Our dining room had creamy white walls when we moved in, and a large freestanding oak hutch that the previous owners left to us. Brandon and I plunked our dining table and chairs in the room, filled the hutch and arranged a display on its shelves, and that was about it. I would love to put up wallpaper eventually, but we still have some work to do on the first floor that will have us opening up the walls so it doesn’t make sense to paper them now. I was growing tired of the wall color though, and I figured it was time for a new coat of paint.
The dining room windows are north-facing and the house next door is pretty close, so we don’t get a ton of natural light in there. I didn’t want to go too dark with the walls since I had already painted the adjacent room black, so I chose Benjamin Moore’s ‘Basking Ridge Beige.’
It’s a subtle, historical pink, one shade darker than the color I used in the nearby library. I love the way it turned out, but at night the room still read as really yellow.
I’ll be working on four projects over the next four weeks, making over rooms with just $100 from Target and GE reveal® LED light bulbs. I knew right away that the dining room would be my first pick for this series, because swapping out that old fluorescent bulb would definitely improve the look and feel of the space. I also decided to use sheets of wrapping paper that we had on hand to line the hutch, new candleholders that I’d repurpose as vases, and napkins that played off of the pierced metal hurricanes.
I put together this video, detailing the changes to the room.
So much better! We eat every meal in our dining room, and we need the light on more often than not. The wall color looks far more true with the new bulb than it did before. Also, I’m so glad that my idea for fixing the lighting fixture with parts from a decorative knob worked! That hole in the bottom of the glass always bugged me.
Ah, the table. It would be lovely to have fresh flowers all the time, but of course I can use the candleholders for their intended purpose too, and the napkins work with them either way.
The dining room was fine before, but it’s making me much happier now.
I’ll be hosting a Twitter chat with GE Lighting, along with Mandi from Vintage Revivals and Brooke from All Things Thrifty this Thursday night at 7:30 Central. I hope you can join us!
Also, Target will be holding a demo day for GE LED bulbs (including GE reveal®) across the country on March 1 with $1 off coupons. The bulbs are also on sale, buy two get one free March 1-7 with no coupon required.
Giveaway
If you had a $100 gift card to Target and GE reveal® bulbs, what would you bring in to update your dining room? Comment below for a chance to win your own #100reveal makeover!
See the complete rules for more information.
I’m so excited to be a GE reveal® #100reveal sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own, projects have been chosen by me, and additional products used in the project were selected by me and provided by GE reveal®.
185 comments
Beth C
I’ve been (very) slowly working on updating my dining room. I bought some stencils from Target–now I just need to get around to using them! #100reveal
Michelle
A new light fixture and rug! And I still need to refinish the dining chairs…
Cvjn
#100reveal
Forgot to put that hashtag on this post’s comment! I would still buy linens.
Docia Fuller
i love those bulbs, I just need a new light to put them in !
Kathleen
Our 1904 townhouse lacks a dining room, but my eat-in kitchen could use some love in the form of some non-chipped dinnerware and flatware that doesn’t fall off the plates because the handles are too heavy!
Patricia
So good Nicole your are genius at subtle yet impacful improvements. I want to try these bulbs now, everything is so yellow around here at night. Love the the target candle holders too!
Amanda
I would love to buy a table cloth and runner, and cloth napkins. Maybe a serving dish or 2. I’ve also been wanting to do a plug in lighting solution for above the dining table, I want to DIY something.
Judy N
What a simple refresh of the dining room, but so effective! I have been a fan of GE Reveal bulbs for a long time now, and am running low on my supply, so I would definitely get some more if I won. They are really nice in our windowless bathroom. I would also like a new shower curtain and spring/summer towels—something bright and cheery. Thanks for the chance to win!
Judy N
Oops–I forgot the #100reveal hashtag!
Ashley
I really need a new light fixture!
Jen
I would love some new drapes and target has so many to choose from! Thanks for the fun giveaway!
Lauren
I need three new light bulbs like yesterday! Hahaha I’m excited to try out these GE ones. My dining room definitely needs some help. It needs some color and something on the walls. I love flowers and a fresh bright look so I would find items to brighten up my small space. I love those chairs you have! If only target had those cheap. :)
Carrie
I already use GE Reveal light bulbs in our chandelier. The best lighting! I’ve been thinking about adding something to the walls and a spring centerpiece.
emily
i have a friend who leaves her table set all fancy year round. i think your set table looks so inviting!
