I detest my slipcovered Hudson camelback parson chairs from Restoration Hardware--not the chair, just the slip cover. For some reason, it's just too damn tight. I laundered it exactly as it specified and air dried it, and now it's even worse. the seams are starting to split it's so tight. Luckily, they were only $120 a piece at the outlet. I'm just going to take the covers off and have them upholstered because they're incredibly comfortable. So, I know it's a bit off topic, but I'm just letting you know that I regret getting the slipcovered ones.

The root of your problem here seems to furniture placement, not the type of furniture you have. Everything is concentrated on the ends of the room, creating a void in the center. I can see that you have centered the table underneath the chandelier, so the table placement seems to be logical ... let's break the rules a bit, ignore the chandelier for the moment and bear with me.

If this were my room, I would bring the 'dining' side farther into the room by turning the table 90 degrees and placing it farther out from the buffet, so things aren't squished against the wall the way they seem now. (perhaps a round table could be in your future?)

On the living side, move the chair by the window to the right and square it to the wall. Gathering places have cozy spaces, and your upholstered pieces seem to be too far apart to relate to each other. I don't see any side tables or lamps. With some judicious second-hand shopping, you can get a couple of tables (and perhaps a coffee table to replace the ottoman, or a tray to put on top of it). You and your DH could put your DIY skills into building a table or two.

I hope I have helped you look at your space a bit differently. With those large windows and the lovely garden view, it's a shame that you don't use it more.

Not off topic at all, kevenmp, since I've been eyeballing those very same chair covers. I have heard this about many brands, so I'm leaning towards upholstered chairs at this point. Thanks for the feedback.

Heartwood, I never even thought about simply turning the table! May look funny with the chandelier, but I could try it and replace with one longer or perhaps two to balance. As for the round table possibility---just saw a Henredon set on my local CL for $500! No leaves, unfortunately, but more traditional looks are out of favor around here and I often see high quality stuff for next to nothing.

Will definitely look at resolving the center void issue (as if the furniture is "under arrest" and pinned against the walls:) and see if I can work with the stuff I already have. Many thanks for the fresh eye!

You're welcome. Just ignore the chandelier for now. If you find a furniture arrangement that you like, you can always move/swag the chandelier later.

Can you swap the dining room and the living room to replace each other? I feel that the view is so lovely that you should have your couch or some of the chairs facing it and that could be done with very little trouble. Don't worry about the light fixture, you can always removed it and patch it.

In addition to trying a new location for the table, I'd replace the shades on the chandelier since they're giving you a more formal look than you have. Try something with clean lines, maybe even black shades.
I think you can change the room with furniture placement, a new centerpiece on the table and two rugs to define each space.
Then spend the majority of your money buying an outdoor table so you don't have to continue moving this one. :)

You've got style integration (and to some degree functional integration) problems:

In the DR area, three different period-ish pieces (sideboard, corner cupboard and handsome table). Of the three pieces, it is the corner cupboard which seems to odd man of the three. I like the side board and table together better, than any other combo. Neither of the two other tables you showed would solve this, better. I think each would actually make things worse, unles you were abandonning the other pieces completely. To my eye, it's the sketchy pediment, diagonal window trim (Georgian-ish) of the corner cupboard which falls away from the more Edwardian-era interpretations of the table and side board. How does the room work without the corner cupboard, fat candleholders and the chandy?

If you don't use the table primarily for eating, how about this: center the room on the glorious window. Right now the room seems to ignore the central window and instead be broken in two disparate halves.

How about putting the sofa to look directly out on the view? Put the table, sans chairs, behind it. Is it narrow enough to work in the room as a behind-the-sofa table? Lovely with a good reading lamp on it, and maybe a cachepot, with some book in low stacks perhaps. Or maybe the sideboard would serve as a sofa table? Remove or redeploy the "corner china cupboard". How about a low bench along the window, with some seating capacity? You could arrange a reading and conversational nook along one wall. What other furniture might be relocated from other parts of the house to break up the all matched set-ishness of the two areas which don't blend enough with each other?

It seems as if you don't need, or use the formal dining room function. If so, it's wasted resources to kowtow to the fantasy of it. (You can rearrange furniture to recreate the DR function if you need to do so when you're ready to resell.)

I'd try enlisting someone to help you move pieces around the house, as a first step, while you noodle on whether you'd be OK with 86'ing the whole DR vignette, if you aren't using it in the that way.

I hope you're not offended with my comments on your DR furniture. I had a similar assemblage, especially the china cupboard, that I struggled with for years. I finally had to admit that the china cupboard was the problem. Once I got over my mental picture of what I "needed" in my DR (which we used for daily meals, so had to keep), and moved it out, the room immediately looked better with just the table and sideboard. But eventualy I repurposed the side board, too, and replaced it with simple chest of drawers. The sideboard has been (since banishment from the DR) a front hall cupboard (worked very well at that), a TV stand, and later as a supply cupboard in a sewing room. Now it is in storage. My china cupboard lived in a seating area (not totally happily) for bit, then got moved to a guest room (much better use, but without china, just some leather-bound books and the odd bit of silver jug). It's not a very valuable piece and I am not contemplating painting it and using it a guest bath. It is mahogany, which is my only hesitation with painting it. Still working on that decision.

When we first start out, we buy stuff that attracts us, makes us feel grown up, seems to be work, etc. I know in my case (looking back at it over 3+ decades) I was trying to recreate rooms I particularly admired. But I was doing it without really knowing how to get there. Time teaches that. But only if you are willing to be flexible and change up things that don't work out. Looking back I can also recognize (now) that some of the things I found so charming (in my mental exemplars) were themselves transitional solutions to problems of space, resources, etc.

Bake your hubby's favorite pie or cake and bribe him for an afternoon of lugging stuff around the house. My stuff often turns out to work better assorted into different rooms. And aside from the pastry, there's no cost at all.

HTH,

L.

A vote to add the gorgeous trestle table -- plus a bench on each side and host chairs at each end.

Plus -- if at all possible -- relocate the dining cabinet in the corner. The buffet and mirror would look wonderful with your new table set-up.

Plus add additional lighting options with tall lamps at each end of the buffet OR hardwire an electric sconce on each side of the mirror.

Pretty room -- and I love the VERY charming fountain and garden outside the window! If you give parties at night -- make sure that this area has some lights too! :)

I had to go back and look after reading one suggestion. The outdoor view is so pretty and the furniture is spaced in a way that I saw a door where the window is! That is an idea worth saving for. French doors opening to your beautiful patio. That would get you away from the builder's grade cookie cutter home. My Parents did this years ago, it isn't as big a deal as it may seem. I love the idea of a round table and swagging the chandelier to fit, with up to date shades. What is the view from the window across the room?

Like the others, I would move the corner china cabinet...it makes your dining room too crowded....even moving your table the long way. If you could remove the china cabinet, then move your table more toward the living room and you living room furniture closer to the dining room. If you want to use the china cabinet....put it where the sideboard is and use the sideboard behind the couch, which will be facing the living room. Chairs moved around in the living room accordingly.

Wow, I feel as though I've been give a new set of eyes. It's so easy to stay in my boring paradigm, and gratifying to get the expert opinions of the GW folks.

Ok, so from the responses so far, I'm gathering that: (a) I need to resolve the central area vacuum and reorient the room to further exploit the view and make a more family friendly, welcoming area, whether a dining area exists or not. And thank you, teacats, for reminding me that we still need to add uplights in the garden. (b) Look at potentially losing the china cab/ensuring style cohesiion with the furnishings, possibly by opening up the window into a French door (LUV that idea, arcy, and had never considered it!) (c) Rethink the whole "grown up" idea of having a "formal dining room" altogether, since it's not the way we live regardless (thank you, liriodendron:)

And liriodendron: I hear you! Not the least bit offended, and I know this room isn't working; thus the call for help. I am not married to the china cab at all, and could definitely see it repurposed in another room, or scrapped all together. It takes fresh eyes to see the proverbial elephant in the room sometimes, and I so appreciate your thoughts. Yes, it's all wrong!!! Would look fabulous in our master bath, holding soap, towels and the like, and would open up the design possibilities immensely. As for the chandy and candle holders: completely disposable. I truly just threw this room together to make it appear furnished while I dealt with the rest of life. I love the idea of really rethinking the room and perhaps scrapping the "dining" area idea. We don't need it, and I do have a gorgeous sofa table that could work behind the sofa. The buffet would make a great dresser, and in its past life functioned in that capacity.

Again, thanks! I will be shoving furniture around over the next few weeks and asking your opinions. Love that I can rely on you folks to keep me in line:)