. Before I knew what was happening, they had a jack hammer in the house and the dust was flying! I know it was the right decision and I’m glad they removed the tile…but it took me the better part of two days to clean up the dust. At the end of the day, all was well and our family room got a spring cleaning like it’s never seen before. Ha!

Living & Dining Room Makeover | Hardwood Floors Are Finished! | See the transformation new hardwood floors made to this dated space. Dining Room Farmhouse Makeover with board and batten, hardwood floors, Oil rubbed bronze chandelier and more! Affordable ideas and inspiration for your own space.

Pictured above is a little preview of the dining room. This room looks vastly different from before, while the other rooms haven’t changed as much. It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do though…it totally refreshed and brightened the rooms. I’m also really happy with my rug choices. I literally spent hours online trying to find the perfect rugs and it definitely paid off. I’ll be sharing more photos when the rooms are completely pulled together. 

See the dining room rug HERE. (Affiliate link.)

I still need to:

  • hang the plate wall
  • figure out window treatments
  • hang artwork in the dining room
  • make/buy pillow covers

I’m also finishing up my front porch so I’ll be back in a few days with that. Before I go, I want to thank you all for your interest in what I’ve been up to and your kind words. So many of you have written with words of encouragement and ideas. These are the messages that completely make my day!

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110 Comments

  1. Shirley@housepitality designs says:

    The floors look fantastic Ann!

    Reply
  2. Sheila M. Philippi says:

    Love what I see of the freshen up, especially floors!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie Wethington says:

    Ann, you out did yourself!! Everything is amazingly beautiful!!! I love the floors and walls in your dining room are wonderful!!! I know you have to be excited about decorating putting your finishing touches. I can’t wait to see what you do!!! Enjoy!!

    Reply
  4. Kim @ Vintage Pretties says:

    Just gorgeous! I think that hardwood floors are one of the best design decisions both in style and durability.

    Reply

  5. Your updates are fabulous Ann! I love all of your choices. WELL DONE!!

    Reply

  6. Beautiful! It’s time to reorganize my kitchen and i am going to change things up!!!, but I don’t decorate. You’ve inspired me and i got over my design fears..

    Reply

  7. Dear Ann, your dining room is beautiful. And the rest of the pictures I am sure. I will check them out next. You have beautiful taste inside and out. Thank-you for all of your hard work. You are definitely an inspiration. Cheryl May

    Reply

  8. The new floors and spaces are awesome.

    Reply

  9. Looks so beautiful and refreshed. We need new flooring in our home, but it seems like such a hurdle to live through the mess and commotion. Do not know how you managed that!

    Reply
    1. Ann Drake says:

      Because of the toilet overflow, we really didn’t have a choice. I knew that if I didn’t do it now, I would never do it. I just took a deep breath and jumped in! The commotion was worse than the mess, but Kelly and I retreated to my bedroom upstairs. That helped!

      Reply

  10. Oh my goodness! I love the wall treatment in the dining room; I’m thinking something like that would look really good in my dining room. I hope you consider posting the details on how it was done. Great choice on the flooring as well. I’m looking forward to the final reveal and also looking forward to seeing your front porch; you always do such a great job with it.

    Reply

  11. Wow, what a difference!! I loved the room before, but I’m loving this change even more. You have done an amazing change to this space. Can’t wait to see the rest.

    Reply

  13. Love it Ann!! Great choices! Looking forward to the big reveal.

    Reply

  14. I love love the dining rooms walls..wow…all i can say is…yummy!! I always call great trim…frosting….and you have aced the “frosting”!! Enjoy

    Reply

  15. I can’t wait to he’s your reveal! That little glimpse in the dining room is so tantalizing. It looks gorgeous with the board and batten walls. I know you are probably ready to be done, but you made some lovely lemonade out of the lemons.

    Reply
  16. Cindy Steele says:

    Your house is lovely. It is just so funny how similar our tastes are. I was lucky to have hardwood floors when we bought our home and I just love them. I too have area rugs down. I can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures. I wish I could send you pictures of my home but I don’t know how to do that.

