Dining room reveal

For 20 years I've had a red dining room.  Yes, I first painted my dining room red in 1991, gradually evolving from real red to burgundy to the most recent rusty red.



It was time for a change.

While recent trends have been toward more neutral colors, I still wanted a rich, deep color. I confess that I was a little scared to do something bold and dramatic, but I finally mustered up my courage, and now I have. . .

a French blue dining room! Voila!

I used my Karastan Floral Kirman rug for color inspiration. I've had this rug for years, and I still love it. There are so many wonderful colors in it!

My dining room includes quite a lot of white moulding and trim, and I love the way the white contrasts with the blue.

I'll take you around the room. First, looking in from the foyer:

With a view into the living room on the left:

Living room on the left, kitchen ahead to the right:

And back around to the foyer:

One more shot, just because I'm so excited about it:

Old and new side-by-side:

A note about the color: it's a custom mix that Sherwin Williams did for me in their Duration matte paint. Here's the formula:

I'll do another post with details of some fun new accessories I'm using. As you can see, my dining room is very traditional--but traditional doesn't have to be boring!

So what do you think? Do you like it, or should I be singing the blues?

I'm joining these fun parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Inspiration Friday, At the Picket Fence

Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different, Act Normal

Room by Room: Dining Rooms at Cottage and Vine

Show Us Your Dining Rooms at Thrifty Decor Chick
Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner