Cindy, congrats on your new home. The red wallpaper is wonderful, but it means the room wants more lighting. I love the way your piano works against the red but can see you are struggling with layout (i have a piano too so I know ... ). I think the best of french country is on the rural side rather than the formal side .. here, we might let the red paper be the most "FRENCH" thing about the room and build on your traditional and transitional pieces.

The first thing I would try is to shift the long table farther away from the sitting area - not to worry about the chandelier being in center. If the china cabinet sat in the entry hall, could you rotate your sofa so its back was to the dining area and have room to walk around it? That would allow you to use the bay for a pair of chairs and not lose that architecture . but also connect the view to seating, and potentially the piano more to the gathering space ..

I'm confused about their gold draperies with the white trim / ivory ceiling details .. let me ponder those .. and I want to be sure what colors I am looking at . the sofa color you would describe as . . soft pewter/green undertone gray? charcoal and white print chairs / charcoal slipper chairs (with red and white pillows?) . .

IMO too much red to be considered Country French

Here is the link:

http://www.rugknots.com/collections/modern-ziegler-rugs/products/ap9-1-12-320

I wouldn't buy a rug that didn't have some red in it .. . but lighter would be helpful. Let me look over on overstock

Here are some great image links that I think would help you. Follow the link to lots of pictures in the house .. .

My Houzz: French Country Meets Southern Farmhouse Style in Georgia · More Info

A large framed print for the hallway wall would definitely help. With that Victorian red wallpaper, I'd be tempted to go for something overtly romantic like Bouguereau:

I think the flowered and striped chairs work just fine in the room. I'm not convinced of the tailored solid ones though. Their shape feels too modern to me.

I think new curtains and a new rug in the sitting area are all you really need, and I do think the striped chair must go. It and the current rug are muddy looking.

I'm having trouble judging where the china cabinet is in relation to the seating, but I suspect Libra has the right idea about moving it to the dining area. And you definitely need some lamps, especially back by the piano.

Since you are working with gray, and red, I do think you will want to add more gold into the mix for warmth and to help balance the red .. dijon / warm yellows are great with gray and white too . . .. here is one rug (probably a bargain for what it is but I went to search for real wool - if you are going to buy a rug, you might as well have it last) http://www.overstock.com/Worldstock-Fair-Trade/Oushak-Hand-knotted-Gold-Ivory-Wool-Sari-Rug-9-x-12/4342506/product.html?refccid=7JKJFPQE23DKAY2CBQAOEVIU7E&searchidx=49

The white white of the trim bugs me - I would like to see it go to a navajo white sort of tone (gold undertone white) and get something like the wall color in the french country meets southern farmhouse room on the ceiling surround that is sort of ivory now - it doesn't give enough contrast to the white for me, and it clashes with all the white white trim below .. . two great new rugs would do a lot for you here . but you will want to work out the color palette before you go too far in any one direction.

groveraxle -

The dark, dark of the china cabinet against the dark red wall makes me want to place it (if the hall has sufficient width) in the entry hall centered on the opening to the living space . it will have contrast back to the lighter wall there . . can display pretty things in some proximity to where they will be used . .. and will visually extend this room. ..then we could do a large / tall piece of art like Jennifer posted where it sits now . . otherwise I want to ask if Cindy is amenable to chalkpainting it .. . which is a big commitment. I also need to know if one of the smaller pieces is chalkpaintable . . one additional annie sloan sort of finish on an existing piece would advance the french country feel here . .

A few rugs and a good sized Cezanne:

Ah, libra, this is why you are the color guru.

Here are some Country French rooms that use red. Counrty French takes a big commitment to pull this off. Check rooms by Charles Faudree from Tulsa, OK.

You could also look into re-upholstering the chairs, perhaps the seats/backrests in a white with a subtle gold pattern and light gray armrests, and a white with gold accent coffee table, I'd go a bit more ornate on that. Good luck!

Here's another couple of inexpensive approaches to tie in the gray and red using golden tones. Yes, art ( I would start with some new things in creamy painted frames so they contrast with the red walls) in a structured hanging like my first post on the piano wall. Yes, rugs - . .add honey tones there . . Since this is your main room, we have to decide how formal you want to be .. but again, honey tones .. . I would worry less about what the kids will do to this stuff than to having the room feel happy .. For french country, you need some toile - and some pattern layering . .and eventually drapery at both windows . .

the toile can be sort of modern. What if you had someone make you simple slipcovers for your chairs with long gathered skirts in this red on cream toile . as your first step . . there is a great post here on formal dining slipcovers i will find and post badk for you . http://www.calicocorners.com/p-2266-sakari-claret.aspx

That is going to bring more light to the room. For furniture, I would suggest that you move the charcoal chairs to the master bedroom. Look for an antique brass bottomed / marble topped coffee table. Recover the armchair with stripes and the matching print chairs .. possibly with gray and gold prints that are interchangeable .. back with fabrics for that . .

here are some good recovering fabric options - since the walls are red, concentrate on dijon and gray in the new layered prints for the living area . . . . . here are two that appear to coordinate with each other and your sofa tone

https://beautifulfabric.com/asccustompages/products.asp?fpage=1&productid=8062&storeid=39 (upholstery grade but the more delicate of the two - smaller print best on the smaller chairs - a classic lattice) the red and cream pillows will still sit against this . .

here's the print for the armchair . .these buttery fabrics with the pale gray against the red walls will make a positive difference - https://beautifulfabric.com/asccustompages/products.asp?fpage=1&productid=8060&storeid=39

[your sofa is very refined . . not very country rustic put some buffalo checks next to me - so I picked these coordinating fabrics to help tie the remaining three chairs together] They don't preclude the use of the charcoal ..