    Reply
  17. Marsha Lamberth says:

    Your dining room is gorgeous. Can’t wait to see more.

    Reply
  18. Julie Briones says:

    It’s lovely, Ann. I REALLY like the board and batten, and I think the width of the pieces in the hardwood is perfect! You’re doin’ great, girl!

    Reply

  19. Dear Ann,
    The floors are beautiful. I have very similar hardwood in my house and just love it. It always looks good and is easy to maintain. Other than sweeping or vacuuming, I just spray it with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water with a drop of Dawn then mop it .
    The dining room rug is perfect! Can’t wait to see more pictures.

    Reply
  20. Michelle Salvatore says:

    Ann,
    I love your website. Your floors are beautiful and I agree with Sharon H. about the dining room wall. Absolutely stunning. My husband has done a lot of trim in our house. It makes such a difference. I printed the pictures of the herbs and will hang them in my kitchen. They look fabulous and a friend of mine asked if I painted them. Can you believe it?
    I look forward to all your ideas and projects.

    Michelle S.

    Reply

    1. Hi Michelle!
      Thanks for telling me about your friend’s remark. It made my day. :)

      Reply

  21. The floor looks gorgeous, I love the rug…..but I adore that wall!
    Good job, Ann

    Reply

  22. I think I’ve missed a few installments of the renovations, but the changes look beautiful in this post. I’ll have to go back and check the posts I’ve missed.

    I remember when we re-did our kitchen years ago and how glad I was when it was over. It can really wear on you to have workers in the house for days on end, I found. Of course, you want them there, too, so the project can be completed. Kind of a catch-22.

    I’m glad your project is wrapping up and that you are pleased with the results. Will look forward to seeing the finishing touches.

    Reply

  23. So simple and elegant. I love your choices.

    Reply
  24. Patricia Lawlor says:

    I love it. How refreshing and it makes the room feel much bigger.

    Reply

  25. Oh Ann, this looks beautiful! What gorgeous flooring. I can’t wait to see the rest.

    Reply
  26. Karen K from Buffalo says:

    Any worthwhile project takes time, sweat & a little blood. LOL And in the end, it’s so worth it! Glad you are near the finish line with just some of the sweet touches to complete. Can’t wait to see the end!!

    Reply
  27. Ellen Sorce says:

    The floors look spectacular! You are such an inspiration.

    Reply

  29. Ann, I always enjoy your posts. I have stopped reading a handfull of blogs because of my perception that I am a number. I arrived at this opinion by the lack of response to any questions asked of the blog owner, not just mine. You on the other hand are truely kind and humble. Thank you for being real in a world that seems to value everything but. Oh…the updates are beautiful.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Mary…I try very hard to answer questions but I know I have missed some. Thank you as well for your kind words. Comments like this one are literally like sunshine on a cloudy day. :)

      Reply

  30. Love your board/batten! I’m jealous!

    Reply

    1. Ha…this made me laugh out loud because I totally know how you feel! Thanks for your comment…it’s one of the highest forms of praise.

      Reply

  31. Can’t wait Ann! I know it will be spectacular as you have great taste!
    Thanks for the update.

    Reply

  32. Beautiful. Can’t wait to see all of the makeover.

    Reply
  33. Sylvia Carson says:

    So far, so great! Love the rug!

    Reply
  34. Marlene Stephenson says:

    It is looking very grand and can’t wait to see all it will be. I love the way you have decorated and know it will be lovely, yet cozy.

    Reply
  35. Pamela Gordon says:

    I love your new floors Ann! Everything must look so fresh now. The dirt and noise was worth it for sure! The new dining room rug is beautiful too. Have fun re-decorating. I always look forward to seeing your front porch decorated for summer. Pam

    Reply

  36. The board and batten in your dining room is beautiful and so are your new floors. Renovations are difficult to go through but if you say it was worth it in the end than you win! Ha! There are always so many little details. Glad yours is coming to an end.

