remember when i shared Plans for our living and dining room Come back in November? Well, the day has finally come for shared restaurant spaces. Today, I’ll be showing our restaurant extension project and how we went from a blank canvas (or an old deck) to a beautiful space for entertaining friends and family. At the beginning of the renovation journey, Be sure to check out this article. I will show you (most) to complete the space along with what we learned, and some tips and tricks along the way.
Vermont Restaurant Showcase
Design
The picture below is what we started in September when Craig drew up plans for the dining room and living room. He built the space on top of the existing deck so we knew the exact square footage we were using. The main goal is to create a space where you feel immersed in nature. At the back of our house we are mostly surrounded by trees and we didn’t want to block that view.
There are 7 windows and 2 slides in the room. The image below is the first iteration of the design, before we decided to add more windows. The opening in the lower right corner of the drawing is where this space connects to our existing kitchen, so the flow is really good because you can walk right into the dining room.
We insulated the entire space with spray foam insulation (we hired a company to do this). This was the most expensive part of the project, and the cost of the spray foam escalated substantially. In my opinion, it’s worth it because spray foam is definitely the best option for home insulation, especially where we have long, cold winters.
We also installed two electric runtal baseboard heaters (very happy with this option, I like the look of it and they work really well). There is a Jotul wood burning stove in the room (will share more when I post about the living room). Finally, we installed a DIY Mr. Cool mini-split unit (we planned it for cooling, but it also has heat).
PS For anyone curious, Craig uses Architouch 3D application. You can use the free version, but you can’t save a plan unless you pay for it. It is very helpful for all our projects.
Design elements: ceilings, walls, windows and floors
to align with us nordic new england Style, we wanted to keep the space bright, simple and open with lots of neutral textures and wood accents. We haven’t added any artwork yet, but I really don’t want to rush the finishing touches, so I’ll take my time. Nature outside the window is now its own work of art!
floor
we used Sawyer Mason Flooring Multiple times now, it has become a favorite material-wise. The quality is excellent, they look great, they are sustainably manufactured, and have a non-toxic finish. Craig has experience installing them as well, as we’ve been at rhode island house it’s here VermontThe nice thing about them is that they come pre-finished, which made a huge difference for us during the installation process. It’s less messy because there’s no sanding involved.In this space we use Wide Plank Flooring by Sconset (same floor we use in the kitchen).I really like Sawyer Mason floors because it’s easy to maintain and clean (we use Bona Hardwood Floor Cleanerr). With a toddler, two dogs, and a cat, we really need floors that can take a lot of daily wear and tear. It performed very well everywhere we used it.
wall
On all the exterior walls, Craig has done a beautiful Venetian plaster finish. He spent a few years doing plaster work when we lived in NYC and LA, so it’s always cool to see him use those skills in our own home.us and a Genuine white venetian plaster in marmarino, with some slight texture and variation. The nice thing about plaster is that you don’t need sanding (or at least very little sanding). If we’re doing drywall and paint, there’s a lot of sanding. Not having to sand can make a big difference when you’re building a space that connects to your existing living space (sanding can make a mess!).
ceiling
On the interior walls and ceiling, we did white lap with 6″ planks. We bought the primed board, now we leave it as is, we may end up painting it.
Windows
Windows is a huge expense and we have a very tight budget on this project.we found Wooden black windows at Home Depot Overall, I like the look of them. I thought the quality was good, a couple of windows were buggy but Craig was able to fix them. It’s difficult when you want to buy and install windows yourself as a homeowner and you have fewer hours at work. The wooden cladding is pine, which complements the other wooden elements in the space.
Furniture details: dining table, bench and chairs
Speaking of wood trim, let’s talk about our dining room furniture. This is clearly my favorite part of the restaurant. We really wanted to give the space a farmhouse look while still keeping it modern.we always wanted to start from what are we going to do Finally got an opportunity for this new space.Craig discovered what we made a few years ago while building Bathroom in our existing garage in Rhode Island.we are looking for solid wood bathroom cabinet we discover what are we going to do。 I love that they are a small family business and they are very sustainable, using all reclaimed and sustainably harvested hardwoods from the Midwest.
Not only are they using sustainable practices, but they also use an eco-friendly, vegetable-based water-resistant finish that is non-toxic and VOC-free. They can also be customized by size (down to inches) in wood and finishes. The process of creating our restaurant set with them was incredible and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product. They are very generously offering my readers 10% off any 2+ product on their website with code JESS10.
Breadboard Farmhouse Dining Table
Breadboard Farmhouse Dining Table Made of reclaimed wood using wood grown over 100 years from barns throughout the Midwest. I love the rustic details and modern styling for a farmhouse feel.we chose regenerated oak The surface is clear. I wanted something that would complement the floor, but also have some contrast, and I thought all the colors would look great together. The finish on the table is non-toxic and waterproof, but can also be easily refinished over time with spot sanding and staining. Their furniture is truly made for the last generation.
wooden bench
Since the dining table is between the four windows I really want bench That won’t obstruct the line of sight. It also makes the space feel more spacious and open. Our dining table comfortably seats 8 people with two benches and chairs.good aspect what are we going to do is their option to customize everything, so we were able to customize the dimensions of our tables and benches down to the inch to make them fit the space perfectly. we have wooden benches Made of reclaimed oak wood with clear finish. I like how it looks traditional yet modern.
farmhouse chair
We added two farmhouse chair to our table for optional seating. The chairs are beautiful, so they could easily be placed elsewhere in the house as well. It’s nice to have chairs if we need extra seating for entertaining too. The farmhouse chairs are also made from reclaimed oak.
lighting and heating
West Elm Chandelier
We make lighting very simpleI don’t even want to admit how long we spent looking for lighting and finally found this style because it wasn’t too loud or distracting but added a nice design element to the space. I’m actually pretty happy with this choice, and think it pulls everything together really well.
recessed lighting
For additional lighting, we installed 4″ tankless recessed LED lights. They’re on dimmers, so it’s easy to customize lighting levels, and because there are so many windows, we only need lighting when it’s completely dark.
Electric runtal baseboard heating
For warmth we have Electric running skirting board Installed, I didn’t know I would like the bottom plate so much. They are definitely more worth the investment than traditional motorized baseboards, but they look so much better. Everyone who came in commented on how good they looked, including the electrician who loved them. I ordered the base plate through runtal North America and luckily what we needed was in stock. They ship fast. I’m also very happy with how they heat the space.
final thoughts
I asked Craig if he had any final thoughts on the space, and he said “if you build it, they’ll come.” Haha! Still, it’s really a space we create not just for ourselves, but for our family and friends as well. Living away from family means more visitors and tenants, and we wanted a cozy and welcoming gathering space. I’m excited to entertain friends and family at this place for years to come.
If we’ve learned anything over the years after renovating so many different spaces, it’s the rewards of doing the work ourselves. Of course this isn’t realistic for everyone, but it gives us the ability to create spaces we love. Renovating and building was a lot of work, and a lot of it wasn’t very glamorous, but all the time and effort we put in really paid off.
While the price of some things has come down, materials are getting more expensive. Make sure if you use a contractor you get multiple quotes and do the same for your materials, especially wood, spray foam insulation, etc. That’s how much these things cost in most cases, but labor can vary. It doesn’t hurt to get prices from a few different places.
Of all the projects we’ve done in the past 6 years, this is probably my favorite. I can’t wait to share the other half of this space, the living room, in a few weeks. Meanwhile, Craig has already started his next project, converting our garage into a bedroom/bath. Yes, we did it again! Stay tuned for more information.
Let me know what you think of this space! I can’t wait to hear it.
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