We switched the living room and the dining room.

Three years ago we bought a dining room set. At the time we were living in a loft apartment with high ceilings. It only made sense to buy a pub style table that was a bit higher than the standard height. When we bought our cape house, with relatively low ceilings and a really ugly 1950s dining room chandelier -- the pub style table just didn't fit our style anymore. I'm a fan of formal dining rooms but the wallpaper (ugh) and the chandelier and the pub style table, etc. etc. etc. made me not even want to enter the dining room. And for months, honestly, I didn't.

A few months ago, I got it in my head that I wanted to build a new dining room table. And when I say that "I wanted to build" it, I mean that I wanted Sean to build it for me. I found the directions for a farmhouse table. It was perfect and beautiful and supposedly inexpensive. The table I wanted was 10 feet long. I measured our dining room and discovered that a table of that length would just barely fit in the room. Apparently you're supposed to leave room behind each chair (some people say 36 inches of room) so that people can easily maneuver around the furniture. Our dining room wasn't big enough for the room a table of that size required. So I made the decision to swap our rooms around. The current living room would become the new dining room. 

We ultimately decided not to build our own table. Once tools were factored into the budget -- the "build a farmhouse table for under $100" thing went right out the window. We bought a table -- an 11-foot table to be exact. It's still coming along -- as in, we have to figure out lighting and some seating in the back of the room. We will also change the curtains since the curtains in the now dining room belong with the living room furniture. But the new living room is still being striped of wallpaper. So much wallpaper. I'll post a bunch of pictures of both rooms when they are both all done. The goal is before Thanksgiving since we are hosting this year. :)

It is a bit odd to not have over head lighting above the table and to have a fireplace in the room. But it's really nice to know we have so much seating for anyone to come over for a meal! Because of the room placement, the dining room is now a room I consistently walk through -- where before I would go the other way and never need to go in the room. The new living room has the TV in it... so clearly I spend a lot of time in there regardless of the ugly wallpaper and hideous 1950s chandelier. Both of which will be gone soon. I hope.

Why is wallpaper so difficult to remove? We have everything. Razors and putty knives and the gels and the sprays and detergents and steamers. I mean, this is crazy.