I like the idea of painting the wall. But how would a piece of artwork look over the buffet. Would that too busy with the Rug?

This picture shows the look I was trying to achieve. But with a mirror instead of window.

Who doesn't like beachy? It's okay to like different styles but you can't have them all in your home. There's nothing about your furniture or rugs that has a beachy look. Maybe do a bedroom with that look.

Ah. Then yes, screw beachy entirely. Go NE traditional with blue-white exportware accents

I think the right piece of art could look quite beautiful and it would bring out the beautiful colors in the rug.

The rug is beautiful! Have you tried swapping the two rugs to see if that's a better fit?

I'm not a fan of accent walls. A wall of blue that dark will dominate the room and give it a heavy look.

Lamps for the buffet although this would look better with a smaller shade.

Inspiration pic.

I like the blue and white. How about this mirror?

Love the idea of art instead of the mirror.

Looking at your inspiration pix, this is a rendering of what could be to achieve a similar look in your space. A very ornate gold mirror, crystal/gold/white buffet lamps (or maybe sconces?) and a very, very expensive collection of blue and white ceramics :-) Check out this site for some similar arrangements, ceramics and inspiration too. But just in passing, this look requires a lot of white and gold and neutrals. I did like the navy wall but would want (in pursuit of this) to get you a fancier chandelier (or paint yours gold, add some crystal strands) and somehow get that kitchen to vanish. (shutters?).

You are fast! I think that mirror looks great.

I like a beachy look that combines nice antiques/rugs with more casual, worn out stuff. This is what you would find in an old Nantucket home, for instance. Families that have owned these homes for centuries fill them with what become antiques, but also almost never add new things or reupholster furniture. Everything looks expensive but worn out to the point where you feel totally ok sitting on the sofa with a wet bathing suit or tracking in sand. I would avoid overt beach references almost entirely, maybe with only the slightest not to a Ralph Lauren nautical look. Slight. As someone very descriptively said, no shells and aqua. But no rope either. You have a lot of new shiny lovely things, so I wouldn't add a single additional item (mirror, lamp) that didn't look like it had been around the block a few times. Inspiration pics to follow. http://houzz.com/photos/1325923

http://houzz.com/photos/84399

http://houzz.com/photos/11216249

And I think I too would like to see how swapping rugs would look, and I would consider linen slip covers (pale blue?) on the chairs http://houzz.com/photos/26678978 also sorry but the fake ficus makes it look more Bombay company (if you get that you are over 40!) and less elegant beachy.

http://houzz.com/photos/451467

These last two are from a cape cod home. http://houzz.com/photos/451462

Ok, so regarding the dining room wall, and assuming we are going for an elegant, lived-in, careless vacation-home vibe, I love all of the personality of an eclectic gallery wall. Like you have been collecting fascinating things for generations and had too many not to group. My favorite vacation homes have me so fascinated by the art and objects that I almost forget to look at the view! http://houzz.com/photos/382881

Greenfish has a point - eclectic items on a wall, etc... move it into a more informal vibe? I respond, but then read earlier [backwards isn't it?], and saw an accent wall which helped partly because kitchen is so neutral and dining also, that it became more - traditional looking? - add a versatile color like nautical blue...

Some houzz eclectic rooms are very cool - is that a piece-by-piece way more so?

The lamps are lovely, but I agree with other posters that they are too large for the dainty buffet. If you want to keep the lamps in this room, I would suggest you get some small round or triangular tables that will fit into the adjacent corners and relocate each lamp and table to a corner to flank the buffet. The neutral shades on the lamps do not stand out, so I would suggest shades in a neutral light blue that will harmonize with the navy blue in the print rug. As you know, blue also will add to the beach theme you want. I do like the idea of a large horizontal mirror, but I believe you should get one in a somewhat delicate silver frame -- perhaps with a vine design in the metal. A tea set, interesting large bowl in a color from the rug, or desk-top plaque with a nice verse or saying (in large enough letters) centered in front of the mirror may be a good choice to accent the buffet area.

If I were going to add an accent area, it would be in the whole kitchen, as that looks to be a distinct space. I don't think I'd go with that blue, though. Something more beachy and less colonial.

ok lighting two cents, take the chandelier down and paint it. it looks dated in the white, tho the style is fitting. you could go with a bold beachy teal or a flat black. but white is just blending away, and not tying in with your fancy mirror idea at all. If the table has a leaf, I would put it in to accommodate the grand fixture. otherwise i would consider changing it all together to tie into the beachy look. but like grover said, the rug would have to go. if you stay more formal both can work.