Rosemary
I would definitely change out the bulbs in my dining room…most especially in the sconces. I also need something on the windows
Megan m
Maybe some new dishes!
Carrie
I would love to try out those new bulbs, in a new floor lamp for my living room.
Celestin
I would love to get new linens and some decorative pieces for our sideboard! And I will definitely be trying out these bulbs.
Sarah @ 702 Park Project
My dining room needs something on the walls. Like, bad. I love the purple that we decided to go with, but our walls seem to go on forever and they are looking pretty naked! I’m definitely going to try out those bulbs…the closer to natural daylight, the better!
JENN
LINENS- DEFINITELY- I NEED TO UPDATE MY LINENS. tHANKS FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN. LOVE THOSE NEW NAPKINS BY THE WAY!
Kathleen Preslar
Love your historical style. We recently bought some new bulbs and I can’t believe the difference it makes in our kitchen!
Lori
I actually already use GE Reveal bulbs in my dining room chandelier, and I love them! I’d love to get some new cloth napkins and some decorative elements to spice up the top of my buffet. It looks great at Christmas time when it’s filled with glass trees and reindeer, but it’s sad the rest of the year.
cvjn
Linens! I need more cute placemats, napkins and table cloths, both for everyday and special occasions.
Katie
I love the Rifle Paper Co in the hutch! Adds just the right pop of color/pattern to the room! I would love to get some new accessories for our porch/garden for Spring!
Jamie G
Thanks for the contest! I would love to add a table runner and some nice cloth napkins to my kitchen table, as well as some candles. Good luck, everyone!
Catherine
Today we’re closing on my dream house: a ranch with a walk-out basement. It’s the first time we’ll have an actual dining room (current house has dining area adjacent to living room). I am excited to keep a leaf in my table and have it ready for company at all times. I’d like to see a new larger lamp on my sideboard and a cheery runner on my table. Target has these things!
Antonella
Not participating in the contest here!
Just wanted to say that you really made it lovely! I’m copying your hutch makeover for the inside of my wardrobe!
:-)
Danielle
Would love to spend it towards new chairs!
#100reveal
Victor
I would get a new lamp for my desk. I am a student and it would definitely help.#100reveal
Claudia
I would update the light bulbs in my kitchen because I would like to make it brighter.
Claudia
#100reveal hashtag. I would update the light bulbs in my kitchen because I would like to make it brighter.
Joshua
I would use the gift card to buy some new rugs and light bulbs for the bathroom that I just remodeled.
Joshua
(I forgot the #100reveal hashtag!) I would use the gift card to buy some new rugs and light bulbs for the bathroom that I just remodeled.
jennifer colton
an actual table! we’ve been eating off an architect’s flat file and floor pillows, moroccan-style. #100reveal hashtag
jennifer colton
an actual table! we’ve eating off an architect’s flat file and floor pillows, moroccan-style. #100reveal hashtag
jennifer colton
an actual table! we’ve eating off an architect’s flat file and floor pillows, moroccan-style.
Mandy @ This Girl's Life
I would love to grab a new pair of dining chairs for the ends of our table! :)
Erin
My dining room would certainly be a lot spiffier with some non-stained tablecloths!
Heather T
A new rug for the dining room.
Alicia C.
We just moved into a new house so the only thing in the dining room is the table and it’s a small one. Now that we have more space, i’d love to get a bigger table and sideboard. Also, the builder used really old lightbulbs in the fixture and we’ve only been in this house for 6 weeks and half of the lightbulbs have burned out. we’d love to replace them with energy efficient bulbs.
Dylan Leopold
I need to add some plants and some new artwork to the dining room!
Mackenzie
Since my husband and I live in a studio apartment, our kitchen is also our dining room. We would use the $100 from Target to add some art on the walls and bring in some greenery with Target planters. This would be such a special treat!
Nicole
I think a new tablecloth and some candleholders and vases would be nice.
Mercedes Conde
I’d love to replace the cheap Ikea fixture on the ceiling with something nicer and also a different light… The one we have right now looks also yellowish…
Thanks!!
Shelly Traveller
I would use the money to buy me a lot of these bulbs! I love th brighter light! #100reveal
AshleyM
I would love to update the light bulb in my dining room pendant and the light bulbs in the lamps on the nearby buffet. And for the table, I would like to bring in some fun placemats/chargers and kind of glam it up. I’m having a ‘welcome Spring’ brunch and my serving dishes are severely lacking, too!