    Reply
  37. Diane Smith says:

    The floors are GORGEOUS and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the boats and batten! Just wonderful. Enjoy!

    Reply

  38. I love it – just beautiful!

    Reply
  39. Laura Tollander says:

    So beautiful!

    Reply
  40. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says:

    Ann, your dining room is absolutely beautiful! Your little “finishing” touches will just add more beauty to this room! So happy for you!

    Have a blessed day!

    Reply

  41. Looking forward to being inspired by the front porch reveal. The dining floors looks great!!

    Reply

  42. How do you maintain your new floors? I too have hardwood floors and while I love them they are difficult to manage. Any ideas are appreciated.
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Win…I’m still working on this but will be posting about it soon. I agree that they are extra effort. Stay tuned!

      Reply

  43. The floors I am jealous of. Beautiful. What I especially love is the board and batten in the dining room. I asked my son if he thought we could do this and he said he did not think it fit my 1910 house. I will work on him and show him your picture.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jody…I respectfully disagree with your son! Board and batten has recently seen a surge in popularity because it’s being installed in farmhouse style spaces. It originated in Europe and goes way back. I watch a lot of British TV shows and I see it all the time. It was on Downton Abbey and I just recently saw it on Foyle’s War in a lovely old manor home. I did add some extra trim to my design that refined the look. I’ll be posting more details on that soon. Good luck convincing your son!

      Reply
  44. Judy Clark says:

    Ann – Be sure and clean out and/or replace your air filters after all of the construction dust. I found this out after have a bunch of work done. The dust goes everywhere and especially into the filters.

    Looks great!

    Judy

    Reply
  45. Jeanie Nichols says:

    It looks beautiful!

    Reply

  46. What joy to see the end of the “big part” of your project finished!! Love it so far!!! Change is good I think! Your home is so lovely.

    Reply

  47. Ann, I love your new hardwoods and board and batten through the peeks you’ve given! Can’t wait to see more soon!

    Reply
  48. Terri Herman says:

    It looks great Ann! We are still working on updating our new/old house, going on 6 months. I should have started a blog. Thanks for sharing your project!

    Reply

  49. It is all beautiful and inspiring, Ann!

    Reply
  50. Vesta Myers says:

    Your “new” dining area is beautiful! Who wouldn’t want to spend time with family and friends over a good meal in that space? You’ve inspired me to move forward with my dining room plans. I really enjoy your blog, thank you!

    Reply

  51. Love what you are doing Ann. So so pretty. Look forward to all your emails.

    Reply

  52. Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. So nice to have a change!

    Reply

  53. It looks beautiful. Can’t wait to see more.

    Reply

  54. Ann, this is looking absolutely amazing!!

    We’ve experienced that jack hammering of tile before. I think you’ll be finding dust for some time. It hides. :)

    Reply

  55. Oh My Goodness Ann!!!!!! Your flooring is fantastic; so rich, I love love love it!! Lucky break with the carpenters having that cancellation; things came together quickly for you. I’ve been waiting for the flooring reveal and I’m so happy for you, it really is beautiful. Have a good week; looking forward to your next post.

    Reply

  56. Beautiful, Ann! What a project! I can’t wait to see the finished results.

    Reply
  57. Barbara Mossbarger says:

    Really enjoy reading about your exciting renovation at your home. Our tastes seem to run parallel with each other. Just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your blog. Thanks for sharing..
    Barbara

    Reply

  58. Beautiful Ann! You must be pleased! So glad the big mess part is over !

    Reply

  59. We took up kitchen tile and carpeting last year and replaced everything with
    hardwood floors, it was quite the mess.I was cleaning dust for months.Your
    flooring and dining room look lovely, can’t wait to see the finished product.

