Dining Room Makeover - Part 1

So obviously most of my posts have been about food and makeup but since I have become completely obsessed with decorating the home my boyfriend and I purchased last year - I figured I should probably document my progress.  
I begin with my dining room set that for the past year I was trying to sell.  The boyf and I decided that we didn't need a 'formal' dining room since we already have dining seating in our kitchen.  He had actually convinced me that we should change the Dining Room into  a bar...and I agreed!  I think at that point, I was just desperate.  Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful set to begin with, but not exactly my style anymore.  And for some reason, the seats didn't exactly look like they could be covered, so that thought never really crossed my mind...until...I found this fabulous fabric by Waverly that changed everything...

This fabric, my friends, is what has started my desire to redecorate everything in my house as well as provided the inspiration for color palette and design.  


Check out the dining set BEFORE:

As you can see, the shape of the chairs aren't bad - I actually love the antiqued rubbed finish the black wood has...I just couldn't get past the drab gold/tan fabric; especially since the wall color is a medium slate gray.  


Now, feast your eyes on the AFTER:

Here's a close-up of the one of the chairs BEFORE:

and AFTER:

How did I manage to do this you ask...well, I didn't use a tutorial - I honestly went off pure memory.  My mom taught me how to recover a chair cushion many many years ago.  I remember her telling me that it was just like wrapping a present...and it really is.  Just make sure you have a heavy duty stapler!  For those who want a step-by-step guide on how to do this go here.


Next step to completing my Dining Room Makeover is tackling this beast:

This China Cabinet has been in my family longer than I have so I can't possibly bare to part with it.  But again, same as the dining room set, it is just NOT my style.  I didn't know what to do with this huge piece until I stumbled across this Dining Room Makeover on my fave Decor Blogger, Emily Clark's Blog that will serve as my inspirashe:

I'm thinking of using glossy white paint on the front and instead of the gold background, I'm thinking Jade Green??  
Stay Tuned for Part Two of my Dining Room Makeover...