here are more pictures of the space!

you will notice that the chandeliers are (1) too high and (2) off-centered. i'll be hiring someone to fix that soon. i'm also saving up to get the room painted and replacement for the curtains ☺

as i've mentioned, the dining table placed this way will make the "route" from the front door to the kitchen door less straight, but having removed the sitting area and transferred the small table and dark chair there makes the room more spacious. i may have to buy a buffet or something like it to "fill" the space up. again, your inputs will be much appreciated!

I have to go, but just looking at your photos, I love the new setup!!!!! Will have a better look later, but from what I can see now... great!

thanks so much, carolins! goodnight (from my part of the world!)

Looks much better Rosa!! The areas don't look so "tight" anymore. Don't forget to give us a sketch! You're getting there. I wonder if you'd consider a sisal or jute rug in dining area, I like the more open space without a colored area rug. Not too sure about the ghost chair at the table, it's a little too ghostly, as if it wasn't there! Keep it up!!

thanks, mforr! wouldn't have gotten here without everyone's help!

i have been looking for a sisal/jute rug, although the size rug that i would need isn't readily available where i live. rugs here are notoriously small! plus, if i get the size rug that i need, that might impair the "pathway" from front door to kitchen door.

here are the chairs i'm thinking of purchasing for the space (i've asked the seller to take pictures of all four chairs, only one is really damaged) and the "final look" that i'm hoping to remake the chairs into.

i do agree that the ghost chair didn't even seem to be there (i had a hard time taking a pic of it even!)

thanks in advance for more comments from everyone!

Love those chairs!!! Great choice. If the rug doesn't have a border or fringe you might be able to have them join two together. Actually even with fringe if its joined side to side and not end to end. Take a look at different small ones and see if any if them doubled might work for your space

I really like the chairs that you have found

Right, I'm back. Not bedtime yet here (it's 7 p.m.). And I'm so glad it does look much better this way. Less rigid. I also like the blue rug in the seating area. The ghost chair is a bit too invisible, but I do like the chairs you found.

I do prefer the dining area to be without rug, if the other option is a small rug. mforr's idea of getting two of the same rugs and putting them next to each other is a good one, but the rugs have to be without borders. Hmm... difficult one.

And I think you need some art on your walls to give your space even more personality. I really like the atmosphere in your home. It looks very inviting.

(If you're getting new curtains one day, hang them as close to the ceiling as possible and let them just about touch the floor. Both curtain rods at the same height. Thought I'd bring that up, because you mentioned getting new curtains and I noticed these are a tiny bit short and could be closer to the ceiling.)

Hi carolins, I thought maybe she could join two jute woven rugs together. They could be joined by an expert or even duct taped together from the back by rosa, if she has a big upholstery needle she could even sew them with jute twine!!

mforr, yes, that would be a great option :-)

It might be the only way to deal with an off size rug need. Rosa, I'll have to look at your drawing later. I'm on my iPhone and can't see the whole thing, when I expand picture it only lasts a few seconds, very annoying!!

I meant to say off size rug need without having a rug cut to your specifications.

thanks mforr and carolins for your help!

great eye carolins for seeing the curtains hung wrong. it was my first attempt at hanging curtains (done years ago), and i actually had no idea about height and what nots. as you may have probably guessed, i hung the one in the living area first so i was just concerned about hanging it higher (not thinking about the hem) and when i was about to do that for the dining area, i realized hanging it that high would mean the bottom part of the sliding doors would be showing so i hung them low. so, yup, hanging the RIGHT curtains from the proper height is next on the agenda - will probably do it around the same time i get the walls painted as the painters can fill up all the holes and do the drilling for me.

the chairs aren't that expensive (around US$37.50 each) but having them repaired, repainted, and reupholstered will cost me around US$45 each. with all the other expenses going on (just bought the couches and had the table and louis chairs revarnished and reupholstered) and planned expenses (painting + new curtains), i[m thinking of postponing the chair repairs and just getting slipcovers for the seat first. of course, the cane backing of one is destroyed, so that chair might have to hide out somewhere as well, haha. i will be on the look out for a plain jute/sisal rug that i can join together although, wouldn't that impair the path to the kitchen door? your thoughts please!

thanks again everyone! it's so much easier doing this with other people helping me out!

thanks for the compliment on the chairs, Genevieve! i actually fell in love with them as well when i first saw them!

I suspect reupholstering these chairs is something you can do yourself. Not that I have ever attempted do something like that myself I hasten to add, but if you can lift up the seats and remove the old fabric, you can lay them upside down on the fabric of your choice and staple the fabric to the back. There are tutorials for that on the internet. Should be quite easy to do. Worth checking out. They won't have the cute skirts, but my personal opinion is that those will make them look formal again anyway. A funky fabric would be my choice.
Restoring the cane back is another story. So if you want to save that look, you'd probably have to depend on a professional.