    Reply

  60. Oh boy I’m jealous you’re done, but it looks really nice. We had a slab leak on February 11th and my house is still a mess. We had walls taken down to the studs. We ended up repiping the whole house so that added more holes. Since we had to replace our wood floors we decided to take the carpet out of the living room and dining room. I building a new banister that I absolutely love. We’ve turned our lemons into lemonade and it’s going to look really nice when we’re done (we were happy with the way our house looked before but am now excited about the new changes) it’s just taking a long time.

    Reply
  61. Stephanie says:

    Ann:
    I love the look in your dining room. I think the “wall treatment” is new, isn’t it? Anyway, can you expound a bit on your dining room walls? I would love to do that in our dining room. Don’t know if I can convince my husband to, or not, but it has such a classy look.

    Reply
  62. Mariann S says:

    Ann,I just love what you’ve done.Stunning.I’m still stuck on the outside work which had to be held off because of the rain.Hopefully it will be done by Friday.Will be working on the sides of the house after next Monday when it gets pressure cleaned. Never ending it seems. But as you say, in the end it was well worth it. Waiting to see more of that beautiful flooring and your other rooms. Keep smiling. It’s almost over! Lol

    Reply
  63. Sue Hillier says:

    The glimpse of your new dining room looks wonderful. Worth all the inconveniences!!

    Reply

  64. I love the floors and how the walls look. Seems to make things brighter and by the time you get the plate rail up and put your mark on the room it is going to be perfect.

    Great job… keep going..
    Inspires me to consider taking the carpet out of my dining room.

    Sandi

    Reply
  65. Jane Turnupseed says:

    Love everything you’ve done!

    Reply

  66. Your floors are beautiful.
    Maybe one day I will have hardwoods again.

    I don’t remember the wall in your dining room being the board & batten. It’s beautiful.

    Have a wonderful day.
    Rose

    Reply

  67. Beautiful floors. With dread and excitement we are in the beginning stages of getting our house completely done over with new flooring. It will be interesting especially with our little bossy pug around.

    Reply
  68. Mary Chris says:

    I like the looks of the room too. Understated elegance but very welcoming. Can’t wait to see everything in place.

    Reply

  69. Gorgeous! And I admit I’m swooning over your board and batten! I eagerly await more pics! ;)

    Reply

  70. Your home looks lovely (as always) and I know you’ll enjoy your new wood floors. So easy to care for, too. I just use my Swifter (get ready for summer shedding cat hair!) and I’m done in no time. Now, if I could just keep my cat from shedding!

    Reply

  71. Can’t wait to see the whole project completed, the dining room is really special!

    Reply
  72. Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads says:

    Squeel!!! It is all looking gorgeous! Eagerly waiting to see more!

    Reply

  73. Stunning! Everything you do is beautiful. Enjoy.
    Donna

    Reply

  74. Wow! That was my first reaction! Can’t wait for more. It’s going to be beautiful and it will feel so fresh!

    Reply

  75. Absolutely beautiful. So tastefully done as is everything you do. Enjoy!

    Reply
  76. Ann Vivian says:

    You have elegant taste, Ann. Everything in the living and dining rooms that you have shown so far is quite beautiful! You must love living in your home…I especially love the harp-back dining chairs (but then, I am a musician ;) ).

    Reply
    1. Ann Vivian says:

      I meant to refer to the chairs as lyre-back. Is that what you call them?

      Reply

  77. Love your makeover!!!! Everything looks so good and fresh. I have a table and chair set almost like yours have been debating on painting it after looking at yours all under is to recover the chairs in white ! One place to look for pillow covers hospital gift shop. Found a reversible piece to lay on a bed or a tray split the end seam great new pillow cover. Thanks for your great ideas keep them coming.!!!!!

    Reply

  78. Lovely preview!
    Looking forward to advice on selecting rugs online…

    Reply
  79. Nan, Odessa, DE says:

    Glad, glad to hear from you!
    I missed you on Easter.
    Looking forward to the next post and every one to follow.

    PS How is you pup taking all this intrusion in the house?

