I like it. It works with your rustic table and chairs and floor.

Post more pictures of the room as I think I'm not seeing it as you do.

In my opinion, it's not very attractive stone. What's on the other side? Could the wall be removed completely to open the dining/kitchen area up? Another idea would be to tear out the stone and replace with a lighter stacked (less busy) stone. That might please the hubby. Or, if it must stay, neutralize the dark busyness by painting it to keep the texture.

Yes, more pictures of the rest of the room would help.

Thank you all, this is my first post ever, so I'm thrilled with the response and help! Here are few more pictures. We cannot take down wall as other side is a ground-floor bedroom.

The little shelves are getting in your way of putting a nice large piece of artwork up. I would chip off the stone selves ( it can be done) and it will allow you to get creative with art. Click picture to enlarge.

its probably just facing rock that could be removed so don't let that hold you back if you are in agreement.

covering the center is great, it gets rid of the "worst rock".

Have fun with it, How about these guys painted in white;) It would add a modern element!

Wow those are great ideas!!! Thank you everyone -- I really like the whitewashing suggestion, and the idea to change the fixture is a great one! I will report back! Thank you for making my first post easy and you are so supportive!

good luck, and we want updates!

Limewash it.

Your kitchen is so pretty. Love the wood countertop with the white cabinets. Trust your own instincts...you have great taste! If the stone must stay, I like Mark's idea of chipping off the shelves and hanging a large framed piece of interesting art. Good luck!

I like it, it adds character. I agree with grinding off the shelves.

What is underneath that wall? A slab? A basement? That has to be at least 1,000 pounds of stone facing...you might consider taking it down if there is nothing special beneath it to support the wall. Other than the engineering considerations, I don't mind the stone at all - it blends well with your rustic table. I agree with the folks who are voting against the shelves & chook's idea to limewash it is inspired.

When the original homeowner installed a wood stove in my first house, they created a brick corner with a quarter-circle double-brick depth floor WITHOUT putting any supportive structure beneath (the floors bowed something awful). It was 3,000 lbs of unsupported brick. When we took the brick out the house creaked for days.

That was the ghost of the original homeowner.

I just used stone in my laundry room/ mud room back hallway. I really like your stone wall. I agree with removing stone shelves and lime washing the stone. I think it is the shapes of the stones that you don't like not the statement the wall marks in your beautiful space. Whitewashed will brighten the room, add texture and charm and downplay the vastly different stone sizes.

love the wall, just a bit too much of it. Recommend covering with similar pic with lots of white background/singular color splash in rectangular shape. (fruit/veggies with dew to add another element of Feng Shui). Maybe a couple black metal pendent lights over table, paint the chairs with black lacquer to tie bar stools into dining room and add a modern touch. These lights come in black...

lights

I know this is an old post, but we have a similar wall in our kitchen. The problem is the grout. Ours was professionally regrouted with black and it totally transformed the look.