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Alexis Moore updated a dining room that had not changed since her 1980s home was built, completing the project over eight weeks for the One Room Challenge. She painted over difficult-to-remove wallpaper, added a woodland print above the chair rail and furnished the room largely with secondhand finds.
Homeowner Alexis Moore has redone the dining room in her 1980s home, replacing its dated look with woodland wallpaper, muted paint and secondhand furniture in an eight-week project for the One Room Challenge. Apartment Therapy reported that Moore painted over the room’s existing wallpaper after finding it too difficult to remove, then built a vintage-inspired design around the room’s hardwood floors, natural light and open layout.
Moore told Apartment Therapy that the dining room had not been updated since the house was built and felt outdated to her. She liked the hardwood floors, natural light and open space, but disliked the dark red wallpaper. Because it appeared to have been pasted directly onto the drywall, removal proved difficult. Moore instead prepared the surface and painted over it in Sherwin-Williams’ Hardware, a color the report describes as between tan and gray.
The painted lower walls sit beneath Wall Blush’s Wedded Woodlands wallpaper, a forest design installed above the existing chair rail. Moore said she had never wallpapered such a large area before. A friend with more experience helped with the first few panels; Moore then finished the installation herself. She described the project as intimidating, in part because the wallpaper was a significant purchase.
Most of the room’s furniture was new to Moore but secondhand. She bought the table and chairs through Facebook Marketplace and found the buffet at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. She sold her previous dining furniture on Facebook Marketplace to offset the cost. The report also notes that she sourced much of the decor secondhand, including an antique-looking mirror, and bought a lamp at HomeGoods for $30.
Secondhand Finds Shape the Room
The makeover shows how Moore used existing architectural features and reused furnishings as the basis for a substantial visual change. She kept the chair rail and hardwood floors, worked around the natural light, and altered the walls with paint and wallpaper. Her account also documents a way to handle wallpaper that is difficult to remove: careful surface preparation followed by painting over it, as she did in this room.
The project’s cost cannot be calculated from the report. Moore said selling her old furniture helped offset the expense, and several purchases were secondhand or discounted. But the article lists no full budget, material totals or labor costs, so the makeover does not establish what a comparable renovation would cost another homeowner. Its clearest practical detail is the process: preparing the old wallpapered walls took work, and help with the first wallpaper panels gave Moore confidence to continue on her own.
For readers considering a similar update, Moore’s experience also highlights the time involved in finding furnishings. She advised friends not to settle for the first item they see after a brief search. That is her personal recommendation, rather than a guarantee that used pieces will be available at a particular price or in suitable condition.
An Eight-Week One Room Challenge
Apartment Therapy published the before-and-after report as part of its home renovation coverage. Moore completed the dining-room project over eight weeks for the One Room Challenge, an event that gives participants a set period to update a room. The source describes the property as a 1980s home and says the dining room had remained unchanged since the house was built.
The reported plan combined fixed elements of the room with new finishes and furnishings. Rather than remove the old wallpaper, Moore filled holes, skim-coated the walls and primed before applying paint. She installed the forest wallpaper above the chair rail, then brought in the secondhand table, chairs and buffet along with decor. The report does not provide a detailed project calendar or say how many hours the work required.
Moore’s stated goal was to make the room feel more personal and cozy. She said the vintage furnishings added character and a lived-in feel. Her description of the finished room as resembling an oil painting reflects her own reaction to its mood and design, not an independent assessment of the renovation.
“It felt super outdated and lacked my personal style.”
— Alexis Moore, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Methods Unreported
The source does not give a total project budget, the wallpaper’s price, or the amount Moore recovered by selling her previous furniture. It also does not list costs for paint, wall preparation, tools or any assistance. The $30 price applies only to the lamp she found at HomeGoods.
Apartment Therapy reports that Moore prepared and painted over the wallpaper, but does not give a full technical account of the wall condition or preparation products. The report does not independently assess the finished surfaces or state how they may hold up over time. It is also unclear whether Moore made any other changes to the room beyond those described.
No Further Project Plans Reported
Apartment Therapy’s article presents the dining room as a completed before-and-after project. It does not report a further renovation phase, a planned follow-up or a specific next milestone for Moore. The source also does not say whether she intends to use the same paint-over-wallpaper approach elsewhere. Any subsequent updates to the room remain unreported.
Key Questions
What did Alexis Moore change in the dining room?
She painted over the difficult-to-remove wallpaper, added Wedded Woodlands forest wallpaper above the chair rail and furnished the room with vintage and secondhand pieces.
How long did the makeover take?
Moore completed the project over eight weeks as part of the One Room Challenge, according to Apartment Therapy.
Why did she paint over the existing wallpaper?
The wallpaper appeared to have been pasted directly onto the drywall, making removal difficult. Moore filled holes, skim-coated and primed the walls before painting over it.
Where did the dining furniture come from?
Moore found the table and chairs on Facebook Marketplace and the buffet at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. She sold her old dining furniture through Facebook Marketplace to offset the cost.
How much did the full renovation cost?
The report does not provide a total. It says Moore found a HomeGoods lamp for $30, but gives no complete cost breakdown for the makeover.
Source: rss
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