When I last wrote about possibilities for our kitchen and dining room layout, I concluded we would keep the kitchen where it is and keep the dining room as a dining room rather than swapping the two spaces. That decision felt like a relief — it gave me at least one thing to be sure about in the middle of a lot of unknowns.
Having that certainty has helped me move past indecision. I love brainstorming and planning projects, but I don’t enjoy the waiting. The broad plan is set: the kitchen remains in place. Details like whether we’ll move the sink, open or remove walls, or add a mudroom are still undecided. After nearly seven months in the house, I’m finally ready to settle into a rhythm and start making decisions about what we truly need and want to change.
The overall style of the kitchen, bathrooms and the house will evolve — we’ll paint, add paneling in spots, update light fixtures, renovate the kitchen and bathrooms, refresh the fireplace, and even replace two exterior doors with Dutch doors. My goal is to layer our personal style into the house while keeping it comfortable and livable for our family.
Most of all I want to make changes that minimize disruption to family life. We moved here to be close to family and to create a home where our kids can spend time together. This season calls for simplicity and prioritizing family time over creating a perfectly styled house. I want improvements that don’t create unnecessary mess or stress.
One of the simplest, most affordable ways to refresh a room is to rearrange furniture, and we’ve been doing that a lot. Recently we moved our glass cabinet from the living room into the dining room. The room is still a work in progress — art is hung temporarily and the styling isn’t finished — but these adjustments let us live in the space while testing different layouts.
We’ve explored several layout ideas, including opening the wall or enlarging the doorway to the kitchen. One idea we still like is creating an archway into the kitchen, but our most recent plan was to move the dining table up to the window to create a banquette-style spot with a view. That change immediately transformed how the room feels.
With the table now at the window, the room reads more like a sunny breakfast room off the kitchen. It’s cozy and inviting, and there’s still space to expand the seating for larger family meals when needed. I even sat at the table to work for a while recently and loved the light and view.
We removed the leaves from the table and the smaller round shape feels just right in the space. The arrangement will be even better once we add a light fixture and a few finishing touches, but the foundation is working. A reader noted that shifting furniture can help balance a room, especially with mid-century influences in our décor — she’s right. Placement affects how comfortable and cozy a room feels, and experimenting has made that clear.
This layout makes the dining room feel lighter and more relaxed, like a pleasant breakfast nook with a view. We can still expand the space for holiday meals, but we’re enjoying the smaller, everyday arrangement. It’s practical and charming, and it suits our current needs.
remember the art won’t go on the wall there, this is just an in-process pic!
Next up is repainting the entire room, which I’m excited about. Even if we later widen the kitchen doorway or remove the wall, we can proceed in small steps. We may add paneling to bring character to the space and are still considering built-in bench seating or bookcases. Built-ins could work here even if we delay them for a while.
We’ve also chosen a favorite blind sample and I’ll be ordering window treatments soon — the afternoon sun is already strong, so blinds will be essential for summer. Small updates like this make living in the space more comfortable while we plan larger changes.
That’s the latest on this room. I still need to share the progress on my painted bedroom, but projects move slowly at first as you find your groove in a new house. Once you do, the process of creating a home becomes much more enjoyable.
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