My dining room and I am Lordhargrave

Do you live with Valerie M?

I am sorry for the confusion. I changed my email and signed on with a new name (I thought), now they are mixed up. I need Houz to delete my Lordhargrave and keep only the Valerie.

It might be a great to try a colorful rug, like you see here in our designs, and maybe try some fun lighting.

I am assuming the pic you posted is as walking into the dining room. Nice space especially the art. It's never going to feel like a big open dining room, so why not opt for that cozy table in the corner:

Get a simple moulding and install a chair rail all around the room about 42" off the floor. Paint a dark color below.

At the back wall, as you look into the room, install dark brown IKEA Lack shelves, wall to wall at 35" off the floor. The shelves are very simple and not too deep. Can be used for serving or displaying pottery, etc.

Hang wall sconces on either side of the art. Ikea has simple very reasonable wall lights that can just be screwed on the wall.

^ ^ ^ Ignore the side shelves and imagine the tv as your art

^ ^ ^ Or mirror behind the painting to double reflect the lighting from the chandelier

^ ^ ^ Or, if you are into wine, create a wine tasting room by installing multiple wine racks

There's nothing personal in that room. It looks like all the décor was bought at a décor store. Hang something real on the walls, something that means something to you, like a set of photos from travels in place of that very commercial abstract thing.

Tone down that chandelier put a dimmer on it. Nothing throws off a worse light than a single lamp in the middle of the room. Notice how harsh and flat the shadows are? Put up a couple of sconces or a lamp in each corner.

Actually the large painting is an original Yagarthua I bought personally from him. It is of Beaver Lake in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada. I really like your ideas. The IKEA Lack shelf and wall sconces or mirroring the wall. Thank you for your input, now I have something to think about. My home is filled with original art, so how this room turns out is important to me.

Love the Yagarthua! Not familiar with this artist, but will definitely look into his art.

I like the sconces for more intimate lighting and agree that the chandelier should be on a dimmer.

Chandelier is on a dimmer. If I use sconces the cords will be unsightly hanging down from them?

Hanging cords would drive most people crazy. I would use a cord cover straight down and call it a day.

I spelt the artists name wrong, sorry about that. It is YGARTUA

Your artwork is great and have great colors to pull from. My opinion:. You need some color to compliment your art. Pick a color from the painting on the far wall. Don't go with the main color of the painting. I see a lot of yellow and if you use that it will clash with the painting. Maybe blues?? Draw a color out and use that color on your chair seats, and I would paint the walls in this hue. I think if you make it cozy it will be more welcoming and accent your artwork. You can get picture lights to hang over your artwork, they have some that even use batteries. But electrical would be better. Could easily run the cord behind the wall to the outlet? Or Cover the cord by painting it the same color as the walls. Then a large colored glass or ceramic bowl or metallic, would look good. If then you decide to paint the chairs then do that last. Remove the table that is in the corner

Option 2. Far wall, raise the artwork a little higher and place a long glass shelf below the painting or a narrow glass sofa table, and use a couple of lamps on each end of the shelf. Then some colored boxes in the center. I prefer the above option. Just need color to cozy it up and compliment the artwork.

Thank you for correcting the spelling of Ygartua, the artist. I am loving his abstracts. Great depth of feeling and vibrant colors. My kind of art.

1. I would not paint the chairs. They look like nice wood. I'd recover them though in a different fabric, something with a little life in it that you enjoy. A rich velvety fabric that pics up a color of the painting or a casual linen look?

2. Are you opposed to painting the room? If not, consider something a bit brighter. What you have going on now looks drab and dower.

3. Do you need all 6 chairs out? Do you have room elsewhere in your house to place the two arm chairs on the end? I have a very similar dining set and have done so with mine. It has made the room feel so much more casual and usable to have only 4 chairs, arranged 2 and 2 across from each other.

4. Not in love with the glass pieces on top of the table. I would consider something more contemporary to contrast the stately vibe of the furniture.

Love the YGARTUA. I think the other colorful piece distracts from it. I would move it. Your table & chairs are traditional so I would give them an update. Maybe violet for the chair fabric. Tall live plants in the corners rather than the vase & Buddha, more modern centerpiecealso

I really appreciate the positive advice. It is always more difficult to decorate ones own space and I have never lived in such a tiny space before. You are all giving me the courage to make any of the above changes.

I would hesitate to paint the chairs because they should be sprayed professionally for a good finish. Recover the seats in something fun.

I agree with Kendrah, it would feel more relaxed if you removed the head chairs, great in a bedroom or study, and bring them out only when you need seating for 6.

What colour is on the walls?

Is there a full 3rd wall we aren't seeing?

Are you open to adding a blue colour on the ceiling, the turquoise or purple blue from the painting?

The 3rd wall has a fancy bi-fold door leading into the pantry. My back is to the kitchen which has white cabinets, Stainless appliances and a black with mica quartz counters. The other rooms have a very soft green and deep mulberry accents with all upholstery off white. All of the walls are painted the soft grey/blue. Ceilings are stipple so can't paint them.

The purple blue from the painting would be my choice of color.

I will not get rid of the furniture, but painting walls works for me.

Love your idea to recover the seat cushions on the dining chairs.

Use a color to tie in with the painting. There are several that would look great.

This would be fun!

Your original painting would look more finished if it had a floating frame. It's a very subtle look but really upgrades a canvas.

Have you ever tried the larger painting on the big wall and the smaller print on the end wall? Might be a better balance?

Both good ideas. I will switch the paintings and see what I think and can certainly make a shadow box frame.

I am not a fan of blue so do not want to play it up.

