I actually love your paired chairs. The floral print gives them a retro vibe. Your room could definitely benefit from a warm color on the walls. You also have a vast empty space in the center of the room with random pieces of furniture placed along the perimeter. Place the larger table presently between the chairs on the wall next to the grandfather clock and add interesting accessories as shown in the example photo. Put the smaller dark chest between your chairs and top with a reading lamp. Bring in a large sisal rug and a large square ottoman. Fill your pine cupboard with books and games and make this a cozy reading/game room.

Do not get rid of the chairs! Every modern space can use a touch of vintage to give it depth and interest. I love your beautiful wood floors and your white gallery walls are screaming for art. To give your chairs punch, consider recovering them in a Trina Turk type print her arches or trellis print would be great. Bring in a cow hide rug in solid cream you could do 2 and layer them. Bring in a love seat in addition to the chairs, lucite coffee table to complete a cozy conversation area. Paint the inside of your cupboard a bright pop color and trick in out with a mad men bar set up, buy vintage decanters glasses and shakers to pull the look off. I like the idea from the post above to bring in games. I have a vintage PAC-man game in my kids playroom that once the adults see it I can't get them out of that room. It would be fun and unexpected to bring something like that in this room. Can I have an old-fashion please! Happy decorating!

wow. I love the floors. would you consider adding an accent paint in the nitch in front of the chairs. It looks like you have three of the same chairs. I would pull them out into the middle of the room and make an open circle with a coffee table/ottoman in the middle or something. I like the small sideboard under the window. with an accent paint and a plant/ficus tree on either side of the window in a big cermaic pots you are in business. I would kiddy corner the clock near were the single chair is now. I love chairs I would not change them.

Those chairs are amazing. LOVE them!!

Your chairs are great. Make the wall your chairs are on an accent wall. Suggested materials could be wallpaper, paint or even drapes putting rod at top of wall and go to the floor. Take a color from the chairs for the wall. If the table is not a precious antique use another color from the chairs making it a contrast to wall and paint it. Lamp should make more of a statement with more of a bulky stand. Adjacent walls a second colorfrom chairs.

I would propose you add some (a few) very modern elements to add some tension (old/new) to the room. A modern lamp on the dresser, a contemporary piece of art on the wall with some color, A sleek modern 3 blade ceiling fan would be cool. I also personally think your right about the chairs.....some modern chairs, not necessarily identical matching either, would really add some yang. Good luck! Mike Brouse, artist

Thanks for all of the comments. I am in Florida and the floor is actually tile- Doga/Pepper.The entire house has the same floor and paint color. It is small 1550 sq. ft. All of the furniture pieces are antique, except for the chairs of course- the small dresser between the chairs is Bodafor 1964. The grandfather clock is from Germany- Gustav Becker. The cupboard is also very old and I can not bring myself to add paint to them. I will try pulling the chairs out from the wall, getting a couple of plants and rearranging the two chests. The darker chest has a metal overlay with a relief design. It came from my father's travels as a merchant marine. It won't hold a lamp but I can possibly find a floor lamp or something else for reading, maybe a sconce. I do need artwork, I currently have black and white photographs everywhere so adding something else has proved elusive thus far.

Love the floors and furniture...How about a round area rug with some of the colors pulled from the chairs? Also...paint one wall, that draws the eye to the area and the color will bring all the elements together. Antique books on tables or dressers is a nice touch to lift up interesting art pieces.

I would move the grandfather clock to the wall that you have the picture hanging on and have the chairs on the wall where the grandfather clock was. You have two tall pieces together in the tall part of the room. (not balanced) Add Drapes, a rug, more pictures and maybe a plant!

You need to add some large paintings. As the house is contemporary you must like contemporary art and I think the chairs etc are perfect. The contemporary, traditional blend is wonderful. I like the chairs. I have attached examples of my work.
www.annettekearney.artspan.com

Oh gees, no! Do not paint the inside of that fabulous antique cabinet!! I'd work on making it your focal for the room.

Move it to the wall where your lone piece of art now resides. (the bar idea is a cool one) Move the dresser to where the antique cabinet was, add a large piece of colorful art above that (to balance the color from the chairs on the other side of the room) and a lamp on the right side. Again, I'd pick a color from the other side of the room for the lampshade /base.

Shift the chairs to the right, so that they are under an end of each window, but bring them out from the wall some. Find a table to go between them with a lamp. (would it work to have a piece of glass cut for your dad's chest to use it as a table?) Definately get a rug to go in that area of the room picking up one of the lighter colors in the chairs. I'd be inclined to try a solid color. But browse houzz on mixing patterns. I'm often surprised what looks good together!

I saw a pretty cool solution, somewhere, to adjust the look of your windows. First they added mirror below the squatty window and added a faux window sill. Shutters were then hung over the mirror and kept closed. Amazing illusion. (The mirror looked like a window if you could see through where the shutters didn't close completely) Then drapery panels. Maybe someone will come along with fabric ideas.

Leave the grandfather clock where it is.

And yes, paint adds a lot to a space.

Add a round table in between the two chairs instead of the dresser with lamp. You could get more light by adding two scones on the wall or even a chandelier. Pull the chairs out a little...they are too close to the wall. Can the cabinet fit where the clock is? I would set up the cabinet as a bar and fill with glasses and hotel silver (the shine adds extra light and bright.) Another option at a later date would be to get an interesting long dresser or sideboard table that is the length of the window and place where the chairs are located. Add interesting art and lamps to the table. Place the chairs on the wall with the clock and keep the clock behind one the chairs. A rug would add a lot of interest as well.

