I love the furniture. Consider this idea http://houzz.com/photos/140341

I'm not sure if I should change the blue theme (curtain+chandelier) or the mustard color upholstered chairs. Although both were expensive

Try taking the curtains down and then taking more photos in broad daylight. Turn on all the lights. Take photos of each wall and a photo of and upholstered chair.

What kind of updates were you thinking of? New paint? New tablecloth? Curtains?

It is probably easier and cheaper to change out the window treatment.

New window treatment, new centerpiece, mirror or art over the sideboard is all you need.

Probably wouldn't hurt to paint either, to tone down all the yellow.

I would change the curtains as they are gathered on a rod and make for a casual cottage look. If you want to keep the blue color consider an aqua blue (a blue with yellow) since the chair upholstery is a dark gold (yellow).

Lower the chandelier so that it can be seen and enjoyed although it appears to be a cool toned blue you can mix the two blues in the room. I have added aqua fabric and an image from my gallery that has tones of the chandelier and fabric.

Should you consider any of my images please contact me for deep canvas print discounts.

Remove the grey curtains .

I agree about replacing the curtains. Something airy and simple like white gauze would be nice. And a very large mirror hung low over the sideboard would help give the room depth. Either a mirror or glass framed art, glass being reflective and opening up a room. I'd clear the sideboard of stuff. Open, airy and simple would help balance out the ornate chairs, imo.

Hi---here is a pic for inspiration. Window treatment, rug and a different paint color. Very simple to transform this space. Good Luck!
[houzz=]

Panels will give your window an instant lift .

get rid of the drapes - paint the walls a light sage green- put slipcover on the chairs and hang a mirror over the buffet.

Replace the drapes with white (or other pastel) panels. Improve lighting- lower chandelier and increase lights in the corners (not only the walls). The dining table and chairs are grand but the sideboard is too big for the room. Cut it down to size, if possible. The double doors probably lead to the exterior. Are the panes smoked or darker for privacy? If so, they can be changed to lightly frosted ones and the top two rows can even be clear glass. Lighten the wall paint. I would even consider painting the door in a lighter color- egg shell -if it isn't very fancy wood. Unsure about a carpet- probably best not to add any more items to an already burdened room. As suggested, a mirror above the sideboard will help open up the room - but only if there is sufficient ambient light, preferably from the outside.

Much prefer the photoshopped picture by groveraxle. It's not the color of the curtains but the style. It looks odd joined in the middle and pulled back with tie backs. And the header looks like a kind of gathering. Try the style in groveraxle's picture. Much better.

love your furniture.

@halarose: any new photos without the curtains, in daylight, that you could upload?

The installed height and width of your curtain rod is more of the issue than the curtains themselves. All the suggested curtain ideas are predicated on less fabric covering the glass and more light entering the room. The rods should be installed a minimum 12-15" wider and 4-6" higher and the quality of the rod needs to improve because of its greater design presence. The quantity of fabric could be reduced to simplify the design. Here are some fabric design solutions from ARKfabric.com to get some new ideas percolating. Many more on the ARKfabric website and our large samples(10" x 18") make it easy to imagine your new room.

Our 3 piece "Grand Piano Ensemble" model, shown below in white as well as black, would look AMAZING in Mahogany color (also show below) -- if placed above your credenza.

These are the 4 walls during daylight

There are 2 doors, one is the entrance from the hall, and one from the parlour

I would definitely change the drapery.

Do you think painting one of the walls a light peachy color would be a bad idea?

An accent wall could be very nice.

I would change the paint colour on the wall (not peach) and do one wall in a wall paper that you really love

The walls need dimension. Applied moldings, wainscoting, paneling, etc. first, then pictures.

And, yes, lower the chandelier.

More specifically, I would put in a chair rail, picture frame moldings underneath, and paint that all one color.

Then wallpaper the wall from the chair rail up to the crown.

And add a couple of sconces.

Thanks for daylight photos. Your original goal is to update the room without changing the furniture. You will have to change the style of the window treatment. It's the single thing that most dates the room. A drapery workroom may be able reuse the fabric (assuming it is in great shape and very good quality) to make pinch pleats that can be hung on a decorative traverse rod. Your style, as shown in your ideabooks, is formal and you picked a lot of elaborate window treatments to save photos. Or choose an entirely new blue and mustard fabric in a stripe or print pattern. Your ideabook shows a mix of muted grayed tones and brighter clear colors in the photos. Are you ready for a big change or stick close to the muted tone you have already?

An alternative color scheme can be chosen with an accent wall of wallpaper as someone else suggested. Then pick the paint color (perhaps a light blue) from one of the tones in the wallpaper. The credenza wall would be a good option to wallpaper. Add a large mirror.

Your furniture is quite beautiful.

I would suggest that you add white-painted wainscoting and crown molding around the room. Depending on the trim in the rest of the house, you might paint the French doors white. Then, paint the upper wall a light neutral blue, something in the color family of the curtain you already have. I also would suggest a patterned area rug with the same blue tones in it. For variety, I would suggest you add a white curtain and use a matching white table cloth. I would suggest you keep the dining chairs as they are and have the gold in the upholstery as your accent color. Some wall art framed in metallic gold should help to warm up the space and be a contrast from the blue in the room.