Thank you! These are great ideas!

Your room has a lot of potential...lovely hardwood floors, tray ceiling and gorgeous transom window. I love the sophisticated simplicity of this contemporary dining room with neutral walls, a graphic rug and a quirky urban chandelier.

Although this picture isn't exactly what I am looking for...
What is striking to me is the transom windows and how I am looking straight into the room at them. I think your choice of furniture should play this up, a longer table that will draw your eye toward those windows. Simple table, striking chairs, a different chandelier, neutral paint and wallpaper in the tray ceiling

Judyg...I LOVE your idea!

What do you think about this idea...run a beautiful simple detailed board around the perimeter of the room, paint the bottom, and perhaps put grasscloth wallpaper or a different paint color on the top. I would of course want to change the transom window trim and update the chandelier.

I was thinking about this table/chairs from Ethan Allen only in the darker finish and then putting an area rug under the table.

What do you think?

Your current dining room and the image shown have very different pallets, the one you posted is much more current and light I love it! I know not everyone will agree but I would say paint the red wall and paint the whole room a softer color. Use artwork and accessories to add texture and muted color. The artwork in this space is currently out of scale, I would say go bigger but make sure its something that translates well from far away and closer up, an abstract with an organic or botanical feel would be great!

Thank you, Rachel!

Great room, especially with transom. Do some breadboard and paint above in a color you like and paint the edge of ceiling In same color. New light fixture and some great accessories.
Take out that fake plant!

Cindy,
You could totally do the look in the picture. I used to design for Ethan Allen. I am liking the rectangular table and I also like a buffet or console on the long wall with tall picture or mirror and a pair of lamps or nice tall decor. The windows may be done with a little differently , as you have that tall horizontal window. If you don't need the window for light, do wall to wall draperies. The obvious rug and coordinating fabric on the chairs, a large centerpiece and a different chandelier.
Ethan Allen will give you free design service and guide you on fabric, paint and color choices.
Have fun!

8 chairs around the table make it look more like a board room than a dining room. The 2 chair backs as you enter the room feel like a barricade. Suggest moving a chair from each end to where the plant and the floor lamp are. The uplight floor lamp isn't suitable for a dining room and the plant looks fake. Agree with Rachel to paint the whole room a softer color. Would also paint the tray ceiling a darker shade or a contrasting color. The wall with the transom window already is a feature and doesn't need to be a statement color. If you want more light, try buffet lamps on what appears to be a serving table/shelf under the transom light. Can't really see clearly.

Is that wall sort of a raspberry sherbet color? We had a huge accent wall in a vaulted living room in our previous home, that we painted that color. It was such a hit (the other walls ands
ceiling were a light gray) and when we entertained, it seemed to make people actually HUNGRY!!! (which was fine with us, as lots of our friends are foodies) We wondered if the buyers would change it...(house sold in a week, so it clearly wasn't a factor) our old neighbors say they kept it for the same reason!

myrns...LOVE, LOVE that idea! I am certainly going to do that!

Trim either the tray ceiling or window frame with black paint. On the white wall, change the design pieces to larger pictures with black frames to pick up the black trim color. Remove the plant & replace with matching, tall floor lamps, (not too bulky, or skinny), or tall floor accent pieces.
Is there a table/piece of furniture next to the plant? If there is, another look instead of the floor lamps,would be to place two large matching lamps on the table, perhaps remove the wall picture to something that will coordinate with the lamps. Accent pieces should have some black color, but don't go overboard with this. Change the ceiling light & consider using a coordinating ceiling medallion. If table lamps are used, a series of vertical pictures can be placed on the walls just below the window.

I would consider adding many mini led cans to wash the walls

You could go art-deco-modern with it! I like the idea of an accent wall, but it might be cool if you did it in a dark grey instead. The other walls could be a lighter grey and you could paint the inset on the ceiling either darker or lighter, depending on the effect you want. I LOVE those art pieces! If you could find other ones to match and tie in the chair color, it would be beautiful!