I would remove one of the black leather pieces and get a chair or two. Remove the ties on the curtains, paint the room a deeper color. Use some different artwork.

I don't see a TV in this room so I'm guessing that is in another space? This room is then used for what purpose?

Paint your walls a gray to match the tile around your stove. Find curtains/panels and pillows that coordinate, match a paint color to them for the dining nook, this will tie it to the room and make it separate. Hang your curtain rods longer a foot than your window, so you can pull the curtains back over the wall and not your window; allowing more light comming into the room from the windows

This room is used as a living room, and overflow dining room. We don't have a t.v. in our main living space, it is tucked into one of the bedrooms and isn't used much.

Good! I dislike TV's in the main living room.

I love the breakfast counter it's really unusual.

So critiquing not criticizing.

With your space the first thing that hits me is there is no point of interest from the mid height up as it goes from very dark to non existent. The lighting disappears into the wall and the art work seems placed haphazardly. The built in is empty. The dining table is great but a bit large for the space. The wood stove well I'm sure it serves a purpose. The bar stools and the dining set are having a war.

Without spending money let's re-arrange things a bit. Take the large blue painting or the larger one between the windows and put it on the back wall in the dining area. Take the larger one that is in the dining room now and put it where the smaller one is. Put the smaller one aside. Hang these lower they should be no higher then eye level and can go even lower in a dining room as you are sitting in that room. If your kids won't disturb it put a large blue or purple bowl on the table.

Paint the bar chairs to match the cabinets or even purple or green. Between the windows remove the paintings. That corner could use a tall plant or a small tall table with a vase even a bookcase but something with at least 5 feet of height. Arrange your artwork by both sides of the door. On the built in add at least one item per shelf that pulls the colors of the pillows. The goal is to raise the eye up from the dark so lighter items with some reflectivity would be good. Simple items with uncomplicated lines work best.

Buy a lamp shade for the small lamp. the one on it seems to large.

Your curtains could use colored panels on the ends. I could see easily adding that plum/purple color to the ones that you have there already.

Give the suggestions a try and then see where things are from there.

My! is that the Santa Maria fabric cushions? nice... curtains aren't wide enough to cover the windows, or are you adding another panel? thanks for posting so we could see...!

Sort of wish you could add your white curtains within / inside the golden... :) but those are grommets...

Yes, they cushion fabric is Santa Maria! I've contemplated getting more curtains for the larger window, and switching out the silver rods for black/copper. Thanks for the comments:)

If you can afford it get two more panels for each of the windows. The drapes look skimpy and definitely don't "drape". This is a common mistake. Nice choice of color, though.