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DIYer Annette Suarez renovated the dining room she shares with her husband, Sergio, replacing terracotta tile and white walls with warm wood flooring, dark green paint, wall molding and vintage furnishings. She told Apartment Therapy the project cost $5,000; a corner bookcase she built with MDF and trim cost $150, including its light fixture.
DIYer Annette Suarez transformed the dining room she shares with her husband, Sergio, replacing terracotta tile and white walls with warm wood flooring, dark green paint and vintage furnishings. Apartment Therapy reported that the renovation cost $5,000 and included removing the wall between the dining room and kitchen, as well as building a corner bookcase.
Suarez told Apartment Therapy that the old room felt cold and outdated. She said the terracotta tile seemed heavy and clashed with the moodier look she wanted, while the white walls made the space feel sterile. Removing the tile gave her what she described as a blank canvas for the renovation.
The makeover combined Benjamin Moore’s Vintage Vogue green paint with picture-frame molding and warm-toned wood furniture. Suarez added secondhand and vintage pieces, including ladder-back chairs and an old credenza, and assembled a gallery wall with a mixture of thrifted and flea-market frames. She spray-painted some frames while leaving others in their worn finishes.
Lighting was another part of the plan: the room includes sconces, a chandelier and a candelabra. Suarez also built a corner bookcase from inexpensive MDF boards and basic trim, then installed a sconce above it. She told Apartment Therapy the bookcase project cost $150, including the light fixture; the reported cost for the full dining room transformation was $5,000.
How the Design Changed the Room
The project shows how a dining room’s atmosphere can change through several coordinated choices rather than a single statement purchase. In Suarez’s renovation, flooring, paint, trim, furniture and lighting all contribute to the warmer, more layered appearance she wanted. The source describes one homeowner’s project, not a measured comparison of renovation costs or results across homes.
Its practical value for readers is in the specifics: Suarez used secondhand frames and furniture, chose wood tones that complement rather than exactly match, and built a bookcase from MDF and trim. Her account also puts the project’s cost in view: she reported a $5,000 total, while the bookcase alone came to $150. Those figures apply to this project and do not establish what a similar renovation would cost elsewhere.
The lighting advice is especially relevant to anyone planning a moody room. Suarez said to plan light sources early rather than relying only on an overhead fixture or leaving wiring decisions until the end. That recommendation connects the look of the finished room to choices that may need advance planning.
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From Terracotta Tile to Vintage Vogue
Apartment Therapy’s before-and-after report presents the renovation as a response to an orange-and-white dining room that Suarez considered outdated and uninviting. She started with demolition, including removing the floor tile and taking down the wall between the dining room and kitchen. The report says opening the rooms made the area feel more spacious, though it does not provide measurements or further details about the wall.
For the new look, Suarez chose warm wood flooring and added wall paint and subtle trim for depth. She furnished the room with richly toned wood and collected decorative pieces rather than relying on a new matching set. Her approach was to keep a common color or wood-tone palette so that varied vintage finds would feel collected rather than visually chaotic.
The report also records Suarez’s first attempt at building a corner bookcase. She said the work took more planning and patience than she expected, and advised sketching the design, checking measurements and preparing carefully. Apartment Therapy’s account does not independently itemize the full $5,000 budget or identify the cost of each renovation component.
“Moody, cozy rooms rely on good lighting.”
— Annette Suarez, speaking to Apartment Therapy
Budget and Wall Details Remain Limited
The source reports a $5,000 total project cost, but does not provide a full itemized budget, specify when the work was completed or state whether the figure includes labor, tools or all materials. Costs for a comparable project may differ by location, room size, material choice and whether work is done by the homeowner or hired professionals.
Apartment Therapy says Suarez removed the wall between the dining room and kitchen, but the report does not say whether it was load-bearing, describe any permits or explain how the work was carried out. It also does not provide technical details about the flooring installation or electrical work for the added lighting. The published account should not be read as a step-by-step guide to structural or electrical work.
Planning Similar Room Updates
The Apartment Therapy report does not announce a follow-up project or give a schedule for further work. For readers considering a similar renovation, Suarez’s stated lessons are to plan the lighting early, sketch built-ins, check measurements and prepare before construction. She said hardware stores may be able to make board cuts from a shopper’s sketch and measurements, which can reduce the need for tools at home.
Anyone planning work involving wiring or structural changes should get qualified help if unsure and check applicable local permit and code requirements. The report does not specify what approvals or professional services were used for Suarez’s project, so those details cannot be inferred from the makeover account.
Key Questions
Who renovated the dining room?
Annette Suarez, a DIYer, renovated the dining room she shares with her husband, Sergio. Apartment Therapy reported on the before-and-after project.
How much did the dining room makeover cost?
Suarez reported that the full transformation cost $5,000. The article does not provide a full itemized budget or explain exactly which costs are included.
What changed in the room?
The renovation removed the terracotta tile and a wall between the dining room and kitchen. Suarez added warm wood flooring, Vintage Vogue green paint, picture-frame molding, vintage furnishings and layered lighting.
How much did the built-in bookcase cost?
Suarez said the corner bookcase cost $150, including the light fixture. She built it from MDF boards and basic trim.
What did Suarez recommend for a similar project?
She advised planning lighting early, keeping thrifted wood pieces within a complementary palette, and carefully sketching and measuring a built-in before construction. She also said to bring in help if unsure about wiring or structural work.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
