11 Before and After Dining Room Makeovers

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the dining room is where great food memories are made. And on the path to a dining room that’s cute, comfortable, and conversation-worthy, a little DIY can go a long way.

We’ve gathered inspiration from some of our favorite home and lifestyle bloggers, with “before” and “after” dining room makeovers that will have you ready to entirely change up your space. So whether you’re embarking on a dining room remodel or just appreciate stellar design as much as we do, scroll down for 11 examples of stunning DIY dining room transformations.

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Before: Bare Walls

Bigger Than the Three Of Us

Ashley Mayes, founder of lifestyle blog Bigger Than the Three of Us, liked—but didn’t love—the original dining room in her 3,800 square foot fixer upper. And having done a cursory re-do after moving in, it was finally time to complete the look.
02 of 22

After: Pops of Color

Bigger Than the Three Of Us

Ashley swapped out carpet for hardwood to create a better sense of flow from the kitchen to the dining room. She also maximized the use of color and texture in the space with shibori wallpaper from Milton & King. Our favorite part has to be those built-ins though, which Ashley thankfully maintained throughout her various DIY endeavors.
03 of 22

Before: Gray on Gray

Live Pretty on a Penny

We love how Erin Marshall of Live Pretty on a Penny can fully transform any room on a limited budget. For her dining room, she set out to bring in a bit more brightness—and find a more reasonable seating solution for the tight space.
04 of 22

After: Purple Accents

Live Pretty on a Penny

The built-in bench was the jumping off point for this pretty, budget-friendly DIY makeover, bringing in more seating without the need for more square feet. Erin followed it up with tasteful accents and a more contemporary look, all for less than $500. (Cute pup just a bonus.)

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05 of 22

Before: Wasted Space

Finding Silver Linings

Mindy Parisi of the blog Finding Silver Linings wasn’t too fond of the bump-out in her dining room, which offered more space without more functionality. If you can’t get rid of it, may as well use it though, right?
06 of 22

After: Full and Functional

Finding Silver Linings

The solution to Mindy’s dining room woes: farmhouse-style shelving that makes use of the bump-out and brings more grandeur to the space. Her existing chandelier looks right at home in the updated room, which she finished up with a few charming pieces of decor for a space where every inch is now put to good use.
07 of 22

Before: Muted and Neutral

Thistlewood Farms

The original dining room in the home of KariAnne Wood, who runs the décor blog Thistlewood Farms, was well-styled but basic, with too much of a rustic feel for KariAnne’s taste.
08 of 22

After: Dark and Dramatic

Thistlewood Farms

KariAnne used Naval, the 2020 Sherwin William Color of the Year, to update her previously neutral walls—a bold change that gave the entire space a more contemporary look. And to keep costs down, she sold her existing dining room set to fund her new one, which includes that pretty $40 dining room table she found at a local thrift store.

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09 of 22

Before: Pretty (But Dated) in Pink

The House Diaries

There was a lot that wasn’t working in Nicole Cvetkov’s dining room. So Nicole, founder of The House Diaries, took on a major DIY project that involved reworking the entire original footprint of the space.
10 of 22

After: Contemporary Stunner

The House Diaries

Hard to believe it’s the same room, right? This makeover involved moving around some walls and adding in another window (repurposed from Nicole’s bedroom-turned-laundry room) for a result that raises the bar on what’s possible with a little bit of creativity and a lot of hard work.
11 of 22

Before: Too Traditional

Lows to Luxe

Shaheen Khan runs the blog Lows to Luxe, where, among many other impressive DIY makeovers, she shared the transformation she undertook with this ultra-traditional dining room.
12 of 22

After: Luxury Finds

Lows to Luxe

Shaheen’s newly spruced up dining room is totally luxurious, with dark textured grasscloth wallpaper from York Wallcovering and a covet-worthy dining room set. Other touches throughout the room included painting the interior doors and bringing in décor from Craiglist, CB2, H&M, and other affordable retailers.

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13 of 22

Before: Beige and Brown

Sand and Sisal

Walk into the “before” dining room of Kim Wilson, founder of the blog Sand & Sisal, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any of the inviting coastal inspiration that’s behind the other rooms in her home.
14 of 22

After: Coastal Chic

Sand and Sisal

Kim brought her signature by-the-shore look to this DIY dining room makeover, complete with clean white walls, a coat of paint to her dining room set, and refinished weathered oak floors. She describes the new color palette as providing an “illuminating effect, like turning on a light switch,” and we’re keen to agree.
15 of 22

Before: Un-styled

Lemon Thistle

Colleen Pastoor of Lemon Thistle had one goal with her dining room: to bring in some personality. Check out what she achieved with one weekend and some well-curated décor.
16 of 22

After: Oh-So-Stylish

Lemon Thistle

Here’s some proof that it doesn’t take much for a complete dining room makeover. Colleen worked with what she had—including her modern dining room set and light fixture—and simply added to the overall look with a few smart additions, including some height-boosting window treatments.

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17 of 22

Before: Cluttered

The Flip House

Kristine Franklin of The Flip House didn’t have much differentiating her dining room space from the rest of her open-planned main living area.
18 of 22

After: Streamlined

The Flip House

This room is now all its own—and a lot less busy, too. Working with her existing flooring, Kristine managed to update pretty much every other inch of the space, with smart choices like adding in a modern farmhouse dining room set and taking away those garish window blinds.
19 of 22

Before: Uninspired

Erin Spain

When she moved into her home, Erin Spain of the Erin Spain blog found the dining room to be usable, though lacking in much charm.
20 of 22

After: DIY Success

Erin Spain

Erin brought some slate to this room with Benjamin Moore paint in “Nocturnal Gray,” and then furthered her mission for a more modern space with thoughtful art pieces and accessories. Like those map prints in the back? To make them, Erin bought some IKEA frames and filled them with map printouts downloaded from the Library of Congress.

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21 of 22

Before: Simple and Formal

Worthing Court

After moving into her home, Suzy Handgraaf of the Worthing Court blog took on other projects before tackling this too-formal space.
22 of 22

After: Farmhouse Fresh

Worthing Court

Suzy brought lots of cozy touches to her redesigned dining room, such as lightened up walls and country-inspired furniture pieces. The new table and chairs were achieved using her original dining room set, illustrating just how much potential there is in reusing the items you already have on hand.