The Breakfast Nook: One Room Challenge Reveal!

The past seven weeks went by in a flash. Moments of quiet and slow with my paintbrush merged with the fast lane of getting everything finished on time. As usual, I was tapping the walls with a touch-up brush and fussing with the decor until the last second. Now that it is finally reveal day, I feel very proud of this little breakfast nook. Much like my gymnast daughter, it is small but mighty.

As I mentioned before, when BHH was built in the 1880s, the breakfast nook was either an open or screened-in delivery porch. Circa 1950, based on my discovery of old drywall, someone enclosed the porch, and the beautiful arched windows became the jewel of Blake Hill House, inside and out.

Pumpkin Salt and Pepper Shakers / Sugar (Marshalls) / Napkins (Marshalls) / Napkin Rings (vintage)

Before

Since there is no after without a before, let’s take a quick peek back. Prior to starting the challenge in earnest, the breakfast room née delivery porch was not accessible from the kitchen. The door was sealed shut with nails and a variety of weather stripping. Years of neglect were evident in the chipped and stained, sage green paint. (Note: My comment about neglect is not intended to be negative towards Dorothy. I have said it before, and I will repeat it, Dorothy did a remarkable job keeping up with this big old house considering that she lived here alone for many years.)

All along, the plan was to get rid of the green, but I took a little heat on social media for changing the color. Sage is a much more popular color than I expected.

That feedback got in my head, and I struggled with committing to a paint color scheme. However, once I put that issue of form behind me, everything fell into place. I began to imagine the Breakfast Nook as if it were a very fancy treehouse with a funky little coffee shop inside.

After

I get giddy showing this part. Seriously, if you were here in person, I would be bouncing up a down and clapping my hands just a little.

This shot was taken Tuesday after I finished every last bit of construction. What a clean slate!

And voila! Treehouse Coffee Shop:

Crazy different, right?

Let’s look a little closer at the fancy floor. The plywood is stenciled, stained, and sealed with polyurethane. Also, I added baseboards and proper shoe molding around the perimeter.

The window on the back wall used to be on the exterior of BHH before the porch enclosure. After I restored the original hardware, I added privacy film to block the view of the laundry room opposite this wall. The Cavallini Dandelion print and the blue ceiling add a punch of color to the room.

Dandelion Print (Affiliate Link) / Plant Hanger / Hook

In my world, a decor project is not complete without plants and accessories inspired by nature.

Feather Plates

Deer Hook / Sleigh Bells

Yes, that’s my owl.

These little vintage school chairs are my favorite. They traveled all over BHH before landing here in the Breakfast Nook. I do not doubt that these chairs lived an exciting life in education before I plucked them out of a local antique shop.

Even though it is narrow, the bar can accommodate full-size dishes. I made this simple table out of leftover maple plywood. (A tutorial is coming soon!) The corbels dress it up just a bit. After all, even though our family is all about being casual, BHH is a little fancy.

Coffee Mug / Dog Placemats (Home Goods) / Pottery Bowl (vintage)

Seven weeks later, we are delighted to have an informal place to eat directly off the kitchen.

Thank you for encouraging me throughout these past few weeks. I wanted to quit that table about four times, and it took me 13 1/2  hours to stencil the floor. The One Room Challenge™ inspires, motivates, exasperates, and yes, challenges me every. single. time.

Next week, I will be back with the budget breakdown + my favorite ORC projects and a tutorial for stenciling a floor.

Today, I will end with a few more of my favorite shots of our treehouse, coffee shop, breakfast nook. Come on over. I did not make the scones, but they are fresh, and the coffee will be hot.

Now, it is time to head on over to Calling It Home to see all the reveals from the Featured Designers and the other Guest Participants too. Many thanks to Linda, founder of the One Room Challenge™, and media partners, House Beautiful and Home Love Network. It has been a delight.

I cannot wait to see all of the other project reveals. Before I do, I am taking a long nap.

Start from the beginning:
Week 1 – The Breakfast Nook
Week 2 – The Breakfast Nook
Week 3 – The Breakfast Nook
Week 4 – The Breakfast Nook
Week 5 – The Breakfast Nook
Week 6 – The Breakfast Nook