I have the same problem-A lot of antiques in 1 room-I like the Mike Brouse suggestion-Updated paintings, and even modern throw pillows would give it a punch; Paint the walls a warmer color-Grays are now in and neutral!

I am a more traditional person; However, I love the newer trellis materials-White walls are very stark and not warm; However, in really modern homes, people like this without too much clutter-Not much personality or warmth!

Also, remember, one can pair older chairs with modern things like an ottoman, x benches, and.or a brass or gold side table, a rug would also help-The simplest way is to use an animal print-I personally don't like them, but that's seems to be the easiest way out of a problematic room these days-Animal prints...........

It will be gorgeous when finished and keep the chairs unless your taste is ultra modern and stark!

One more thing to add to my comment above. What if you re-upholstered the floral part of the chairs in a linen fabric to make is look a bit "restoration hardware"ish. Or at least a solid of some sort. I like solid on sofas and chairs and then you can play with patterned pillows and art to add your pops of color. Without seeing the chairs closer they lean towards a plantation look...which is an option...but now you are talking blinds, rattans, etc.

If you like the idea of color in the interior of the cabinet, you can buy foam core and cut it to fit the space and cover it with an eye-catching fabric. I also like the bar idea.

Paint the walls already. That will give it the punch you are looking for. Go bold!

I'm a big fan of color. I would put a turquoise paint on the walls, cover the two chairs in a red leather and get a bold, contemporary print rug with similar colors for the floor. Don't be afraid to pull the furniture away from the wall. Put a shallow-not too tall bookcase along the wall under the window and pull the chairs forward, in front of the bookcase but more out in the room.

I think the clock is incredible and could stand on its own anywhere: modern or traditional.
With your preference for black-and-white photography, maybe get four square black frames-each side the same dimension as the height of the window; arrange framed photographs in a horizonal line under the window that the clock is on, lining up the outer most vertical frame edges with the outer vertical edges of the windows. Add some height with a plant or something on the left side of this vignette to balance the height of the clock; or, install photograph 'rails' under each long window with the rails long enough to allow the leaning or hanging photos to line up with the window's vertical edges, turning the space into a kind of gallery. (Radical: paint the window sashes black to compliment the frames and compliment the floor.)
Maybe consider tonal white slipcovers for the two chairs.
I don't know how to cut and paste photos from one ideabook to this post but I'll try(!): traditional dining room design by portland architect Alan Mascord Design Associates Inc . This evokes the photo rail idea and the slipcovers.

I think you need a rug, a third seating option and a coffee table--either a love seat and an oval table or two extra chairs with a round table. I would also paint the walls. This is a lovely space and if you give it a purpose (as a conversation area) it could become very inviting. Similarly, a fireplace, aquarium, or television would give the two chairs a focal point and reason for being there. Right now, it seems that the purpose of sitting in the chairs is to stare at the all.

wall. to stare at the wall.

I would definitely paint the walls in deep colors to pull the fore antique furniture. The chairs are beautiful, perhaps it might need new upholstery fabric, if you want to get away from the traditional style. I also would paint the chest. And to top it off, I would definitely placed the paintings on the walls , framed them in a black wooden frames

If you generally like more contemporary, I would keep the chairs and the clock in the room and find someplace else in the house for the other pieces. I would move the clock to the wall where the picture is. I would recover the chairs in a contemporary fabric (don't forget to paint or stain the legs), and move them over to the longer wall by the door. In between, I'd put a contemporary small round glass-topped side table. On the short wall where the chairs are currently, I would put either a plain contemporary parsons table or just a shelf, desk-high, and slip a couple of small square ottomans underneath for extra seating. I would define both spaces with small carpets. A short, squat light could go on the parson's table. The chairs need light if used for reading, so you can mount contemporary ones on the wall on either side of the window or have adjustable light "sticks" behind each chair. The wall to the right of the door could have a leaning 6' + high mirror or a white bookcase that takes up most of the wall on which you could put both books and small contemporary vignettes. This is a high-lo proposition: you can do most of this with materials from Ikea/Cost Plus or you can go crazy at Ligne Roset or Bo Concept. Don't forget the option of getting pieces of carpet finished to the exact size of the rug you'd like or using Flor tiles as another option. Have fun!

No need to replace the furniture, paint the walls a bright uplifting colour that you could find from the pattern of the chairs. If you prefer white, paint an accent wall. Move the furniture away from the wall, more modern to center conversation areas with a round table and 4 chairs. Find 2 more chairs that match one another in a similar style and place them on a great area rug (round). The cabinet by the door could be placed on the opposite wall to keep a clear path to the door. Definately need some art or wall hangings. The long skinny window could look much larger with a set of curtains or sheers that reach the floor and puddle. Rod iron about the window for the curtains and rod iron accents through out the room. Remember to place a piece or art, vase or something great on the table that sits at the center of the chairs. If you like antique items a tea set would be a wonderful table scape on a great tray. Use some colur in the rug and curtains to brighten up the room and make it feel welcoming. Currently feeling empty and drab. Can you open up the cabinet and display items (books, glass items, candles, flowers etc.)?
Good luck and post a picture when you redecorate.

Hi Lise_Anne Jensen_Proulx,
First, that floor looks incredible. I really like it.

Second, I agree with previous comments that an accent wall would really help the room... Color or texture. You don't need to go with any crazy artwork painted on your walls to add some life. A bright solid color could help (i like the turquoise idea from before) or a pattern/texture to the wall to give it a different sort of uniqueness.

Obviously I'm going to say that you could try some artificial stone or rock for that texture (it is what I know so I can't help immediately thinking of it). Here's a few photos for visuals but we do have other styles and colors to choose from if you wanted to take a look. http://www.fauxpanels.com