Small rooms can still look great! If you like the blue, then I think you should go with a darker blue. Something in the teal family. Paint the bottom of the chair rail in white, add a rug with tan, blue and red or orange in it. Add a table runner to the table and place a small plant, vase with flowers or a grouping of candles on top of it. A large picture of a flower or abstract art or a group of flower pictures or abstract art would brighten the room also. For the window, you can add a blind or blinds and drapery in a color to go with your rug color. If you don't use a darker blue, tan would be a good color choice above the rail.

This one has a different style of furniture than yours, but along the same color lines, I think it's very pretty: [houzz=]

i would paint below the chair rail all white. Side board needs two lamps (I can not tell what the metal is in the chandelier)


You need a mirror and a rug.

judy - pretty lamp!

Thanks great ideas!! Does anyone like this rug? Also thinking of a hurricane candle sconce for sides of window!! The lamp is really pretty!!

I like the scones, the rug is boring. You need to add some COLOR to the rug.

Definitely need some color/design in the rug to perk everything up!

Ha, ok rug is out!! i was going to have chairs maybe reupholstered in a colored pattern, but that would be expensive!!

What color are the chair cushions?

A beige solid color!!

Lauren, beige is so easy, isn't it?

I"m afraid to spend money on things that aren't plain. I think I'll get it home and hate it!! I think I need to hire an interior decorator, because I'm a first time home owner and I need help.

I like the chair cushions. Don't change them. Just add some color.

I agree, you need a pop of color for interest in the rug!! Maybe a geometric with tone on tone. Use the color in the rugs to tie in the color scheme you choose. Tan's, creams and black if you are leaning more neutral. I like the scones. I would remove the chandler and put up a drum shade would look great. They come in material or metal. How about re-upholstering your chairs, give them a new life too. Check out Horchow, for inspiration.

Lauren, if you look to the top of this page, you will see a search box with a pull down menu. Choose photos, and search for dining room. You will literally get thousands of dining room pictures, you're sure to find at least one that you really like, then just do what you can to copy it!

I would add some different textures - a fabric table runner, some Mexican tiles in the cabinet, Swedish stone pot with an orchid? I like the silver metal work on the sconces but they might disappear on the wall. I usually like lots of glass but the chandelier is too light. Could you change the light to something like the silver metal work?

Thank you, I keep looking I have a weird window and layout I can't find anything to copy! I can't decide if I want to make it formal or casual!! I have a tiny house it is very traditional and old built in 1936!! My kitchen is not an eat in, just has small bar area for two stools. No kids yet, but soon I'm hoping!! So with that being said, I think it is an area that will be eat in often not just on special occasions. Thanks for all of the feedback appreciate it so much!

Here's a strong bold print with some blue - you can always send it back if it doesn't work.
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/marimekko-kumina-neutral-tablecloth-and-napkin/f43190

Here's a lamp for a smaller dining room. http://www.lampsplus.com/products/hinkley-bloom-collection-20-inch-wide-pendant-light__k9189.html

Any of theses rugs??

Or this

I like the stripe but go with what you like. You have a sense of the entire room, your house and your taste.
I live in Southern California so am more familiar with a Mediterranean/Spanish feel.
I really have to see pieces in the room to know if I like them.

Hi Lauren, Here's a couple of photos below showing a blue dining room I staged (scroll over to enlarge). The room was freshly painted in baby blue BEFORE I was called in to decorate the space. How I wish they would have had me do a color consultation first. Thanks BobbiP for the photo showing an elegant smoky/steel blue color, it does so much for a room than the baby blue I had to work with. My challenge was to make baby blue walls work and look up to date, so I added a cinnamon accent color which coordinated with the flooring and complemented & contrasted the blue walls. I added accents in silver & blue gray cushions along with contemporary abstract art to bring it all up to speed.

I agree with anita on painting the chair rail & bottom wall all one color. Looks like the chair rail is somewhat low, so I'd suggest adding a wider, larger /wider/thicker chair rail above the height of your console table all the way around the room & add some vertically striped bead board between your existing chair rail and your new larger one above it. Paint the new chair rail and everything below it in warm white/ivory. That'll make it look like it's meant to be that way and won't look like an add-on-gone-wrong.

Your small room may benefit from your light blue color, especially if it's like a "whisper" of very light blue gray, not baby blue. It's hard to see the color accurately from photos. Your white/silver items will be fabulous with it.

Art will be absolutely key to pulling the room together. Keep looking and don't settle for something that's just OK. Go for something you absolutely adore... plus it needs to be the right size and scale for the space. Get art that's about 75-85% the width of your console table making sure it has the light blues & whites, plus some darks to complement the room. Hang it above your console table. My only clue as to your art preferences is your floral arrangement. I found some white (with light blue) peony paintings online that could work if that's what you love. If you're more into abstract, then check out my 3rd photo below showing the living room with abstract art.

where are the chairs from I like them and the art?

Chairs: HomeSense (Canada). Art: can't remember where I bought them, although the living room abstract might also be HomeSense.

I want to bring in a different slant on the value of a rug in your situation. If you & your future kids will be eating there on a daily basis, an area rug will be very short-lived. It'll get stained & soiled in no time flat and then you're back to a bare floor, which is much easier for family life and cleaning up.

Personally, I'd concentrate on the other decorative touches first, then you can always still get a rug later if you really feel you MUST HAVE one. But I'd say there's no real NEED for one, practically speaking.

My recommendation is to START WITH ART in pulling this room together! Once you have art that you adore (and works with your furniture style and colors), the rest of the room can more easily be put together with accent colors from the art.

How does that sound?