Is that a working stove in your dining room?

No, that is just a breakfast nook and the stove was my grandparents . my husband refinished it so he is the one attached and I have nowhere else to put it.

The antique stove could make a lovely coffee bar. As to how I guess it depends on how you make coffee in your home. All you need is to store the fixings in and on it. One might look for some vintage looking appliances to carry it off.

Vintage appliances is a great idea! thank you!

Can you post a picture of the stove from the front? From what I can see, making it a coffee bar would be fairly simple. Removed everything on it now. Put the coffee pot on the burner area. Store coffee and sugar and all inside the oven. Put a collection of beautiful mugs on the upper shelf.

I think I am in a minority but I don't "get" making a coffee bar that is far away from a sink and fridge (I use milk).

I love that you are asking how to modernize a room full of antiques ;)

I would definitely look for an oval table, I always find those big feet on pedestal tables like yours such a pain, literally, to my toes!

What about a COLOR for your walls, something that would set off the beautiful woods and metal doodads.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/painting/21019025/best-paint-colors-for-historic-houses

What color and style would you suggest for the oval table? Yes i have been ”blessed” with a bunch of family heirlooms and I am trying to blend them in with some upgrades. That is why I am considering moving the buffet but not sure if that would just make the room out of balance? love that color btw

Updating a room full of antiques is a bit of a challenge. What grabs my attention is the wood trim. Kinda hate to suggest you paint it but that would be a way to modernize.

OMG! I agree - that wood trim - thumbs down!

Stove will need a flat surface for any coffee making equipment, also electricity if you have a coffee maker.
Table, does it have a leaf to make it a pan oval? A table with a smaller pedestal might help.

What don’t you use - the high chair, buffet? Just remove from room if not using, but a buffet can be useful depending on your storage needs like table linens, serving pieces.

If your style is antiques, not just pass alongs, embrace that, keep wood trim. New chandelier keeping with the period and hanging slightly lower over the table.

Paint in a warmer, yet brighter white. Scrape or thin sheet rock ceiling.

New chairs and window treatment in alcove. Upholstered chairs that can be used as dining chairs as well.

Remove all wall art and create a new display or grouping after painting, etc., or buy new.

Since the stove can't be moved, I'd just let it be what it is and not make it into anything. I'd take off all the decorations, pictures etc. and just leave the teapot. Remove the scroll too-imo is it not something to decorate.

Love the stove. I dont blame your husband for wanting to keep it.

Would you consider a William Morris wallpaper?

Tradd Street Renovation- William Morris Wallcovering with Custom Paneling Wainsc · More Info

This is a warm and friendly room. Lightening it up: A rug under the table, a change of the brown accessories to lighter, brighter colors, or a couple of bigger new plants for summer would be easy.

There is A LOT going on in this little room. Taking most of it out would go a long way in updating the feel. Remove the buffet, high chair, and the metal wheel thing and stuffed possum sitting on the floor. Look for a larger art piece on the buffet side. Your current table and chairs work well with the stove, you could also do a simpler table and Windsor chairs. I would definitely change the light fixture.

I like the room. I see vintage /antique rather than "outdated". Here's what I'd do:

- Leave the trim as is. Wood trim is classic, and this appears to be nicely done. If you start painting in an attempt to go "modern", you'll also have to paint the trim in the adjacent sunroom. Don't go down that rabbit hole. Seriously, don't.

- The room is cluttered, especially since it's a pathway to the sunroom. Your husband is attached to the stove -- I could live without it, but it's his house too. If it means something to him, keep it. I don't particularly see it as a coffee bar. Just consider it an accent. But get rid of the sideboard and the high chair and whatever else I'm not noticing.

- Lose the metal (metal?) accent above the stove. It brings nothing positive to the space.

- Someone else suggested a William Morris-type wallpaper (or stencil). I love that idea /like it much better than painting the room a solid color. With the clutter removed from the walls, it'll become the defining feature, and it'll set this room apart from the sunroom. It'll also help "fill" these high ceilings.

- Consider a simple tablecloth. It'll bring some color to the center of the room and will soften all this wood.

- The light fixture is perfect.

- The sunroom beyond needs something too. I'd like to see curtains to tie into the William Morris wallpaper. See two pictures below.

- Add a lamp between those chairs.

