The chairs have very beautiful detail. you could try lacquering them in red or black. or you could reupholster them in a extremely beautiful fabric. You also need a different chandelier, and set much lower over the table.

If you're not afraid of color, find a multicolored rug you love. Use the main color as the paint color for the table base. Chairs can be painted white, black or a secondary color from the rug. Flea market or yard sale chandelier (larger, centered and hung lower) can be spray painted the same color as the table base or chairs or tertiary color from the rug. Recover chair seats in solid fabric.

Something like this would be a good starting place. Pull the gray or black for muted / modern / stark look. Pull the turquoise, rust or butter color for more whimsical look.

First I'd purchase a large piece of art for the wall, and a rug under the table.

Then re-cover the chair seats in an unconventional fabric that relates in color to the art and rug. You'll find a much larger selection in fabric than in art or rugs. http://www.wildchairy.com/

I'd leave the table as is. You could put a (much wider) bowl on the table, again in a related color.

Paint would be last, if you can repaint.

Gorgeous chairs! I would not paint the wood!!! Someday you'll regret it, or when you replace it someone else will regret that you painted them, as they have to now strip them!
The whole wide world of pattern & color awaits you! Change just the seat covers! I also like someones suggestion of choosing a lively area rug!

Any color fabric would work, but should coordinate with whatever you're going to do in the living room.

As it is now, the rooms are very monochromatic...use color to inject your personality into the place...even if the furniture is not your style, you can make the rooms into your home.

Maybe you should Nice seat cushion not sure what color but maybe you could do a black and white stripe seat cushion or maybe a brown to go with the chairs. Or you could paint the chairs yellow or bright pink.

Is it really that difficult?! wonder why people seek others ideas.. lack of creativity, aesthetic sense? You'd be much happier if you went by what you wanted. Anyhow.. here comes free and much needed input: agree about glass tops, horrendous, hard to maintain. Looks like an old man's house, the photo of the rug is amazing, something similar should help and bring an element of modernism, please re-upholster the chairs if you can afford it, some pop colour on them will bring the dead room to life, think fuchsia,purple, teal?! A marble table top would be good too, you could paint the chairs white or a light colour. Have fun!

Rug. Art. Upholstery. Light fixture. For a temporary, inexpensive fix, consider a large colorful bowl or vase and/or a beautiful table runner or tablecloth. Also, maybe fewer chairs? Congrats on the new place -- it's going to be lovely. Just take your time.

Really like the table and chairs. They are looks great in this space. Would prefer to leave them as is. Very interesting, did owner change them and how!

If you have some budget to change the color of the chairs and base to bring the natural texture of the wood and varnish in a non shiny finish I’d do that. Otherwise reupholster the chairs