nrl5
try Horchow..they have some beautiful pieces..or Brushstrokes

Here is a link that might be useful: brushstrokes

I do not have a formal, formal DR in this house since we only have a GR and no living room, and the GR is open to the DR, so we chose to use the breakfast room furniture at this house for the DR and gave the foraml to one of our kids who has a more formal DR, BUT I have treated it with same or similar artwork that I would in a formal room. My taste is probably way, way different from others but I have painted all frames the same although the look of the frame may be different. I have a great pastoral found on European holiday, a coalminer portrait found in Kentucky artshop, a floral acrylic done by one of my children, a still life, an architectural painting and 2 prints I found in antique shops that I like. These are on either side of my china cabinet and above the sofa-table-come-sideboard, I have a large mirror with a beveled edge (very large). All prints and paintings have the same hazy misty foggy background. So the background, frames and not the artist ties them all together.

I like beautifully framed and matted botanicals (flowers, leaves or fruit) in a dining room. Our DR isn't formal, but changing out my hanging plates to our botanicals made a huge difference. Our other art pieces are orignal oils of Duke Gardens, but they aren't framed. The botanicals and gardens relate in that way.

In a formal DR, I like frames. I also like nice mirrors in a formal dining room, especially if it reflects a beautiful chandelier.

Those references have nice things, but why go mail order first? Upscale furniture stores, department store home furnishing departments - even Michael's - have become quite sophisticated in their selections of wall decor.

I have a formal diningroom, too. It's not an overly large room and doesn't have a lot of wall space - broken up with windows, opening to foyer, etc. typical of old center hall colonials. Over the buffet I have a large ornate oval gallery frame I found in a Maryland antique shop with a Dutch floral. On another short wall there's a large gilt framed tapestry of a peacock on a perch made by nuns "in the old country" and handed down through the family. That piece pretty well covers the space from crown moulding to wainscotting.

There's so much out there for every taste and budget - it's worth taking a little time and finding just the right thing. What grabs your attention? Do you like flowers, or landscapes, botanical drawings of fruit or flowers, still life studies, French Impressionists?

First -- always start with the basics -- always carry your room measurements -- and the measurements for the spaces that might contain art. Also -- very handy to carry photos of the room too!

Then browse through stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Linen n Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond for artworks.

OR start with a site like art.com --- and simply flip through the selections in their different categories for inspirations. If you see something that might work -- print out a copy and carry it with you.

I like ArtExpress.com.

They link into all the other art sites and they have a great search engine.

Here is the main page:

Here is a link that might be useful: Art Express

I have a set of watercolors of tropical fruit, individually framed and a watercolor of a capybara (a large South American rodent), all of which I inherited.

I'm not done, yet, I plan to add other things as I come across them.

The only other wall decoration I have is over my sideboard where I hang one of an often-changed collection of silk or linen fabric panels as a backdrop for a flower (or leaf) bouquet. I change the arrangement every few days so a single background panel color, or design, would get too limiting (and boring) over time. Occasionally I just use a bowl or epergne of fruit in front of the panel, or a flowering potted plant in a cachepot. If I'm really pressed for time I will just plunk down a silver something or other, or even a big covered soup turreen. (In truth the floating fabric panel also does double-duty as the plaster above chest I use as a side board is in less-than-pristine shape.)

One thing I don't have on my DR walls is a mirror as I don't like to catch a glimpse of myself eating, and they make me too self-conscious.

I think it's useful to have interesting things on the DR walls of a scale large enough to be able to be used as emergency conversation starters when the hostess turns the table and your dinner partner is too shy-making. That's one of the reason I'm so fond of my capybara, he's fairly big and though painted in a straight naturalistic style, I swear he's grinning as he rises up from his swampy abode. (And he sort of falls into the classical tradition of having edible animals - game, fish, fruits, etc.- on DR walls. In some places they do eat capybara, but he knows he's safe with me up here.)

I wouldn't be in any hurry to fill up your walls, just spend some time noticing what's for sale around you at galleries and shows.

Molly~

Well, mirrors are not down low to watch people eat, they are at eye level of a standing person an reach up to catch the glitter of the chandelier.

nrl5,
On one wall I have a display of plates which is always fun to do in a dining room and kitchen. I also have a very large Irish pastoral tapestry by DeWitt that I got at a local art store, but I know can be purchased online: