I figured out why NOBODY wants to eat here | dining room makeover

Have you finished decorating your space, but it doesn't look just right?I'm gonna show you everything that you need to do in order to make it look Pinterest worthy.

Loving this color.

We need to make the space more comfortable to sit in.Yeah, I said we.We're doing it together.Literally cutting it so close, but they are here.All right, check out your new dining room in three, two, one.Welcome back to the Sorry Girls.

If you're new here, you may not know that I love a dining nook, and I love to make over boring and mediocre spaces by thrifting, DIYing, and injecting some personality.So this is my good friend, Andrea, and she shares this home with her husband, Raj, as well as their 10 -month -old son, Leo.And every time I come over, I couldn't help but think that this dining nook needs a little love.A lot of love.When I was talking to Raj and Andrea about this space, Raj said, literally anything you can do to make us use the space more.And I love this challenge because I need to make this space so inviting, so cozy, that they'd rather sit here instead of the TV or anywhere else in their house.

Family meal times are important.I don't have a baby, so I feel like I'm allowed to sit in front of the TV.These are some of my inspo pics.I love how warm they are, how inviting, and just how high -end they look.And anything I'm going to do today to try to achieve this look can be applied to so many different spaces, not just kitchen tables and dining nooks.Okay, here's where I think we can improve in this space.

First up, I think we need to bring in more textures and tones.It can't all just be white or clear.Between the chairs and this hard bench, we need to make the space more comfortable to sit in.And overall, just more decor, maybe some DIYs and upcycles to make this space feel complete and cozy.Have I mentioned we're going for cozy?Honestly, these are kind of simple things to fix, but I need really specific items to make it all work together.

So we need to get shopping and DIYing.

OK, so I'm on my way, driving about an hour to go pick up some chairs that I saw on Marketplace.

When thinking about this dining nook, I knew I need to replace either the table or chairs and probably didn't have budget for both.I do think the chairs will make a bigger difference here in terms of comfort.So I decided to pursue the chair route.Honestly, it seems like new or used dining chairs sit at about $200 a piece.Unless I was trying to achieve a different style, something like this that's very easily thriftable.I think like a high -end super unique designer chair is the move But those are a really expensive and like kind of be rare super rare to find I did find these red Glossy ones and I showed them to Becky because I was like before I go pick these up Let me get a second opinion.

I don't love that.They are red glossy and the table is also gloss Once we decided those weren't the ones I had these other chairs saved that I just thought were a safer choice They are a newer chair.They're not vintage, but they still are on marketplace.I think they are a good bet I think this is the right style for the space and less of like a risk Just fits.Okay, honestly, these chairs are so nice, and I feel like the softer touch, as well as just them being a little bit more padded, is gonna really help them use this dining nook more, because it's gonna be a lot more comfortable.And just pretty to look at.

I'm excited.I think it was worth the price point.And this is where they'll stay until I'm done sourcing and ready to go to Andrea's.But I'm actually gonna keep one in my car so that I can fabric swatch, match it to do the cushions.Okay, so speaking of cushions, I need to get some custom ones ordered ASAP so that they will be ready in time.I'm at Fabric Fabric to pick out my favorite fabric options and my plan is to do one cushion for the entire bench seat and then a back cushion assembled on plywood.

It's so hard when there's many good options.Makes my job harder.

Okay, I brought the chair in case I would need it.I think I need to look at the chair and decide.I'm looking for something that actually complements the chair and I'm not aiming to match it exactly.So this is my fabric choice.I like that it's not completely solid, and it has some gray and silver tones in it, which I think will work well with their flooring and their walls.I'll have to come back once they've turned this fabric into a cushion and a cushion cover, but I'm going to take away this foam as I have to make the base of the backrest.

I just hope that they'll have this ready for next week for install day.

