I think the proportions of that piece simply don't work in that space. It would, however, make an awesome conversion to a bath vanity if you took off the top mirrored section. If you have a small bath you'd like to remodel, use it for that and find another piece for that space. Some fun furniture conversions for bathrooms:

While I can envision a few ways to approach this, in no case would I stay inside the 40" of the buffet. What do you use this space for?

Doesn't look like you have room for that piece or the other piece if you add a table to your dining area. Don't place a picnic table in the house. A folding card table and tour chairs would work in this space.

Those pieces are better in a bedroom IMO.

@hollybar: we keep our dog's pen here. They can't stay outside when we're gone, we don't have a doggie door, and they prefer having a pen rather than run of the house. I'd prefer a table here but our furniture are my husband's family pieces; there is no convincing him that some can go into storage or be moved on to someone else. Sore spot all around.

@beverly: we don't need a dining table (we don't entertain either); the picnic table (a family piece) is my craft table in a bedroom.

@sabrina those are beautiful reuse ideas. Unfortunately we don't need a vanity and my husband would die if I suggested the idea. This was his grandmother's buffet and unfortunately it will follow us for the rest of our married life.

As much as I love antiques, and we have quite a few beautiful pieces I would not want to part with, there are some I am ready to find new homes for. This is one of them.

@holly: when I take the top off, the piece is 36" H x 40" W. I have 4'10 H to work with. Perhaps with this change I can work within the 40 in width and use the height added height?

Because you must leave the buffet there, embrace the idea of family for this room. Do you have some fancy embroidery or a quilt made by a relative? Figure out how to display them here. Or do you have pretty plates that you could hang? (If you don't you might find some at a resale shop.) Alternatively, do you have photos of grandparents or other relatives that you could enlarge. Perhaps you have some of a family home, vacation spot, farm, car? I would get them printed in sepia and frame them with wood that matches the buffet. As to size, the wicker chairs would expand the area so that you could use several. I wouldn't clutter the space.

Can you share the Minted images you like? Certainly if you remove the top part of the buffet, your options regarding stacking open up and so do your image options.

Have you considered or tried the 2 chairs under the window putting them to each side of the buffet? I think it will fill up the wall and give it a better proportion on that wall. What is to the right side of the window? Just wondering if the piece you have in front of the window could be moved over?

It seems to me you're attacking this room piecemeal and concerned about one wall when the whole room needs to be rethought. It would be nice to have a function for the room first, and do something about the chandelier that hangs over empty space.

Awesome suggestions! I've been sparked!

@njmomma: I like this example. As the original buffet comes with a mirror, I don't like it. Perhaps a separate vintage mirror would be nice to reflect some light in the space. Then I can hang pictures around it.

@yvonne: I have hordes of pottery and you bring up a good idea; instead of buying more art I should hang my pottery on the wall, after taking off the mirror top. We have quite a few family pictures; in our previous home the buffet was flanked by those vintage items. However as this space has less traffic than the front hallway where I was considering for the family pictures, I'll keep the pottery in this location and the family pictures in the front hallway.

@holly: I'm refining my mint favorites. I'm looking at reds, oranges in abstracts and landscapes. However previous suggestions of using pottery may put Minted on the back burner.

@tedbixby: yes I have considered putting the wicker chairs on either side of the buffet..To the right of the buffet is a dry sink which is normally in the living room but due to the Christmas tree we had to switch it out with a drop leaf table (which is usually to the right of the buffet under the window).

@grover: the room functions as it is. There's a dog pen because we have to pen them when we're gone. We don't use a dining room table, so it doesn't need to function as that. And we have an abundance of antiques but less room than our previous house so we have to find a wall for them. I wish we could put them in storage, but these are my husband's family pieces and he's not interested in doing that. And he's not ready to reduce the inventory, so we have to work with the pieces in the square footage that we have.

Not a Pro.

Please post after pictures. I would love to see what you decide to do with the space.

I love the idea of the pottery on the wall. Do you have all similar sized pottery? I too would love to see picture of that when it's done.

@lulu all my pottery is a variety of sizes, colors, and textures. Most has been collected during our 3 years living in Germany and traveling to 26 countries. Now I have to think of a way to hang the pieces so I can periodically change them around.

I ask because I have a lot (and vases too) and very little uniformity. I keep trying to figure out how to display and where. I love the idea of changing them out. I actually am using my dining room breakfront to display some. Previously I had the fancy china, crystal and silver on display but I decided to put the pottery there. I like it a lot, but it doesn't really do justice to the pieces as much as they deserve.

What about some floating shelves on that wall and display your pottery on those? You could balance the buffet placement (maybe move it off center on that wall) with shelves and some art hung above the buffet. Add a few pieces of art to the shelves with your pottery to bring it all together.

More pottery, fewer pics:

this is a tv and fireplace, but could be artwork (smaller than this tv) over buffet.

Since this gorgeous piece has a mirror, I would select a triptych. 3 pieces that work together as one. Art is always better when hung in odd numbers. Perhaps something from the Arts & crafts movement (Mission Motif)?

@olychick: you wouldn't believe this house, that we just painted the whole home interior, had 10 shelves strewn throughout the house, anchored on all four screws and they were a pain to take out. I like the picture rail concept and I think it's probably going to be easier with the odd different types of pottery to do that versus trying to hang them.

@gordons: I was thinking of four square pieces, like color/paint style but I do like a tryptict. Although this is an Empire style buffet the arts and crafts would work. As you can see our style is eclectic antiques.

3 is better than 4.

And 5 is better than 4. *wink*

Odd number of art grouping is visually more interesting, and more balanced. Eclectic is GREAT! My personal style is a mix of mid-century and mission. Go figure!