Hi Tara. I took a look at your idea book and it seems the dining room is too dark and too safe for what your pictures are showing.

It seems you are looking to create a library dining room. Although you don't have much space, we can achieve that. Here is a rendering I recently created for a client's dining room

Shown below is the existing space and conceptual design I created for the room. Hope this helps gets your ideas flowing.

Other thoughts

-chair look diminutive compared to the table
-compote bowl is too large for a centerpiece for the table.
-don't forget about the lovely tray----you could do a lot with that (need more photos).

What do you like and not like about the room? Are you happy with how traditional it looks? Nothing wrong with that.......just not jiving with your idea book.


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It looks pretty good. Drapes are beautiful. Perhaps you could add a very interesting early Americana piece of art on the wall across from the window and a lovely serving cart with silver teapot and accessories on top.

This is my living room in progress to get an idea of what I like.
Cg creative...I looked at your work and we are on the same page. I was just shopping for a wine barrel end table, brass round tray and I love the church bench behind the couch!
I need the dining room to be functional for casual guest gatherings as well as a homework spot. I'm trying to keep it calm throughout the house, but My MacKenzie pieces are anything but that. I also have these curtains and as I look at them they are probably the way to go. I think I'm going against the grain and fighting what I already have.
Any thoughts?

Hi Tara, did you mean my work by chance? I have a drum table, brass tray and church kneeler behind a sofa ( in one of my photos).

I would start my removing the compote from the table. Too much china. Recommend replace with a stack of seasonal books.

I would also remove the large plate from the top of the china cabinet.

What do you think of painting the room a lighter color?
Can you fit any bookshelves in the room?

What does this mean? " I think I'm going against the grain and fighting what I already have."

....that you have a lot of traditional things but what to break out from them? If so, I think you could mix the traditional with the new and pull it off. The key is to have the right mix. Too many antiques, it begins to look like "Antique Road Show". So, the right balance.

So, maybe your floral drapes and then line the buffet with fretwork wallpaper for a funky look.

I know you can do this!

Hi Tara, there are a few of us here at cg creative - Gizelle posted the original comment, but I took a quick peak and had a few thoughts on how you can work with what you have and get closer to where you'd like to be. Depending on what you're willing to modify, you might consider painting the chairs a white lacquer, or sanding and distressing them for a lighter look. I'm all about mixing styles and finishes, and I think refinishing the chairs would be a better fit with your idea books. I'd also lighten the wall color and consider a fuller, more crystal chandelier. I love Gizelle's idea about the accessories and artwork - I just saw an interior where they blew the painting up wall-size and applied it as a wallpaper, which might be great fun on one of the walls, perhaps faded out a bit so that it doesn’t overwhelm the other elements (I also love the unexpected :-). And, I’d stick with your curtains - they're gorgeous! All the best, Caryn

Pretty much any shade of blue instead of the brown on the walls will give this room an instant lift.

Smaller centerpiece and some whimsical floral art:

I like what is started. I think the upper wall is too dark. I would repaint a lighter color. Also paint the same color and/or place wallpaper inside the window frame molding in the lower wall ornamentation.

I would also recover the chair seats in a lighter color complementary print for the room.

You could add some wallpaper on the back of the hutch for a lighter feeling. If you do not want to paste wallpaper to the cabinet, you could cover foam core panels and mount on the backs.

I would warm up the space and add a green tree at the left corner of the hutch wall.

I had a hutch that wasn't "fine furniture" so you may not want to do this to yours, but I painted mine black on the outside and white on the inside. It made all of the objects inside really pop, and the line of the hutch is so much prettier now that the "not current" wood tones are masked. I think the painted hutch idea might go with your mackenzie childs pieces, and it would "lighten up" the space. Just a thought!

I would accent contrast paint colors on the trim and flat ceiling of the coffered ceiling.
If you use a high gloss in the center, the room will feel taller due to the light reflection.

I wish we had more photos of existing room. This is a mistake posters make and the result is a lot of bad advice. A picture of each wall please. Closeup of drape material.

Please get rid of the brown as others say. You really seem to want a different color on the back of your bookcases and//or china shelves as do I. Go for it but not until you settle on wall color.

I am trying to do my own version of one of your favorite photos

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You need a chandelier you love on a dimmer so study and dinner are properly illuminated.

You have a coffered ceiling and you like silver. You could silver leaf or silver paint your ceiling. Hurray.

I'm thinking a light blue grey on the walls as a starting point for discussion. The sconces, which are too small and not attractive block two spots you might add bookshelves, so think about uninstalling them. Otherwise it looks like you have room to the far right for a bookcase.

Using the living room as inspiration and realizing you need to harmonize, maybe you could repeat the recessed bookshelves above the wainscoting on each side of the cabinet and finish them off in simple, but similar, molding. Then you would not awkwardly break up the lovely wainscotting. Make them echo the lines of the living room recessed nooks and use the wiring already there to illuminate the shelves so that you can easily see the books, etc.I'd use strip led lighting tucked inside molding. Mix books and china objects on the same shelves.

Inject something whimsical like the red chandelier in one of your pictures. You can do it. I am not suggesting that chandelier, but the idea of something completely out of place and fun will help with homework.

In addition to the comments suggesting an area rug, different lighting, lighter paint color....

Page few people mentioned painting the furniture. Chalk paint is easy to use and doesn't require much prep work. I would paint the 4 side chairs all one color. Possibly French linen or off white.
I would reupholster the two end chairs remaining in the original stain a different fabric. (Fabric with pattern). Also paint the china cabinet the same color you choose for chairs.

Romana mentioned mixing books and china. In the same 3D rendering I show above, here is a different angle where I had placed books and china in the same cabinet. With yours an open cabinet, it will show even more.

Also consider a gold-toned paint with your drapes. The red in the drapes will be repeated in the living room sofas.
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Does the table have leaves? Consider moving the end chairs to either side of the buffet for a more updated look. Leave chairs only on the sides. Extend the table if you have a leaf.

Need more photos of the room. Thanks.

Hi Tara - do you like the furniture the way it is? I would love to see the table and chairs painted black. The buffet would also look great in a distressed black with cream interior. I would do a floral on the seats of the chairs, with great big flowers centered on each seat in colors similar to your drapes . I would do pretty crystal sconces larger than what you have and a crystal chandelier. Walls could be a fairly light gray or pick up a somewhat darker color in the drapes for contrast. I visualize this room as whimsical, soft with a little sparkle. Have fun!

I agree on many of the ideas offered and in addition would like to offer the following:

1. The curtains can set the tone for the whole room but color scheme should use mainly the gold and white.
2. Yes to soft and whimsical. Light, airy, very pretty, gold, silver and white color scheme. French influence.
3. A large mirror on the wall and move the hutch to the right. Lose or replace the sconces.
4. Paint using the Oat Straw color suggested
5. Paint your beautiful coffered ceiling using contrast detailing in the oat straw and white
6. Love the idea of a crystal chandelier over the table or a pretty French or Italian one.
7. Table and chairs in a lighter wood or lacquer when you can.

Above chair rail, I would paint the Oak Straw color as above. A new chandelier, a different centrepiece, a large mirror and hopefully your new fabric for the chairs is a light color.
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