Then with some more DIY prep and thrifting, I think I've lined up everything to make a cozy dining nook at Andreas.Okay, I'm back at Andrea's and I have to get this entire room installed, show you all the DIY projects I've worked on all before dinner time.So I'm getting started by clearing out the space and using some handy furniture sliders to move this table.This actually brings me to another surprise I have for Andrea and Raj.Not only is their dining duck getting a makeover, but so is their pool.Damn, it's a nice sound.

So obviously my summer includes spending a lot of time back here in their gorgeous yard.So I'm personally motivated to help them get the pool open for the season.So I think this is the perfect time to introduce you to today's sponsor, Ybot.Real talk, I grew up with a pool and it looks so fun and relaxing, but behind the scenes,not so much especially if you have to do things manually it takes a lot to maintain and keep clean.But this is the Y -Bot C2 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner and the whole point is you just drop it in and let it do its thing.

It's got really strong suction so it picks up everything dirt leaves all the stuff that somehow ends up in a pool And it runs for up to 180 minutes, which means it can cover over 2 ,000 square feet on one charge.It also has a double filtration system, so a bigger basket for things like leaves and then a finer filter that grabs all of the tiny particles like dust and pollen, giving you that clean, clear water without doing it yourself.And that is one of the few times you'll hear me preach not doing it yourself.And you can connect it to the app to choose how it cleans, whether that's the floor walls, water line, whatever your pool's needs are.I put a link in the description for you to check out the Y -Bot C2, and if you use the code SARIGIRLS, you will get $25 off.Okay, this is looking so much better.

I hope they enjoy their new Y -Bot pool cleaner because they need to spend less time cleaning, more time enjoying this yard, and I maybe need to spend more time finishing this dining nook makeover.Or, like, starting?I've, like, barely started.Too nice out.Okay, so the first thing I'm going to tackle in this space is the window and the window treatments.Now, they already have a roller blind here, which matches a bunch of other roller blinds throughout the house.

And you have seen us before add curtains where there is a roller blind just because we want that extra texture and coziness.But as somebody who has curtains in their dining nook, I honestly don't know if I'd recommend it.They kind of get in the way.You're kind of leaning up against them.And I've actually had somebody sit on the curtains and pull the curtain rod out of the wall.Not their fault, that's mine, but I've learned my lesson.

So we're not going to be doing curtains here.So instead, I'm going to do something called a valance slash cornice box.And I've never done this before.Actually, that's a lie.I've done this virtually on Behind the Story, which is our video podcast hosted on Patreon.So I've virtually done this, but I have not physically done it and installed one in a space I've made over.

And if you do want us to make over your space or you just want Becky and I to react to a space that you've made over and you want to show it off, definitely consider joining our story squad over on Patreon.I'll put the link in the description down below.We love to see inside your homes and apartments.Kind of like a little guilty pleasure.So the purpose of a cornice box or a valance is to hide the hardware that you might have for blinds or even back in the day, curtain rods.But here, I just feel like since we can't do curtains, we already have blinds.

Let's do something to add a little bit of texture and just elevate this window a little bit.

To make the cornice box, I picked up some half inch plywood and got it cut into strips so that I could fit it in my car.And I'll also be using this ply for the back bench cushion in just a bit.From there I cut the wood to the width of the window plus the trim plus two and a half inches just so that I can get the hardware in there and mount it to the wall.I picked up a few different brackets because I didn't know which would work but these are the ones I'm going to use to make the box shape and then these are the ones I'm going to use to attach to the wall.I cut some side pieces for the depth of the cornice box something around three inches but this will differ depending on your whole window setup.Also, if you're worried about how heavy this is going to be to hang up, because I definitely was, this is actually so lightweight and I have no concerns for this width, which I'm doing is 60 inches.

Then I used some tack spray, added some batting, and back inside on a clean surface, I stapled on some fabric that I picked up.OK, so these folds took me a minute to get right.This is going to be niche information, but very helpful if you ever try this project.Instead of folding over,the excess fabric, which creates a chunky fold that we can see from the bottom of the valance, I'm going to tuck the ends in first with the corners unstapled, and then when we fold the corners on top, we get a pretty neat fold, and any chunky fabric that we're gonna see will actually be up against the wall after we install.Okay, let's get this up.

