My Dining Room Makeover

This post is in partnership with Del Mar Fans & Lighting. Thanks for reading!

Total spoiler by putting the “after” photo first, I know. But trust me, my dining room needed a makeover and the lighting in the “before” photo wasn’t really going to lure you in.

We live in a cute little two-bedroom rental that’s got a bit of character, but the fixtures are seriously – well, lacking. Here’s what was in the dining room before (and I use the term “dining room” loosely, because it’s really just the eat-in side of our kitchen):

Whomp whomp. Insert the sound of being totally underwhelmed here. I made my best effort to bring life to this space with a personalized gallery wall (look closely and you’ll see my husband as a teenager in various rock bands!), colorful seating, and patterned curtains – but that ceiling light leaves a little something to be desired. We’ve also got a strange half-door and a couple of super baby-proofed outlets to work with, but those are design battles for another day.

Thankfully, my cries of desperation were heard, because this Kichler lighting pendant arrived to save my dining room from its sad lighting situation – and not a moment too soon.

It’s totally badass and industrial which my husband loves, and has design details that I love. Plus, that downlight on the bottom is genius. Our kitchen doubles as Nate’s office so having great lighting is an absolute essential for us.

After the lighting was installed, putting together a pretty tabletop really helped the space feel complete. I FREAKING LOVE this hammered metal serving tray and these multicolored dip bowls. And of course, greenery is awesome on any table. This stuff is cheap, cheerful, and lasts for weeks.

Want to see more of my house? Here’s a tour of Ford’s nursery. And if there’s a room in your home that could use a makeover too, I’d be happy to make that happen for you. Thanks for checking out my new space!

(PS. Ford is obsessed with turning the light switch on and off, and pushing the fixture so it swings back and forth. Toddlers find the most unusual things fun, don’t they?)

Images: Lesley Myrick for Del Mar Fans & Lighting. Have something to say about this post? We’d love to hear from you on Twitter! Tweet us @lesleymyrick and @delmarfans.