- I give up -- where's the stuffed possom?

Mrs. Pete, thank you so much! These ideas are so helpful. I didn't declutter before I took the picture so the possum is a dog toy on the corn grinder left from my kids' recent visit. We don' even have dogs but they bring theirs when they come. My husband's work clutter is also everywhere.

Again, thanks for the ideas.

Below is a visual of my suggestions.

- Paint the stove a creamy colour as shown and turn into a coffee bar

- Replace the wood chairs for upholstered chairs

- Replace the chandelier and hang lower above the table (30" to 33" above)

- For interesting art on the wall above the buffet, hang old window frames and mirrors

- Find a rug you like or a natural fibre for under the table (wide enough for the chairs to sit on the rug when pulled out)

- Reupholster or replace the 2 brown armchairs for a lighter colour to contrast with all the dark surrounding wood.

I second rebasheba's comment about using the stove as a coffee bar. I have a coffee bar in my kitchen, and it has a sink. Can't imagine making coffee and trying to clean up when the sink is in another room.

The nook is actually open space near my kitchen so water and frig are close. A lot of good options are presented here so I will need to decide between clean and simple accent piece or coffee bar

just fyi, I have a dry coffee bar. Actually, I have two coffee spots. One drip and one kuerig. Neither has a sink. I just fetch the water from 5 fet away. Not a dealbreker.

The color of the bulbs in your light fixture are too cool for the space. At the very least those need to change.

I would focus the light on the table NOT on the ceiling......so I would change the light fixture to something more like one of these.

Turn the table so the chairs are on the diagonal.

Use it to store your husband’s clutter in. Clear the decks and put one nice plant on it. Don’t kitsch it up as a coffee area.

The problem with this are is it is a sea of brown. Get a rug to off set the wood floor from all of the wood furniture. A rug that is not brown. I usually love a warm white wall but these are leaning a bit too yellow for me.

I quite like the room as is, but as others have noted I would clear off the stove other that the kettle and the gas lantern. If the high chair isn't used, I would move it to a corner of the sun room and put a plant on it. I would then shift the sideboard down and move the chairs around so they are diagnol.

The room looks so much better after you took out some of the items and photographed it in the daytime!

You could create a warm and lovely craftsman dining room with some modifications. The most impactful item would be a colorful patterned rug in the Craftsman style. Painting the walls a color from the rug, or using a William Morris style wallpaper would add to the aesthetic. You could also change out the chandelier to a Tiffany style pendant.

These tips and more are found in this article:

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/dining-rooms/21017733/create-a-craftsman-style-dining-room

Or you could lighten up the room with a bright wallpaper, and replace the chairs with upholstery like Bev posted, and add a natural fiber rug.

Here are some ideas:

wallpaper:

Ruggables rugs:

I like the idea of removing everything from the stove, including the ornamental piece hanging above it. Then splurge on a large Le Creuset enameled dutch oven in a color you love to keep on the stove and leave it at that.

Decluttering would be a good idea. The brown chairs and the high chair - can they be used in other rooms? The right, large rug would pull everything together. Right now, it looks like random furniture around a table-and-chairs. Anything William Morris-y will look fabulous with all this gorgeous oak.

Trying to make a coffee bar out of the stove is more of a headache than it’s worth. Just keep it free of clutter.

The updated picture is a big improvement! Agree with everyone suggesting a rug. If you want a new table, I would get a round table, or a round table that extends to oval. As pictured, the room looks somewhat tunnel-like, and an oval or rectangular table will accentuate that. It would help us though to see a sketch of the full room, or at least a picture taken from the opposite direction, standing where you have the arm chairs.

Another idea would be to add 2 lamps on the console. They would bring more light into the room and add some interest.

A statement rug will pull the room together. These William Morris patterns work beautifully with your furniture and trim. How dark and moody, or light and airy you want to go is up to you.

I agree with kcoo7 do not decorate the stove at all or turn it into something .A new light fixture hung lower and probably a rectangular table .

I would clear it off and keep it clear. Use it as an off sides server- you know that thing is heat proof as heck. And as others have said, a rug there would be lovely.

Yes to making it a coffee bar. How charming!

Does your husband want another project? Can the stove be painted a pretty mint? Then place lots of beautiful plants on it…add a pretty large rug and move the high chair to another space (if youre not using it).