Your dining room looks awesome and I love the pink and ESPECIALLY the paper in the built ins! Makes a subtle but lovely difference!
Trisha D. @Black and White Obsession
I would actually tackle (and finally finish) about 4-5 lighting projects with that kinda money (shop on clearance ‘yo)! I’ve personally witnessed the difference between the light bulbs and its night and day (har!).
Heather
After recently moving back into the country we are taking our time to put our home together. We would either put in a light in the room to brighten the space, apply a fresh coat of paint or add a rug to help pull the room together. Our options are endless.
Wendy
My dining room table is completely bare, so some beautiful vases or candle holders would go a long way. I’d also purchase a few picture frames to finally get some stored artwork up on the walls.
Tammy Maloney
Silver ceiling paint. #100reveal
Pam Cappucci
Update the light fixture with a new bulb and possibly a whole new light fixture. I would be nice to add nice proportional basket/wood bowl or some type of nice accenet in the middle of our round dining table.
adina treise
I am moving soon into a new to me home that is builder grade to the MAX! I’m only renting so major changes cannot be done, but I know Target will have the ultimate hook-up of amazing accessories I could use to make the dining room and even the rest of the house amazing!!
Adrian
I’d update the light fixture in my dining room. Target has some new cute fixtures on their website that I saw recently!
Xin
Our dining room light isn’t fluorescent, but it’s a really dated design and gives off dim, yellow light. We’d love to find something more modern!
Isabel
I recently updated the dining room, which included up cycling a buffet I purchased at a Habitat Re-Store and painting a deep red. However, I’m still struggling to find the right decor for the buffet and a centerpiece for the table. It is round so it has proven especially challenging. Lastly, I would trade a couple of my current dining chairs for upholstered ones to mix things up.
Yajaira Leal
I would use the money in our kids room, the room needs a new light fixture.
Nicole
I would splurge on some much needed matching dinnerware. We’ve been using mismatched plates, bowls and cups for far too long!
Lindsay
A new rug to go under my in-law’s antique dining table they gave us!
ellen
i would consider a fun new lighting fixture! one of the glass shades on the existing chandelier has a crack and we’re having trouble finding a replacement because it’s been discontinued.
Lisa Lucht
Our dining room table is pretty beat up, so I’d live to replace it. Target is one of my favorite places to shop so this would be perfect.
Laura Irons
Our current wooden dining chairs are hand-me-downs from my husband’s parents, and they are really dated. I would love to paint a couple of them a bright color to contrast with our navy walls, and mix in a couple of metal chairs from Target to have some variety!
Kim
I have been obsessed with Target’s collaboration with Threshold for awhile now and would love to use this gift card towards some new accents and accessories. Even if we can’t buy all new furniture, little changes in decor can make a big impact!
Katharine
If I had a $100 gift card to Target and GE reveal® bulbs, I’d totally buy those white candleholders (I spied them the other day, but was already at my self-imposed Target shopping limit). I’d also hope to find the reveal bulbs in a size that works for our chandelier.
Nicole Huckins
Target has these amazing hanging planters that I am dying for!
Miri Nadler
We just recently inherited my great aunt’s 100 year old dining room table. It’s very long and very weathered. My husband and I have decided not to refinish it just yet as it fits in with our 100 year old Western/Spanish style hacienda in nestled in a Ventura County canyon in California. We’ve been known to place some flowers or a candle in the middle of our long 12-seater dining table, but the look definitely needs a little more to brighten up our super-brown dining room. Hoping a Target gift card will make that possible!
Nichole K
I would love to try the Reveal bulbs in both my dining room and living room, plus my dining room table needs a new centerpiece for spring! I already have eight dining room chairs from Target! :)
Patti
A new Warehouse of Tiffany chandelier and Torre & Tagus decor fo the dining table and shelves!
Sarah
Currently working on the dining room so wall decor and something for a table centerpiece would be nice!
Kelly
I would add a rug runner to our upstairs hallway.
patricia g
I would get a plant and some greenery for my dinning room
Nikki
With a Target Gift Card and new lightbulbs I’d definitely replace the dated light fixture over our dining room table with something more modern. And maybe replace the chairs as well!
Tiffany Smith
I would add a rug , we have 1960’s laminate flooring right now with gold flecks. I would also add those light bulbs, i truly cant believe how much better your paint color looks with them!!! Next week I’m all over the coupons and putting those in my bathrooms where we currently have horrible florescent lighting!