What if you mounted the wrought iron hanging on a board behind it that was painted in chalk paint and then antiqued . .it could be a simple piece of 1/2" plywood if you iron wood tape over all the visible edges .. paint it with a camel toned gold . . sw blonde comes to mind .. this could be a simple diy and if your husband is good with a router, he can cut the board out just 4" larger than the outline of the wrought iron in the same shape . . paint it without primer so the grain comes through . . .then wipe it down with a simple non-red / brown . . maybe pecan sort of stain . .you could dry brush just the edges with more . . you are just trying to get that corner to have light and the wrought iron to have contrast . . making a new backdrop for it so you add more gold, and so you can see it against the dark wall ..

If you used just a little of one fabric that combined red and gold - something like this - (crypton - so indestructible) maybe on the piano bench top? http://www.calicocorners.com/p-7781-addlestone-crypton-home-cassis.aspx

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/french-country-formal-sitting-dining-room-help-needed-dsvw-vd~3725219[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/french-country-formal-sitting-dining-room-help-needed-dsvw-vd~3725219)

(I answered one of your other duplicate posts above. Only need to post once in the future; just be patient as it doesn't load up immediately.)

Here is a blog that highlights several of the many varieties of slipcovers . . http://www.hollymathisinteriors.com/2014/06/slipcover-heaven/ since your walls are dark, all your upholstery needs to be mid tone or lighter to really add to the space . .slipcovers are an economical way to approach that . . look also here https://www.facebook.com/LSSlipcoversBedding - just one post down - the next two show the sort of slipcover look you could have in the dining room in toile . .

if you relocate the charcoal chairs, and recover / slipcover the others .. add art, lose the dark rugs altogether .. add one great rug for now in the living room . . watch overstock for something under 1000, real wool, gold background, traditional or french sort of pattern . . maybe a little maroon or red detail in it . something good will pop up over the next 8 weeks . .

also - consider how you can take red touches from here into the kitchen (red linens and teakettle?), maybe move some pillows from here . . . hope we helped you find your way. .

zzmom, yes red is Country French, but all the rooms you posted have red on the furnishings and not on the walls. Red Toile is very French.

Beverly I know but I felt they would give a good example of all the mixed patterns...and I think they all would look beautiful with red walls anyway..I actually think you posted one of the same rooms...great minds think alike :)

Love red toile! I was hoping the pictures would help her maybe decide to move the dark chairs to another room...and bring something with more red and a more French pattern before she invested in a rug and more accessories just to try to make them work.

Your china cupboard and sofa are on the same wall and I think it makes the long room off balance. I would try putting the grey solid chairs in the window bay and the sofa opposide them to bring weight to the other side of the room. Add tables between the chairs in window with lamp and end tables on either end of sofa. Maybe French white end tables to lighten room with having to paint more wood. I would put the patterned chairs on either side of piano to have a seating area by piano for the teacher to teach and parents to list but to also be a reading area on that side of room.

To lighten the china cabinet I would put white pottery on top for more height and also put white/cream linen fabric/paper in back of hutch and turn lights on in hutch all teh time for brightness in room.

Add two tall plant stands with green asparagus ferns, etc in the far corners of the dining room. Lastly I would do a check curtain in cream on cream or grey and white check curtains floor to ceiling.

Check curtains white painted wood furniture; ie end tables.

warmington north · More Info

White painted furniture, pairs of large art on trend now

Arcadia French Country · More Info

Pair of plants in corners, ornate country french chandelier would be great and add physical lightness and more French Country into the room.

sunroom · More Info

Might bring in ideas that do not need alot of work such as painting cabinet etc,

Your chandy is too high. I do like the rug better with the red.

Cindy - you have gotten a lot of input - specific and general, in photos and words. What of this seems to suit you? Remember there are things you can do in phases. Give us a little feedback on what may or may not be possible given your room / hall dimensions and your own preferences. .. we'll keep triangulating until we find things that work for you. Here's another artist to consider - look at art.com under fine art for Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida - you can get prints or canvas prints of Cezanne, and many other fine artists there.

I agree with @soosun 2 on sofa placement. I love the cabinet both colors.

I always go for the art first. I'd look for a very large piece for the wall beyond the opening--something I wanted to look at every day--and key off that for the rest.

I love that,very inviting.

So pleased that just shifting things around made you feel happier ..

This one?

The Skipping Rope Canvas Print / Canvas Art by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida · More Info

Orchards.

Classic and elegant

Since your table has a crystal element, consider a footed bowl that you can just keep long running fruit in . . apples, etc. Think about creating a cezanne still life on your table - take off the runner, let the crystal shine, and add pretty things.

If you go to art.com, you will see many joaquin sorolla y bastida art pieces . .. a fine artist, now printed on canvas or sold as giclee prints that you must frame. Every painting should have a little red . . and golden tones from straw to ochre will help you too. You do want to focus on certain color combinations in your art for a time . . and then branch out . .

Hello extravagant luxury! Beautiful space and you have many wonderful suggestions! We love the French Country / Provincial look. Here are a couple of rugs from our European Rug Collection. Warm regards, Esmaili Rugs & Antiques.

73268 06'00 X 09'04 Antique French Savonnerie