Ugh meant to attach these too

You need a buffet on the wall with the leaning picture tower. I am not sure why you think you need something near the window - where you have the chair. Possibly some new curtains. Is that black chair staying?

I had planned to move the black chair upstairs but could leave it. I like a but sunnier and bright decor.

Yes, the black chair can go.

First I would look for a rug. Make sure it is 2' wider all around than the table. Choose a color from the rug for the walls. Lower light fixture so that it is about 30" off table. Cannot see windows but it looks like panels on each end would work. A buffet or console table on wall opposite windows. Move the shelf unit to left of French door to balance radiator. Get rid of black chair, folding chairs and tray table. You don't fill up a DR, you need space to move around

I would also put a buffet with a large piece of art, possibly a canvas on the wall with the ladder shelf. Find an area rug you love with a great print or pattern to be your inspiration for paint color, curtain panels, and art. Right now you have too many little things in the room (furniture and pictures) that don't really relate to each other that's making your space look cluttered and unfinished. Take everything but the table and chairs out and start from there. Maybe a more dramatic chandelier? Love your French doors by the way

Built in Buffet along that wall, the radiator gives an old world feel which is why i suggested a built in. I cannot see what kind of light you have but you need one and it needs to be 30 to 34 inches above the table. If you do not have a rug or cannot find one, my go to colors for dining rooms is rust colors, they say they open up the appetite!

Everything in your dining ideabook is mid century modern. So take everything out of the room except your MCM table and put all the chairs around the table. Look for a mid century modern sideboard. That's all the other furniture you need in this space.

You've saved the Nelsen saucer lamp in your ideabook; that would be a good choice for this space. And you need new curtains. A colorful piece of art over the sideboard would look great, but if you want to use your photos, they need to be better arranged. Send the wedding photo to a more private area of the house, and send the ladder shelves to craigslist so someone else will have the pleasure of writing a Houzz dilemma asking what in the world they should do with these things.

Thanks so helpful! Only thing is I will need to color match my living room as there is an open archway connecting the two, with rug or wall colors but that should not be too hard.

Another plan is eventually to open up that wall across from the window into the kitchen and have an island there. So I didn't want to invest too much in furniture there but it could be a while before we do that.

As for the photos I had no idea how to arrange, but I could move them to the hallway also. I do like the look of many eclectic framed pieces on one wall.

Also yes I'm going for MCM style primarily but also house is from the 20s.

I prefer one large piece as a focal point for a dining room. You may check these out:

http://www.houzz.com/projects/1295077/art-original-abstract-paintings

With a single canvas print:

Grover, you are so talented and so funny!!!!

Your trim. It looks like white in one room, and a dark color in the dining room. Is this correct? What color will all of your trim(windows, doorways, baseboards) be?

groveraxle those mockups are great! Is that a software you use? I'd love to have something to play around with. I love this photo arrangement!

Also: it makes me think I really want to change that wall color. It's so old parchment paper, makes me feel dreary. I'd love to try out something else in such a software. I've tried those paint apps but they mainly don't work well.

shirlpp: Yes, the sunroom is all white and it's ok to me because it's clearly a sunroom addition. Dining room and rest of downstairs is dark stained wood. I'm ambivelent about it but at this point trying to make it work; like the classic look of it.

Erica, I use Photoshop Elements which is not as powerful as Photoshop, but has a fairly serious learning curve. I've heard there's a free program called Gimp and have seen some renderings done with it that look great, so you might give it a try.

I wondered if you might want to paint the dining room. It looks a little dingy in the renderings, but color on a monitor is hard to assess.

Your room in two whites:

Now i wonder what about a colored wall. Also, the greyish tone may not go well with the dark brown trim (?). Don't want the room to look dark, but also don't want dingy!