    Reply

  80. Ann, what a beautiful transformation! I am just DYING over the board and batten! Did you do that yourself, or have it done professionally? I have been wanting to install board and batten in my home for years now, but have been procrastinating because we have textured walls, and most of the DIYs I have seen for B&B don’t actually cover the existing walls. I’m not sure it would look so great with that knock-down showing through. Plus, I would probably do a horrible job if I went the DIY route. I would love to hear all about how you did it, and any advice you might have about your experience. Congratulations – your gorgeous home is now even more so!

    Reply

  81. From the peek of the dining room I KNOW I am going to love the result! It is nice to see a room that will hang on to some traditional elements rather than all the new rustic.

    Reply
  82. Jo Ellen Mason says:

    Love it! I am in the middle of remodeling my whole 5 bedroom 1870 home in Sidney Ohio. I am trying to do most of it myself! Going room to room seems to be the best for me. Now tackling the old wiring in my library room. Yes it is overwhelming but I appreciate it so much more when I go slowly and cherish each part of my home. There are some cracks in the ceilings and walls of which I cannot ‘hide’ away but I feel that these are the scars of my home just as my own scars on my body and each tells a story. My home’s story. I will leave them there. Jo

    Reply

  83. It is absolutely beautiful!

    Reply
  84. Diania Abernathy says:

    It is just absolutely beautiful!! LOVE the batten board.

    Reply

  85. It looks great! I love the color of the wood. The rug and paint color is so pretty as well. Can’t wait to see it all. So glad you are on the other side of this.

    Reply

  86. Everything looks so fresh, Ann! Love your dining room rug! ❤️ Can you please share your paint color?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  87. Looks beautiful! I’ve been through this same thing, I refer to as the “forced renovation”! As a result of a water leak we had to redo hardwood floors in our kitchen and living room and it all started the Tuesday before Thanksgiving! Timing was terrible but it had to be done and it ended up taking 3 months to finish! In the end, it Was all worth it!

    Reply

  88. Very nice! Love that you actually put the correct sized rug in the dining room. Too many times people go the cheapest route and the rug is too small, but not here!

    Reply

  89. Beautiful floors! I can’t wait to see what you do in the dining room!

    Reply
  90. Jann Newton says:

    Ann, the floors look fabulous! It’s so hard to live through remodeling like that. Our remodel was supposed to be 6 weeks, and ended up being 4 1/2 months! So, count your self very lucky! But, in the end it’s all worthwhile.

    Reply

  92. I love it! It is a huge project. We had hardwoods through our home, but had them redone several years ago, along with several other large projects. I understand exactly what you mean about the house being torn apart and the sacrifices made during the process. And not only that…all the decision making can be a little draining because we want to choose the things you love and can live with for a long time. It looks beautiful and is so worth it! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  93. Beautiful. Can’t wait to see all your beautiful touches.

    Reply

  94. Love your new floors. Can’t wait to see your finished dining room. So happy for you.

    Reply

  95. Your dining room is a wow factor! I love every inch of it! Can’t wait to see your window treatments and artwork! It’s just beautiful!

    Reply

  96. Beautiful! Can’t wait to see your special touches.

    Reply

  97. Looking fabulous, I am so very happy for you. Can’t wait to see it completed.

    Reply

  98. Hi Ann, so far it looks really good. The end is usually worth it, of course, but the process is a bit tedious! Glad you are pleased and I can’t wait to see the end design.

    Reply

  99. Good Morning Ann, oh my word, your new wooden floors look fabulous. They create such a warm feeling in your room.
    I do understand when you say that you are glad that the workmen have now finished their work, because 3 weeks is a long time to have your home turned upside down, but the end result is so worth it.
    You must feel so excited about adding the finishing touches.
    With warmest wishes.
    Daphne

    Reply

  100. Beautiful So Far ….. Excited to see the finished project!

    Reply
  101. Kathleen G says:

    Beautiful wood floors and the dining room walls, so different, fresh! ( even though I’ll miss the wallpaper ) what a wonderful landscape to add your stylish touch. I’m excited for you!
    Kathleen in Az

    Reply