Fall Dining Room Re-do (Before)

There are certain things about living in an old apartment that you simply can’t avoid like dreaded “popcorn” ceiling or a ceiling fan straight out of the 1970’s. Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience. There are other things however that you can personalize even if the architectural details are slim to none, like a good coat of paint or an accent wall. So, I’m partnering with Valspar to paint an accent wall in my dining room using their new premium Valspar® Reserve™ paint.

In a room that gets a lot of traffic, and the occasional cocktail or food splatter, it’s a good idea to use a paint that is washable and stain + scrub resistant, don’t you agree? Plus I am all for a paint that goes on in one coat with no need for primer. Shouldn’t all paint be paint + primer in one? Just saying. 

Now back to the room! After moving into our small apartment almost one year ago, I quickly painted the entire living room/dining room area bright white. It was an immediate update to the space and elevated our little apartment from its original outdated apartment-cream color to a clean and dare-I-say almost new appearance. But let’s face it, while white is bright and beautiful it can also feel cold, bare, and a little unfinished. 

So with fall on its way, I’m ready to add a bit more color and warmth to our dining room space. Valspar has such a huge selection of colors, over 3,000 to be exact (I asked), but I decided on a bold “Greek” blue called Azure Jazz. 

As Elle Décor calls the color “The blue of the Mediterranean, and the tops of the churches in Santorini,” yes, I can live with that! The combination of crisp white and rich Mediterranean blue feels modern yet inviting and who knows, it might just inspire a bit more wine drinking and Mediterranean style dining around here.

So with the color picked, I asked my friend Alisa to come help me paint. Next week I’m unveiling the finished room and a fun little video of our painting process. And yes, we certainly celebrated our hard work with a glass of wine. So stay tuned for that! Until then, what do you think of Mediterranean blue? Have you ever painted a bold, bold color in your home?

photos by Joanne Pio

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Valspar. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to continue creating new and colorful content for Freutcake! With Valspar® Reserve™, now the colors you love stay the colors you love. Available exclusively at Lowe’s, find a retailer here.