I agree with you- the pieces you have are too nice to start over. Yet, achieving a comfortable beachy vibe with them will be hard. Especially since your inspiration photo is bit too sophisticated to be considered beachy. This may be one of the times that a local designer would be helpful. It would be cheaper than getting rid of furniture and rugs that are clearly too nice a quality to be treated as disposables.

Yes I agree. I'm coming to that conclusion. I love all of these ideas and will share them with whoever I get locally. It's just too hard for me to mesh what is here with a beach vibe. Thanks to everybody that responded. It helps to get other opinions. And thanks to Houzz I have already returned the lamps and was saved from an expensive mistake!

Good call. In the meantime, we are here if you want to have some fun moving rugs! Don't forget to update us w your "after" pics!

is it the glass fixtures that you like ?

If you keep the large rug in the dining room, then I would go for lighter color for the dining furniture in a distressed finish.

This table would have more "pop" with the rug:

Great tray ceiling. How about painting it to draw more attention up?

Rugs have to stay. Add the blue & white China pieces between skinny tall lamps with bright gold lampshades & add the horizontal mirror with a gaudy gold frame or a lovely piece of art with lots of color in it. Make it oversized. Keep the rugs. I love the centerpiece of the table & agree with adding the leaves to the table. Maybe buy upholstered chairs for the heads of the table when it is turned the other way.

Do you think you might be able to achieve the beachy feel with a different color wall? I feel the yellow in the kitchen across from the blue/red colors in the rug don't give a relaxed feel. My sense looking at the room is more turned on-turned up, excited, rather than relaxed. It's the hues that can create the relaxed feel, if that is what you are going for. What about maybe a light blue or neutral gray for the kitchen and dining area to create that peaceful feel?
The rug is an exhilirating print, not exactly beachy vibe. You would need a different color or texture for that. (I created it in my master with white plus aqua.)

What if I replaced the rugs with seagrass rugs, but kept the furniture. Would it be possible to get a beach vibe that way? I could use the current rugs elsewhere.

With your current rugs and all your furniture that I see, you could easily do a British Colonial feel also.

Seagrass rugs would definitely add a beach vibe! If you do that than I would hang a coastal picture incorporating the blue and sand colors from the living room. Then chunky candlesticks on one side and a lamp or large glass vessel on other side. I would add some casual pillows (approx. 21 inches), and then maybe a rectangle one in a beach design on your couch.

A silver bowl fill with red apples. Dining table needs something too. Maybe a grouping of candlesticks in various size and shape, throw in color of rug too. Use about 5-7.

Have you thought of end chairs in a wing back with fabric. In navy blue. Your rug is very casual but room looks formal. Might try a Greek Key design, in a gold tone. Then use brass candlesticks. On tables

If using a mirror a small round one or a gold tone sunburst. Not big. Horizontal will not work.

Coffee table way to big. Go for one garden stool in white. Pier one or TJMax sells. Something over firepl a seascape. Are you renting this place out? If so may not to invest to much. But if living in it. Make some changes. You're right not very beachy, more grandma house. I would like to see living room arranged better.

Seagrass would work! I like the British colonial idea above, too, Lynn.

More beachy? Obviously (?) switching up the vase styling on console could help too, something more beachy. Drift wood and candles? Maybe a white runner or cloth on both console and table plus light seat cushions.

If you want to keep the rug and the furniture, think more Boson coastal than beach. The furniture is formal, so as suggested, the blue and white vases and bowls will fit in well. I would consider a different buffet, in a darkened (but still lighter than the other furniture) teak, that will contrast with your dark table and chairs. For the walls, between two brass buffet lamps (think candlestick), I would search for two "ancestor" prints, one a sea captain if you can find it, in ornate gold frames. You can find something on the Internet to print out, and the frames from a consignment or thrift store. Something from the pre civil war period. Take a color from the rug for any drapery, if there's no window, drape the doorways into the room. If there's room, one or two corner cabinets for China. I'd get something in brass for the chandelier. The rug is gorgeous, and will fit in anywhere. I wouldn't worry about it being too big, better too big than too small.

you have a costal traditional look going, not a "beachy" look. I would start looking at Nantucket, cottage coastal i think it fits your vibe better. sea grass rug, canvas slip covers. airy light paint... etc..

Ha crazy idea/ speaking of coastal, do I spot a bit of seafoam color in your rug? What if that color were used more [even in palest color on ceiling?]

In the living room, set the vibe with a painting of boats, coffee table books about the sea, a basket of shells....

I think if you take one of the lamps off of the table and put it on another table at the other end of the room. Move your lovely plant right up to the original table on the same side of the lamp. Will make a big difference and you can still get the mood lighting but spread out rather than one place.

Hey please tell how it's going? :)

This what I ended up with.

I like your room - the hand-painted stripes, and similar 'brushed' look of the art behind... good for the appetite!? :)