One of the tutorials I found:
http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/slideshows/nesting/save-chair-campaign-recovering-your-not-so-attractive-dining-chair/

thanks for the link, carolins!

i will have to check how the chair is constructed (whether i can lift up the seat or not) to determine if i can do it myself. for now, i may have to do slipcovers (to match my couch?) until i can afford to have the entire thing fixed.

the caning is supposed to be easy (it's a project that male high schoolers in my country used to learn in school) so this weekend, i'm checking out if i can find caning available and will try it out myself :)

Haha... really? See, and there I was, thinking the easy part was covering the seats with a piece of fabric. Chuckling... I'm sure you'll bring these beauties back to life. Would love to see the result, so keep us posted please.

oh i will. i plan to check out the chairs in real life this weekend, and go to a place where i can probably buy sisal/jute rugs. i'm still on the fence though about the rug underneath the dining room table/chairs cause of its location. i'm looking forward to hearing what mforr will be saying about the (poorly-made) floorplan and what other changes can be made. thanks again!

Wonder what I'll say? Hope it's good!! I finally took a look at sketch in a full size, I do think that what you have done now is a pretty good set up. What does the area with one step up with a rail lead to? Is it to bedroom and bathroom area? Is the area with the rail open? Can I see a picture of that wall or is it exposing too much of your life? I certainly don't want to intrude.
I'm glad to hear that you think you can can cane the chairs. I was going to tell you that some companies sell the caning in sheets in different patterns, van dykes's restorers is one. Here's a picture

I have to agree with carolins, I would have thought the upholstery was easier! I would be very intimidated by the caning.

Maybe I'm just being overly positive with the caning, hahaha!!! The area on the other side of the rail leads to the rooms and is just in major disarray so I haven't had the heart to take pictures yet (not that the rest of my space is anywhere near being neat or clean!) I will take pictures soon though!

That's ok, I feel the same way, when I send pictures, they're usually ones I took during construction or ones that I know don't look too too bad. I wonder if van dykes will mail to your location? Of course it sounds like you might be able to buy pre caned panels there. I don't think it's such a big deal to walk on area rug to get to kitchen, but if it feels strange to you, would you consider a large rug that goes from sliding doors to railing wall? It would include the dining area and the little one chair nook in corner? In that case you wouldn't be walking on edge of area rug, just straight across it. Still in a sisal or jute. Maybe a 10x12 ? Or 9x12? It might be easier to have a piece of carpeting cut and bound, or if you can't find that size or are unable to have it cut, you could join two 6x9 rugs side by side. Let me know what you think

Carolins, I'm not very interesting to follow, I don't have any profile or idea books! I'm an enigma, inside a mystery, wrapped in a riddle! ;)

Parsons Chairs would give the dining area a more modern and streamlined look. I am guessing you are in Latin America? THe furniture is also very popular in the Middle East. Here are samples of parsons chairs from Overstock.com Also I would like to see the couches etc. without the furniture covers.

mforr, but you're also a very nice person. And I only follow friendly people ;-)

Aww, shucks. Thank you, carolins.

hi joansahmed! i will take pictures of the couches without the furniture cover this weekend (when i finally tidy up) and wil take pictures of the open hallway as mforr requested.

and to answer your question, i'm from asia ☺

mforr - i'm thinking it might be more expensive to have the pre-made caning shipped to where i am, as opposed to having the chairs re-caned, reupholstered (for the seats) and re-stained/painted. labor is pretty affordable in my country ☺ so far i've just worked on looking for possible repair shops online, but there are a couple in my neighborhood which i'm hoping will be cheaper.

i'm checking the chairs out this sunday (hopefully the shop is open!) and if i like them, hopefully they'll fit in my SUV! i'm excited to get them already, haha!

thanks for more suggestions! keep them coming!!!

Dear mforr and carolins (and the others who have joined this conversation)

just a bit of an updated:

1. i have checked out the cane back chairs in person and they seem to be more worn out than i bargained for. so while i can have them repaired, i'm thinking of just waiting till i find THE chairs (i guess i'll know when i see them) rather than getting "for now" chairs. after all, no one really eats in my dining area - most of the eating happens in the kitchen.

2. money that i was expecting to come in finally arrived and i will be having the whole area painted (finally!!!). i will also be able to get the chandeliers moved (so they will no longer be off center, yay!). so here goes - ANY COLOR SUGGESTIONS? yay!!!

3. after the new paint goes up, then that's when i'll be looking for new curtains, and possibly a rug for the dining area, as well as art for the wall. for now, it's all about paint.

looking forward to hearing from everyone!

Hi Rosa, smart of you to just wait until you find thé chairs. Shame these weren't in good condition. Ah well...

Regarding colour choices, it's easier to match paint to curtains and rugs than the other way around. Just a thought for you...

However, if you're set on painting first, you could pick a colour from the floor tiles. They have beautiful warm tones in them and will make a good neutral colour for your walls I think. A warm light grey for instance, or...

thanks for the suggestion, Carolins. Unfortunately, where I like, paint is almost always "custom" in that you show the painter the color you want, and he tries to mix it for you, and you sort of have to figure out whether you'll live with it or not. i have been trying to find a huge rug, but the one i found (that fits my budget) is this army green color, and i can't imagine myself living with it, so i passed. i'm thinking since everything i own is neutral as of now, the color is something i can go wild on, and then everything else i can hunt for eventually.

the floor is made of marble, and the adjoining space (hallway, which i have yet to take a picture of) has wood parquet tiles. so everything's a neutral. anything goes then when it comes to paint color selection!

