FYI, here's a view of the opposite end of the dining/ kitchen area

What a lovely space! I wouldn't spend that much on refinishing. If you can have something made just as you want it, I'd go that route. I love your built in inspiration photo!!

If I've done this properly, here's a link to a few pics of the space...

http://s415.photobucket.com/user/lisa_mocha/library/Dining%20area

Oh my, what a pretty room.

I agree, don't spend a grand on refinishing. You can actually do it yourself for next to nothing. $1K to sand, stain and seal. Absurd.

Not sure about the banquet in the corner. I've always thought dining seating should be moveable itself. Also, you've got the benches under the table. It might be bench-seating overkill in that one space.

How often do you actually use the two chairs that are at the island? I ask because, if you were to get two stools that can actually be moved completely under the overhang but available for use when wanted, you would be able to fit a much larger dining table in that space, perhaps round or square, that could seat 8. Although I suspect you'd have to move the center of the chandy hang over the table, but that is not a huge deal to do.

Looks like you've got a another chandy in there, in the living area. So three areas with lighting hanging from the ceiling?

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Sun, Feb 8, 15 at 11:06

How about an oval table? The curved corners allow more more seating capacity. Something along these lines: see link

Here is a link that might be useful: oval pedestal table

oops. Okay, forget the round or square table idea. Didn't see that doorway there until I just now looked at the photo bucket pics.

So I'd look at oval pedestal. Has the shape of the rectangle to fit in that area but the curved corners for adding more chairs when needed.

Thank you Aktillery and Tibbrix:)
The challenge is that it is a small narrow space. Oval table is out... DH prefers rectangular. I'd love to have a round table if I had the proper room dimensions for it. Honestly, would be so much easier to move, lol, than deal with the wonky lay- out in this house. The joys of city living... Tall & narrow.

We do use the island chairs everyday... breakfast, reading paper, even a lot of dinners. We'd go for new chairs here too ( he's finding them uncomfortable now...), but still prefer something with a back.

There's the 1 drum light over the table and 2 mini pendants over the island.
I'd be willing to get rid of the boxes under the windows if we went to banquette seating. I think I'll slide them under the table today to give an idea of what it would like like....

We also had HVAC contractor in to look at removing that wall between kitchen & living as an option as we' re installing new hardwood anyways.
However, so much venting in here up to the next 2 levels. We could open it up @ 3 feet, but then we'd lose storage and spend $2k for a wider door.
I didn't think it made sense....

I think a corner banquette would look great and be a good use of your narrow space. It's hard to tell from pictures, but I think two lanterns in addition to your two pendants might be a bit much.

If you did the banquette, I think I'd put the built in bar/server on both sides of the fireplace, under the windows.

I'd refinish the table myself.

Jlc... I wondered the same thing about too many hanging lights in small space.
I just played around with banquette idea and not sure if L- shape will work unless we went with a very long table. ( existing is 78")
Everything becomes too off- center when removing the cabinet and pushing table up( I tried, leaving enough room for bench)

The more I think about it, maybe I'm better off to go with the bar area idea on the wall ( inspiration pic below) and get new chairs / table and forgo banquette idea. Ugh. Decisions!
The windows are too low to have cabinets placed there.

Or, something like this....

I took the benches under the window and moved them to get an idea of what a banquette would like. Mmmm...I'm not convinced.

Hi again...
My husband often looks at me and exclaims ' squirrel'! Yes, easily distracted and 'squirrelling' off in another direction:)

So... On to wallpaper!

Just watching 'House of Bryan' ( wow is all I can say... Quite a home)
They used Farrow & Barrows Lotus wallpaper in their dining room.

I'm not so sure about a banquette as I'm leaning toward trying to make this area ' less kitchen, more dining' space. Think I just might go with new table and upholstered chairs.

What are thoughts on this F& B paper? ( won't tell DH the price of it... He'll choke :). Might need to look for alternatives.
I could just do it on the 1 long wall. Or, do you think the pattern is too large scale for the space ?
Mind you, I did a large scale WP on 1 wall in my home office and love it.
Just at a loss of what I can do to change up this space...

This post was edited by lisa_mocha on Sun, Feb 8, 15 at 22:47

Scale on wall ( I'd be going with yellow/ beige shade)

You can improve the lighting for your dining room to have atmosphere and the perfect fixture and light output help achieve this goal,Make use of sparkle and flatter LED
lights.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jedlights low voltage track lighting

Hi all... Any thoughts on this sideboard? It fits the wall space perfectly. Just not sure if it's a little too ' heavy' looking. I would then go with a table with similiar stain color.

I can still go the built-in cabinetry route( ie bar area pics above), but of course, it's more costly. If I proceed with cabinets, do they have to be a match to rest of kitchen cabinets on the other side of the room?

I'm stuck on this and hoping to do a little scouting around this weekend.

Thanks for any feedback :)

Thanks Jlc. I like the sideboard as well...perhaps it makes sense to buy a piece that can be moved to another area if ever needed, rather than stationary cabinets. We currently have white beadboard style cabinet doors which will likely get updated one if these days. Would still go with white or off white, but in classic shaker style. ( we had to replace our furnace last week after it suddenly died! Boo!! There goes $ on ' non-pretty' things, lol)

Here are the existing cabinets...

Also posted a pic of open shelving ( don't know why pic is sideways??) available in 3, 5, or 6 shelf options. DH likes them, but likely hidden storage is best!

Love the F&B wallpaper, but will do a search for other ( hopefully less expensive) options. I guess if only doing 1 wall, it's not so bad.

Oh yeah, you could do white Shaker with your current cabinets. But I like the sideboard more! Plus, you could send it to me if you get tired of it :-)

The open shelves would personally drive me nuts, and you couldn't use them as a buffet or bar. They look like they're not adjustable? That would make them more challenging to work with.

I think I'm with you Jlc:)

I like the shelving, but I guess really not suitable for this area. I could suggest to DH that he could get for his home office:)

I'm leaning toward the sideboard (from Urban Barn) and I'll remember to send it your way should I move forward with it and change my mind, lol.

Don't really need the wine fridge, and once we invest in built-in, there's no going back vs moving a piece of furniture elsewhere.

I'm going to see is stain on the sideboard is close to Pottery Barn Toscana table. ( the Urban Barn table a little wide for our space)

We're also replacing existing hardwood, so will need to check all out with the hardwood options wer' re considering.

Now...onto wallpaper search... I promised hubby no flowers:)