Removing the wallpaper would make a lot of difference, IMO. It looks dated because of the wallpaper. Then paint it red or sage.

Just some thoughts!

Remove the chair rail -- it visually "cuts" the room in half horizontally -- and lowers the ceiling ..... then simply paint the whole whole in fresh creamy white. Simple but fresh! Add artworks on each side of the china cabinet.

Remove the lacy curtains -- but replace with longer fresh white sheers -- hang them as high as the ceiling cove will allow.

Replace the seat cushion fabric with sage green.

Hang the mirror in the vertical -- to draw the viewer's eye "up" -- add two tall lamps on each side of the buffet.

Raise the chandelier slightly (add a ceiling medallion to the ceiling if you can!) -- and add a fresh centerpiece like a white ironstone tureen on a platter.

Hope this helps!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Remove wall paper; paint lower wall a medium taupe and the upper area a light taupe with a cream for trim and chair rail. Get a new chandelier. Line up china cabinet with chandelier so cabinet is centered as is chandelier. Get rid of window treatments, add woven or roman blinds with stationary side drapery panels. I like the mirror and server but I would dress that up with a pair of buffet lamps with black shades. Take away all floral motifs to modernize room.

I agree the wp is really dating the room
Lovely room & furnishings

my $.02

Since you are committed to removing wp & rug

- You may find some lovely wp - wp above chair rail paint below - that will make the project a little easier too!
- If there is hardwood under the carpet - don't put down another carpet - have the floor patched, repaired, refinished & find a nice area rug that fits room/style
- remove the artificial flowers & plants
- new panels for the windows a simple drapery to the floor hung on decorative rods - I personally like pleated esp in a traditional DR like yours

I'm not sure about the furniture placement given the angle of pics -

Good luck!

I would take out the chair rail if possible or paint it out all in the same color. Although chair rail is most appropriate in dining rooms, it divides the space into uneven thirds with above and below rail and then the tray. The tray is feature enough.

If you keep the chandelier, replace the candle sleeves with new white ones, they look yellowed compared to the china portion of the fixture.

Remove the greenery on the window and the top of the china cabinet. (I tend to not like this anyway, however, the space is too narrow for it IMO)

Tone on tone stripes could be nice: but again, if you do this, baseboard to ceiling...or you won't get the elongation you want.

You would benefit from some white accessories to coordinate with the chandelier.

I agree with taking out the chair rail if you want to add the illusion of height to the room. And then either paint (and if you are going with ivory rug, I would paint a color, the green family being my favovite). And I would investigate whether painting the vertical portion of the tray ceiling the same color as the wall would give more height to the room as well.

Also there are some nice striped wall papers out there.....

As for curtains, I'm not good at that, but I think you need to do something.

Congratulations on the HS graduation! We're looking forward to one too, and it has made me look at my house with more critical eyes.

I agree with the others and just want to say you have lovely furniture, which will really be outstanding in a freshly painted room.
I also think hardwood with an oriental is the way to go. It will really set off the table.
Have fun, and get busy! June is just around the corner!LOL We have a college graduation next May and I have started thinking about it already! cause I know how I am.

Okay, the fake foliage is out of the room! The wall paper will come down tonight (Shhh, don't tell the DH!) I got lucky today and found a carpet dealer that was hungry-he made me a great deal on a carpet remmant and installation. (There is no hardwood under the carpet and it is not in the budget with kids heading to college)

Jan-I meant to say that I planned on taking down the chair rail. It was something I just had to have as a young 30-something when we built. I hadn't thought about hanging the mirror vertical (vertically?)

Palmpest-it's surprizing the things you don't even notice until someone else does! The chandlier does need new candle sleeves, doesn't it? The china is actually bone on it, not white. I thought perhaps something glass on the table. Nothing I saw today screamed at me.

Barb5-I have wondered if the vertical part of the ceiling would look better painted or not. With the wallpaper it was just easier to leave it alone! Any thoughts on paint or not on the tray ceiling?

Several of you mentioned the curtains. The window is three ganged together with the center window wider that the outside two. The total dimension is almost 8 feet with 2 feet on each side of wall. For the winter the curtains hang down and I usually have them tied back for summer. There is a large Japanese Maple outside the window that provides some privacy when leafed out. In the winter I feel that we need sheers or something up. Would you have the sheers with side panels that were stationary? Any other thoughts for the windows? I do sew so any option would be easy since I will need a custom length.

Thanks for all of your comments. I appreciate them all! Gotta get to work stripping, ha ha! At least I sized under this paper.

LOVE the traditional furniture ..hate the wallpaper..Love the tray ceiling..it needs a dramatic paint job to play it up..and really go for it..don't use white.
Pictures make it a little difficult to tell the origin of the wood, if it is fruit wood or a darker oak..seems a bit too light for mahogany but seems to have a more golden tone as well ..that might be the photo.

you are looking toward greens and golds?..the sage green would definately work well with your woods..are you going to keep the wainscoting?

I might carry one of the other room colors that adjoin through to the ceiling tray of this room..a soft golden color would add LIGHT to it..and then put a contrast on the rest of the tray outside..you might play it up with some beautiful mouldings..and maybe a medallion if you are staying traditional..

then put beautiful mouldings on your wainscot to match..and under the wainscot you could use moulding frames..sometimes this is a little difficult to figure out how to do if you are carpentry challenged..but you can go to a store and find actual picture frames in a moulding that you love and buy a whole bunch of them and glue them equally spaced on the wall below the wainscot to make panels..or squares..and then have the background painted one color and the mouldling another..i prefer lighter as darker can be a bit "overkill"..

say the soft sage behind a soft vanilla moulding with a very pale french cream or darker vanilla on the top 1/2 and then the golden ceiling with the vanilla moldlings and sage up in the tray with a vanilla medallion and an antique chandelier with the oiled bronze finish..

now if you want to get a little fancier..the sage on the wainscot behind the mouldings could be of a waterstained type silk or moire..that would be stunning..saving some of the same fabric for curtains..yum...

Then wouldn't it be stunning to have depressionware green glassware with some very creamy and green dishes..they would bounce off that golden reddish wood..

What Jan says, LOL...
I can see it painted a fresh cream color, a soft sage or even a very pale watery blue gray would be stunning. :)

Yes, I would do sheers with side panels that were stationary. I would mount them on a decorative rod and have simple side panels. Here are some pictures: http://www.jcpenney.com/products/C048069.jsp
If you paint the room a sage color I would pick fabric that is a primarily a golden color to tie in with your living room and also have some sage color in the drapery fabric.

Here is a link that might be useful: drapery ideas

Also, mount the rod as high as you can. It will add visual height to the room.

You have gotten so much good advice that I have nothing to add, except when you order new candle sleeves get the one that are made from real beeswax. I have those and they look so much better than the plastic ones. This is where I ordered mine. She makes custom sizes, which is why I originally went with these.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beeswax Candle Sleeves