These are my colors

There is nothing like large colorful art! Seems like you are not afraid of anything.

If you decide to do the chair rail, stick with a contemporary moulding, like a simple half round and paint it the same color of the lower part of the wall. Deep mulberry or purple blue paint sounds delightful and sophisticated.

Or just paint the back wall as you enter a dark color -deep mulberry or purple blue. The citrus lime velvet seat covers - nice touch.

The seat covers color is exactly what I have to cover toss cushions in the living room along with the mulberry in my painting.. I painted the picture over my sofa along with many others in my house. The mulberry is the color of my master bedroom headboard wall. If I use that in the dining room would it be to much or just right?

I am afraid to paint the back wall a darker color with no window in the dining room or kitchen. All of the daylight comes from floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows in the living room.

A small dining room with no windows can be dull and depressing. I can see why you don't want to sit there. I would not try to make it something it is not. Instead play up the drama and intimacy of the space. I believe dark wall AND ceiling would be best and would actually make the room seem less small. BUT if you do this you must add more light. A picture light on your beautiful landscape with dark paint behind it will make it shine like a jewel. sconces and a floor lamp are other possibilities. I like your chandelier.

Because the ceiling is stipple and continues into other rooms it will have to stay white.

Denise's suggestion for deep mulberry walls could look sinfully rich!

I honestly think that the formality of the table contrasts with the cheeriness and modernity of the art -- recovering the chairs (maybe even in nonmatching colors!) could help with that, as would making your styling of the table more informal, whether that's a soft runner or a wacky bright centerpiece like somebody suggested. You don't have to go country or anything, but put a few things on the table that make you feel homey there, rather than like you have to be on your best behavior. Agree about things in corners too.

A mulberry back wall, more lights, remove the two armed dining chairs, add a more modern colourful table centre piece, remove other extra furniture in the room, reupholster the chair seats and frame the large painting. Wow, but I can do it. The tiniest room gets the most work. Anything else? I love the challenge and anything to make it all come together.

Oh man, the colorful chairs transform this space -- you should be able to avoid all the scary paint colors! :)

No more mulberry, you are right. The purple blue (towards a darker shade) or medium chocolate brown or taupe would tone down the dining table and chairs. My suggestion above with the simple chair rail would keep the existing upper portion of the wall the light color and create much needed details. A simple solution with bang for the buck.

Now that is fun. Are you suggesting not painting a mulberry wall and just do bright chair seat covers instead? Your picture looks great, thanks.

If I use the chair rail and paint the lower wall either taupe or purple blue and do one color chair seats or a variety of Colors. I don't want it to get too silly as I am liking your suggestions Denise as well as acm's. Taupe would blend well with the band of silver, black, grey, and white glass tiles in the kitchen. So many great ideas and of course I need to make the happiest choice.

ACM, could you resend the picture of the different color chair seats with the addition of taupe walls all around below a chair rail?

I love what you said there "I need to make the happiest choice"....it's so true of any decorating. Make sure that you have things you LOVE.

I'm wondering about replacing a painting with a mirror to reflect the one painting and expand the room....I think you need it here.

Can you take a photo from another angle? I'm wondering if you have room for a narrow shelf at sideboard height or a console table even.

I don't know if you're totally against the stripes suggested, but when I did my mom's dining room, rather than different colors, I simply used the same color paint, but did wide stripes in semi-gloss and flat, alternating. Once I taped it off correctly :) it came out really lovely.

This painting is wonderful. Future might be with a sofa that brings it forward to 2017 and beyond.

I will keep the furniture I have.

Seat cushions?

Yes there are several suggestions above about the new fabric for my dining room chairs

Just looking at the picture you posted I do love the room with the art! It is terrific I think! But I think the chandelier is too refined and frou frou for the room and is pulling your eye to that instead of the art. Maybe a fixture in black or white or brass with stronger lines? And round to soften the lines in the room and relate to the curves on the dining chairs.

I would lower the chair rail to about 1/5 the height of the wall, paint it white like the trim and then do the upper walls in a stronger color as was suggested above so that the art work rests on a deeper color; maybe navy, purple, apricot?

This angular chandelier will add light but not distract from the art work. Upholstery in velvet would add softness and deepness of color to relate to the art. Note that the walls, table runner, and dining chairs are all variations of teal blue the only color in the room and that the room is empty except for the table and chairs and intersting full table scape.

Thanks. White 1/5 the way up makes sense. I just have to find a color that relates to the rest of the house.

Oh no, no, no, do not add an area rug like the first poster suggested. That is so trite and overworked. Everyone seems to think it's a "cure all" solution. I suggest first of all, get rid of the ceramic piece that you have in the corner, and replace the chair seats with a bright print, which is quite easy to do...then see what it looks like, and go from there. You have a great space there, and a beautiful floor, so don't ruin it with a stupid rug that everyone thinks you have to have nowadays. It will be so much cheaper recovering your chair seats than spending time looking for the "perfect rug."

Thanks. I would never put a rug down as there are always big or little spills. I was thinking plain fabric on the chairs as a print, unless it was very small, would conflict with the art.

Just to clarify, painting the walls white and color from the chair rail to ceiling will accentuate your dining room table and chairs. The reason to paint the bottom a dark color is to soften the space and to direct focus on the art and upper half of the room. This will also blend in the chandelier with the lighter top half. By painting the wall against the chandelier dark, you will be back to making the room look small. (Did that make sense?)

Also the white bottom looks classic traditional/colonial. By your art preference, are you sure you want that?

Thank you so much for clearing that up. There is always a design reason for these things and that was one I did not think of. I think a taupe like my fireplace will help and keep everything blended.