Erica
Armed with a $100 Target gift card, I’d love to add some kind of sideboard/ storage hutch for our dining room to hold linens and serving dishes! It would also be a great place for a little bar cart!
Liz M
I’m in the process of redoing our dinning room too. I sold our table & Chairs and we are currently using folding chairs and table.
Amber
We would start work on our dining room! I am all for new light fixtures, new chairs, and probably a whole lot more new!
Sarah
I would love a new rug for the family room!
Emily
Since we’ve completely gutted our house, we’re starting from a blank slate! We could definitely use a new table and chairs, and I would love a little sideboard or credenza to spruce it up :)
haleigh
Love that pink! I would definitely put my winnings toward new dining chairs. I’ve been eyeing some of Target’s options- so good!
Whitney
Since we moved into our 1960s duplex this summer, our dining room has been the last piece needing completion. We need something large to go on our one blank wall–maybe a shelving unit or some pretty art. The original light fixture could use a good cleaning and a new light, too!
Alison
Your dining room turned out adorable. Mine really needs some big, bold art and new napkins for sure.
Nicoletta
I would use my $100 for a new window treatment. My house has a big sliding glass door by the table and my white sheers are just way too boring for my orange and green kitchen.
Kelly
I would repaint my table and chairs. The ten year-old paint job is looking dingy and chipped.
Risa
Either curtains or a rug! Yes! Great dinning room. It looks great!
Heather
I would love to have some new dishes to make a beautiful tablescape!
barbara
I would copy you on those vase/candleholders to start. That’s a very lovely little makeover you did!
Cassidy
The hand in the hutch:
http://gifsoup.com/view/1565751/titanic-hand-scene.html
Making it Lovely
I’ll never see it the same way again!
mirabelle
the Bedroom! our lighting is horrible – we just turn off the lights and jump into bed.
Alison
I’d love to get new artwork on my empty walls. New lighting would be great also.
Nichole
I definitely would love to update the lighting. It seems a bit stale in that room. We have a vintage apartment unit in Oak Park with a beautiful wooden farm table like yours. I would like to get some chargers and lovely table linens to keep the table set more often. It looks nice when it is done up!
katie
I’m sorry to ask such a dated question but I love the picture lights you had in the library of your first home. Do you remember where you got them?
Making it Lovely
They were from IKEA, but the were discontinued years ago.
Dorothea
I’m actually in the process of adding 2 bookcases to my dining room. With a $100 gift certificate from Target I’d paint the bookcases, add some knick knacks to the shelves, and update the bulbs in the light fixtures!
Antonina
Love,love all your ideas Nichol! You a big inspiration to me.
I would defenetly could update my dining room with new curtans,lamp and new carpet :)
kristin | W [H] A T C H
i’d add new end chairs for the dining room table!
Mo
I would get new pendants for over the kitchen counter or new kitchen linens.
Elizabeth
our pet’s food bowl is in the dining room and I would get a better looking food holder for him. We should all dine in style.
Erin
If I won, I would get a sweet new light fixture to add drama, and new bulbs to make the room less yellow feeling.
Megan C.
Our current dining room chairs are falling apart. I would put the gift card toward purchasing four of these beautiful chairs in aqua: http://www.target.com/p/threshold-windsor-dining-chair-set-of-2/-/A-15744178
Ashley Bee
To update my dining room, I would use the Target gift card to purchase either chairs or oversized art. I would use the GE Reveal bulbs to replace the horrible daylight CFL bulbs in my pendant light. They are too dim and distort the colors in my house.
coral
I just (like 2 weeks ago!!) moved into a fixer upper, our dining room is both unsettled and in total need of a new light fixture – right now it is just a ceiling fan, no light! I would update my lighting and bring in a mirror to bounce some sun light around!
susan
With a $100 gift card from Target I’d buy some new curtains and some art work for the walls. Haven’t gotten that far in the dining room yet.. it would be great to finish!
Jessica @ SundayLoves.com
This is perfect timing, actually. If I won a card for Target, I would grab some drapes. I’ve been over there looking and that’s exactly what we need. And we only have two windows in there, so it would be perfect. We already have the fixture from West Elm and the furniture! :)
Kim B
I would bring in some new table lamps to brighten some dark corners.
Joy.W.
I could use some floor lamps in my dining room. We don’t ceiling light in that area so I’m opting for floor lamps instead to brighten up the room at night.
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