One Room Challenge, Week 1: Our Victorian Dining Room Renovation Begins

We bought Robins Hollow, our 200-year-old farmhouse, with two big dreams in mind: to throw unforgettable gatherings, and to breathe life back into every room of this historic home.

Now, we’re kicking off our second One Room Challenge—and the space we’ve chosen to renovate is the one that captured our hearts on day one: the dining room.

Why We Chose the Dining Room for the One Room Challenge

On our very first walk-through (during the height of the pandemic), the dining room stopped us in our tracks. We could instantly picture large holiday dinners, cozy candlelit gatherings, and long, laughter-filled nights with friends and family.

This room was made for hosting—and yet, until now, it’s been stuck in limbo. Beige carpet, outdated lighting, and decades of layered paint were hiding the best parts of its history. We even used it as a workshop once (or twice)! It’s time for a refresh.

A Peek into the Past: The Dining Room’s Historic Charm

The dining room at Robins Hollow is part of an 1897 addition to the house. We believe the moldings, wainscoting, windows, and original plaster walls all date back to that expansion. One of our favorite details? A tucked-away cupboard still shows a sliver of what appears to be original lime plaster—rough to the touch, rich in depth, and full of soul.

Unfortunately, previous owners coated those beautiful walls in latex paint. We’d love to remove every layer and restore the lime plaster properly, but it’s just not in the budget or timeline for this project. So for now, we’ll add a little more paint, and save the big restoration for another season.

Will we regret that? Maybe. But that’s part of the old house balancing act—time, money, and patience rarely align all at once.

Our Design Philosophy: Layering Modern + Old World Details

We’re not trying to freeze Robins Hollow in the past. We love its historic character—but we also want this home to feel lived-in, flexible, and fully ours.

Last fall, on a trip to Italy, we were struck by the way ancient buildings embraced both history and modernity. Both in Rome and the Tuscan hills, we saw centuries-old walls paired with sleek lighting and lived-in imperfections. It reminded us that beauty often lives in the balance.

That’s exactly what we’re going for with this renovation: a moody, layered dining room that honors its past while welcoming the present.

Our Dining Room Renovation Plans

Here’s what we hope to tackle over the next eight weeks as part of the One Room Challenge Spring 2025:

• Remove the wall-to-wall carpet (goodbye beige!)

• Choose a moody paint color to highlight the trim and plaster details

• Update the lighting with modern fixtures that still feel classic

• Possibly remove the corner cabinet, which isn’t original to the room

• Preserve the fireplace and built-ins—not because we love them, but because the risks of removing them (and what we might find behind them) are too big right now

This renovation will be more about refresh than restoration—but hopefully, it still feels transformative.

The Reality of Renovating an Old House in 8 Weeks

The last time we attempted an 8-week one room challenge, it turned into a 24-week saga. (Shout out to scope creep and decision fatigue.) So the question is: Can we really renovate a historic dining room in just 8 weeks?

We’re going to try. And we’ll be sharing every success, failure, and “what were we thinking?” moment as we go.

Follow Along With Our Dining Room Makeover

We’ll be posting weekly updates right here on the blog, along with behind-the-scenes content on Instagram and TikTok. If you love old houses, moody paint colors, and semi-controlled chaos—you’re in the right place.

This week, we’re starting with design planning and before photos. Next week, we’ll dive into demo, color selection, and the Great Cabinet Debate™.

Join the Conversation

Have you ever tackled a room renovation on a deadline? Do you have a favorite moody paint color for a dining room? Leave a comment below—we’d love to hear your tips, lessons learned, or just cheer us on from afar.

And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @robinshollow for real-time updates, chaotic stories, and progress shots you won’t see anywhere else.

See you next week!

—Lisa

Dining Room Walkthrough

We took this series of photos walking through the house with the inspector prior to purchase. Many of the pieces in this room were left for us by the previous owner - the chandelier, candelabras, mirror, curtains and all the teacups!

Dining Room Walkthrough

We took this series of photos walking through the house with the inspector prior to purchase.

Dining Room Walkthrough

We took this series of photos walking through the house with the inspector prior to purchase.

Dining Room Current Design

We haven’t done much to the dining room since we moved in. We changed the light fixture for a Halloween party a few years ago and removed the curtains and teacups.

Dining Room Holidays & Parties

We’ve loved using the dining room - even in its current state for holiday meals and dinner parties.

Dining Room Holidays & Parties

The dining room is a big space; big enough to fit an entire love seat in the corner with a 10-person table! It’s going to be a big room to fill.

Dining Room Workshop

We’ve used the dining room as a workshop a number of times. Here Sean’s stripping some of the 150 pieces of trim for the kitchen project.

Dining Room Workshop

We’ve used the dining room as a workshop a number of times. Here you can see some of the pieces of kitchen trim waiting to have their paint stripped.

Dining Room Workshop

We’ve used the dining room as a workshop a number of times. Here we painted new windows for the shed and they are drying before installation. Yes, that is our dining room table being used as a work table.