Okay, you may be wondering why I went with just a white fabric.Well, this is something about this nook that I'm concerned about is making sure that it still fits in with the rest of their home, which is quite minimalist.It has muted and gray tones and small pops of interest.I don't want this area to feel like such a departure that it no longer fits in with the rest of the home, especially because it's open concept.So that's why I'm not painting this area.And this cornice box will add interest to texture and detail, but I'll bring in some other muted colors elsewhere in this space.

Sometimes I feel pressured to make choices in order to just make a big transformation for our YouTube video.

So I did want to share my thought process here.

Okay, next up I want to get this cushion and cushion backrest situation sorted.And last night I got the call that the cushions were ready.Literally cutting it so close, but they are here.Wow, I didn't even ask for a zipper, but they put a zipper in it.Loving this color.Oh my God.

Perfect.It's comfy.This is the part though I was scared for.The backrest.I made part of the backrest with the plywood I also used for the cornice box plus some foam and batting that I picked up from the fabric store.So now the hope is that this is gonna be tight but that was the point of it.

The point of it was to be tight so it's gonna be tight.But first I think we need to upholster it.Oh like it looks so good with the floor The silvery tones that are kind of in the wall.I'm really happy with it looks very luxe Low -key, this is where I'm supposed to tell you how I did this, but I would also love your advice in the comments for those that have upholstered like this.I've done it before, I'll do it again, but I do wonder if I'm doing it right.I just try to keep the fabric as even as possible, pulling evenly, spacing out the staples, and then coming back through to add more staples in between.

Am I missing something in this process?It always looks pretty good in the end, but it is not easy keeping that fabric straight and aligned, and it is a very stressful process for me personally.To attach the backrest to the wall, I'm using some D -rings as well as some screws.Can you believe there wasn't a cushion for the tushion here before?Like it feels mandatory.And don't worry, I also talked to Andrea.

Storage under here isn't used super regularly and the bottom cushion can slide off so that she can still access it.I'm so happy with how this turned out and it complements a lot of the tones we have in the art here.I do have an upgrade to this art.I'll tell you about that a little bit later.But right now we have to do the thing I'm probably most excited for swapping out this light fixture.So this light fixture, I actually don't mind the light that it gives off, which is usually a main reason why I don't like a light fixture is that the light is too harsh or it's too cool.

But the light it gives off is actually pretty nice.But what I don't like is just the coldness of this fixture.And it's just it's giving us nothing.So I actually picked up a new light fixture.It's so good.I'll show you that in a second, but first we need to turn off the breaker.

Did I turn off the breaker?

Oh my god.Oh my god.

Okay, now do you want to see the light that I picked up?

Ta -da!

Wow.Okay, this is making a statement.This is so much better than the one they had before.Adds so much warmth.I was looking through inspo pics with Andrea, and she pointed out this specific light fixture.And this is not exactly the same, but it is similar.

And if you think, hey, that looks pretty DIY -able, Don't don't you know, I know it so I did purchase this but then I was thrifting and I saw an $8 drum light and you bet I said can't believe I'm a bitch of DIY this right now and I even picked up Linen so that I can make the shade and then I was gonna do Interfacing to make it thick but I ran out of time.I'm sorry.That is not what you want to hear.But honestly, I'm working evenings weekends Prepping for this space.So, you know what?I will link this one below if you like me don't have time to diy it But I do think it's diyable.

Let's get this hung up Okay, the next thing I need to address is this art now.This is such a special piece.It's actually painted by rajah's mom and I Love it so much.It's so gorgeous, but I feel like this frame, even though they spent a lot of money to get it custom framed, is just not doing it justice.Here's what I don't like.I don't like that the glass is not anti -glare glass, so it's giving off a lot of reflections, and I can't really see the art very well.