Rosa, perhaps you can find colour inspiration for your walls on the Design Seeds site. You can mix a colour that you like and see what other colour will look good with it.
http://design-seeds.com/index.php/search/category/global

thanks for the recommendation!

this may be cute........... http://www.mattblatt.com.au/Replica-Dining-Chairs/Replica-Philippe-Starck-Louis-Ghost-Armchair-Chair.aspx?p1571c0

oooh. thanks giniaginia. where i live, we only get the clear ones, and when i tried it, it basically disappeared :(

more

thanks! i like the shell chair, although i'm not sure how it would look with the house.

hi carolins and mforr. i still don't have chairs for the dining table, but they've finished painting the walls and i've gotten new curtains, so i just want to share how the space looks like now. i've hung the rods higher, and the chandeliers lower. i also have a mirror that i'm waiting for my carpenter to hang, but i think i'll "rest" for a bit, before getting more stuff for the space :)

Hi, Anthip!

Thanks for your comments!

Yes, the table cloth is a tad bit too short. i got the longest that was available and that was it. i will try to look for a bigger round table cloth so it will cover the legs entirely (they're metal and i don't really like them that much, haha).

I changed the orientation of the dining table (crosswise instead of lengthwise) so i can't really accomodate two chairs there anymore. I think it'll be too cramped. but i'm still thinking if i should get a hutch or something in the area where i can put plates and stuff so i'm keeping it as is for now. I'm trying to live with the space and figuring out how i can make it better. And saving money too, haha! right now, my bank account's been drained, LOL.

So that means I haven't gotten any chairs yet - and when i have guests, i just pull in what i've got, including the folding chairs from the kitchen. I guess i'm making do for now. I don't want to rush into getting chairs (they're kinda expensive, boohoo) and then regretting them later on. I'm hoping to fall into an amazing deal miraculously and find chairs that will go with the space perfectly. I am also contemplating on doing a Boy Abunda and just asking my friends to donate chairs, haha.

Surprised you don't like the lamp in the living area. Usually, it's the one with the most number of fans. Maybe the lighting's bad (took pics with my BB only). But thanks for the compliments :) and thanks for the suggestion about color. Yep, i think i've overdone the neutrals and will need to start finding something with color. Plus i need stuff on the walls. I'm majorly in love with William Yu's work but can't afford them... :( now THOSE have lovely colors.

will update you if i do something more to the space :)

William Yu does some interesting stuff. I'm loving Carlos at the moment. Far more affordable (although still very expensive) but you can get some of his work in prints. He and his daughter are very accommodating.

You're right, I can't see the living room lamp too clearly so I am sure it's lovely. I agree with you on the price of chairs. Ridiculous. I'm saving up at the moment for some stools I saw at the LRI Design Centre on Nicanor Garcia. Expensive but gorgeous.

i read somewhere to "buy well, buy once" so I'm trying to keept that in mind, as a reminder not to buy something just cause it's cheap, but also as a justification to buy the more expensive things that I like, haha.

The lamp that you like (white with holes) I got on a bargain - Php290! ☺

That is total bargain! Where from?? I need to go to Divisoria as I've never been there but heard good things.

Uniwide :) it's my secret shopping place. (ssshhhh!)

here's a pic of the living room lamp (defensive, haha!) i feel the shade is a bit too small, but for now, it'll do. expensive to get a shade customized.

Not heard of your top secret place. Will look into it. The lamp does look like it's a lovely colour. Is that pale lemon? You're right - I think a cylinder shade would make it look more in proportion. Perhaps you could bring some yellow into the room if that is yellow?

[houzz=]

[houzz=]

And then some coral perhaps as accents? Like a coral fabric for the lamp shade? Would be a lot of fun. Custom lamp shades are pricey. I only found one place and that was really pricey.

Hi Rosa,
I love what you've done with the stacks of books. Brilliant idea. The curtains are nice, less formal looking than the ones you had. Lovely and light. Chandelier is better too
Did you get new furniture for your seating area? It looks really nice. Or did you just remove the protective covers? And I love the chest! You're really good with the small touches. Those pillows are beautiful too. I agree with anthip about the tablecloth (great that you can share shop-ideas).
And I really like the garden stool next to the chair. An unexpected combination that also makes it less formal.
One good day you'll find a nice piece of art that you can hang on that wall and that will be the finishing touch.

Thanks for keeping us up to date :-) Your house is really starting to look like your home. Cozy and comfortable with really nice personal touches. Love that.

I suddenly thought 'bench' for your dining table. Did we explore that option? Not sure. Hmm.... I'll think about it some more ;-)

Hi, Carolins!

I think someone suggested bench, and considering the new arrangement, it's one of my options too, since there's not much space between the armchair and the table.

same sofa, just removed the protective covers a.k.a. old sheets, hahaha.

Thanks for your kind words :)

Beautiful transformation.

thank you marybyrne for the compliment :)