The frameis super simple and the white mat.I feel like the bright white mat against the dark piece makes it harder to see the dark piece.I did some research because I was like, is this just a me thing?And the internet did say that if you have a dark piece of art, you might want a darker mat in order to complement the art and not add too much contrast for your eyes while you're trying to look at it.So this means that I went on an epic thrift journey.

I went to five thrift stores and I only found anti -glare glass that was the right size at one thrift store.of the thrift stores.But then I decided that I actually wanted a different frame because the frame that came with this anti -glare glass was a little bit too ornate for my needs.So then I went back around to find a frame that would fit the anti -glare glass.Now you may be wondering, why don't you just get anti -glare glass made?Well, that's a good question.

I called.It's anywhere from $85 to $200 just for the glass.It's expensive.

So if you can thrift it, thrift it, obviously.

Once I had my anti -glare glass and my frame to pair it with, I took it home and disassembled everything.I started with painting the frame.Don't hate me, I just needed some color in this space.And I also painted a new mat that I cut out.I think this color complements the art and will bring some interest to the space.Just a small pop of color.

Why would the professional framers use a piece of tape like this on the art?I really don't like that.What do we think?Obviously, there's still a glare because it's glass, but it's a much more diffused glare.And I feel like we can see the art a lot better.And honestly, I feel like I was going pretty bold with this frame and matte color.

So this is one of the things I'm nervous that they won't like as much.But I feel like it was the right choice for this space.So I really do hope they like it.Another thing I've recently realized about art is that it can be hung too high.too low, usually too high.I feel like this piece was a little too high.

You had to like look up to see it.I'm gonna hang it a little bit lower than they previously had.Okay, guys, I'm running out of time.It's almost dinner time.Are they gonna be able to eat dinner here?I don't know.

My next thing is shelves.These shelves came in a pack of three, but I'm actually just using the two smaller shelves, because the big one's a little too big, which I knew.I'm gonna sell the third one.And this color works well with the floors which these floors scare me because you know, they're that gray gray oaky light color You gotta make sure that they go together.So I think i'm gonna do like a this I just want to make sure nobody's gonna hit their head.So maybe I bring in a chair Okay, we need to put some things on these shelves.

So it's officially final touch time this decor I either thrifted or I found it in andrea's house and And my vision for this vase collection is that I didn't want anything that takes up too much space, but still, obviously, we need to add some decor to this table.Okay it's barely finished before dinner time but it is dinner time so let's go get Andrea see what she thinks of her new dining space.All right check out your new dining room in three two one.

Wow this is insane.It's perfect.Can you do the rest of the house?There's just so much warmth.I really wish that now we could take this and expand it more because it's perfect.Yeah, new light fixture.

Oh my goodness.I like that this brings a little more softness and femininity to the space.Yeah.Oh, and the pillows.When we used to sit here, everyone was always uncomfortable.Like, you need a little cushion for the pushing, you know?

I didn't know what to expect.For some reason, I was thinking stripes.We kind of got stripes, but they're more muted.

Oh, you look good there.Okay, tell me your honest thoughts on the art, because I went with a bold color, but I feel like you can see the art better, both because of the color and because I did an anti -glare glass.

100%.It looks better than it did before.And it suits the art better.

Did you also see this?

Okay, I wasn't sure if I didn't notice that before.

Like, did I have that?

Yeah, because I was like, that looks so neat.It makes the space much more luxe.Thank you so much.You're welcome.This means a lot.You should be so proud.

I'm really proud of you.

I'm excited to eat dinners here.

I'm excited for your family to eat dinners here too.

Okay, what room's next?I hope you guys enjoyed this transformation.Sometimes it's not about how big of a change it is visually, but instead how it feels and how it'll function.Stay subscribed because next time on The Sorry Girls, Becky tackles a very awkwardroom in her home that she's been putting off For far too long if you know, you know, and we'll see you then.Bye