Botanical for me as well ...

I like the old one - more sophisticated, less country looking, and it works more like a lined drape which is my preference.

I love the new ones. Tge old ones are great, but seem to formal for tge room.

New.

Vintage botanical is very nice!

The old drape. Your chairs look contemporary and the old drape looks like a better match.

BOTANICAL PRINT! :)

I like the new ones. They're lighter and bring a brightness to the room.

Neither. You need more color and pizazz

Neither of these!! Go get a solid color panel with a more substantial curtain rod. You will thank yourself when you see the results!!

I prefer the solid panel, but in a different color, perhaps ivory, a tome that works with the table color.

Definitely the Grommet curtain. It brings in the color from the next room which gives it a great flow.

I really like the new one. I am not fond of the way the other one cuts the room in half visually and matches up with the same part on the wall.

Thank you for all of the kind and helpful comments on this site. This room is still a work in progress. We've been in the house for a year now, and I tackled the kitchen / family room first. I can only tackle one piece at a time. I moved from a much smaller home, which I lived in for 5 years and all of my furniture pieces and decor was scaled to that home. So things will be replaced bit by bit as the budget allows.

I know there are a lot of changes to be made to this room in the future. I am a fan of drapes on windows because of the insulation factor, as I am very conscientious about energy usage.

The table and chairs will be replaced in the future, but it is not in the budget given how infrequently the room is used.

I also do not have an area rug in the room for pet reasons. I have an elderly cat who has an affinity for area rugs and he will tear it to shreds. He is a rescue, and has had a tough life so I am willing to sacrifice not having an area rug so he can have a few more years of comfort in a forever home.

Have some fun with that wall between the windows we see. Right now that one little pic looks out of proportion there. Do you have more to stack with it?

Love the one on the left. the other one is too light for the wood of the dining table.

The left one is much better! It's less "formal style". I like botanical

There is a story behind that picture. It is a drawing that my now-11 year old daughter did when she was in kindergarten. She has an amazing art teacher, and you would not believe that this is done by a 5 year old. So I had it professionally framed. I understand that it is too small for the room, but it fit in my previous house just fine. It's just not in the budget to have it reframed.

I like the one of the left too. The dark border on the 2nd one interferes with the wainscotting I think. I like tone on tone (wall color to curtain that is).

To Paula... I grew up in homes with drapes hung right on the frame, covering up beautiful 100 year old trimwork. Up until about a year ago, that was how I hung my drapes, because that is all I knew. It wasn't until houzz where I read the rules to hang the rod wider to allow the whole window to come through that I had an a-ha moment.

For a traditional feel use the one on the left, for a contemporary look use the panel on the right.

I love that that pic was made by your daughter! We actually did the same thing when our three were younger....framed special pics they drew and they had a place of honor in the dining room, too, actually! She has to smile whenever she sees it! And the colors work here, too, so guess you are right....it stays! You just need to have her do more! :)

I like the botanicals and love your daughter's art work! You need to ignore the negative comments, there are so many mean trolls out there. The solid block curtains fight with the wainscot, so I think the yard sale is a good idea there.

OH! I agree to ignore those negative ones as this print is truly perfect in your room. It adds just the right amount of pattern and color.

I like the botanical, too. What bothers me, however, is the fact they are not lined. The light can change the colors, so how about adding a liner?

They are lined already. Perhaps it was just the light in this photo. She says she keeps them open normally. However, a second liner might work too. :-)

So, if I were to find it in the budget to replace my table and chairs, can you suggest what wood tone I should look for. Pictures of specific examples would be greatly appreciated. I do agree that it is a lot of dark, but all of this furniture worked in my old house.

Would Kitty tear a sisal or an indoor/outdoor rug?

Left and a liner, enjoy!

I'd go with the botanicals...adds visual interest...

Replacing the table & chairs would be a lot of money . However you could perhaps paint the chairs with something like Annie Sloan Chalk paints. I'll bring a link over. Any of the old chalk type paints would work , you do not have to sand off the old finish . But you will need to use a coat of the dark coated wax over them to give a lovely sheen . if you paint the chairs , some informal & simple seat cushions in the chairs.

Can you take a photo of the drapes in the light of day with no distractions in front of it? From this picture I don't like either one - they look inexpensive because you can see right through them - and they feel weak to me with no connection to the dining room furniture. Maybe a burst of colour on the dining room table with a bowl / vase of flowers in same colour palette? I need to see the chandelier over the dining room - and how the drapes compliment the entire "mood" your trying to create - some inspiration photos for you - less is more, but the less needs to be purposeful with a result in mind.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Shaunna-PerfectlyImperfect/Furniture%20Reveals/details_table.jpg Just an close up example of chalk painted wood with dark underneath showing through in places . be sure to topcoat with briewax..

Your test is great, botanic! go ahead.

Also there are DIy recipes on how to make your own chalk paint , a lot less expensive. You use the ingredients specified & then add Latex in your color choice.

Use the Botanical drapes you have that are semi-sheer, and if in your budget , buy the blinds that look like wooden plantation shutters. they are wooden white wide slatted blinds instead of the regular vinyl ones. they will help insulate the windows as well as look really good when the semi-sheer drapes show the wood slats letting in diffused light .

Black is good with those walls; my Mom just did it last year and the dining room is very sophisticated now!

I agree botanical drapes. I like the softer cleaner look, more inviting, sleek

I took some additional pictures this morning, after rehanging the gray drapes. Since the votes were split both here and on Facebook, I took a vote in the family, and the gray won out 2-1. :-)

I am not opposed to replacing them in the future when I find ones that work for all circumstances.

I do have follow up questions now...

I had tossed around the idea of a sisal or indoor/outdoor rug for this room because of the cats. I pulled my outdoor rug from the deck and put it under the dining table just to see how the cats react to it for a little while. It is the completely wrong size, color, and style (as you'll see in the pictures), but I would rather try it out then make a very costly mistake if I were to purchase one.

Like I have said before, I'm used to decorating on a smaller scale. This room is 14 x 15 and my furniture is very lost in it, but worked well in my previous 10 x 11 dining room.

1) Which looks better: the curtains with or without the sheers?
2) Light fixture - I hate it. Have hated it since the moment I picked it out, but it was the only one that fit into the builder's allowance that wasn't chrome or straight out of the 80's. I have always planned on replacing it, but just haven't found one that makes me jump yet. Suggestions welcomed.
3) While I like the idea of painting the furniture, all of the pieces that I have seen done with Annie Sloan are decorative with an air towards vintage. This furniture is precisely not that.
4) Big blank wall. I know that wall is a huge issue, but I really need to fall in love with a piece of art to invest in it and look at it everyday. I haven't found one that speaks to me that is in the right scale. I was tossing around the idea of finding a bunch of antique frames, painting them all the same color, and putting black and white prints in a theme in them and hanging them all on that space.

Ignore the green candles on the table... We started decorating for Xmas this morning.

I am not liking those curtains, sorry. But I like the rug.

I'm having a disconnect between the style of the room (traditional) and the style(s) of the dining set. The dining set feel very "modern" to me but nothing else does. But, it sounds like you want to/plan to replace it? I would move the little etagere in corner, too tiny for a big room, just makes it feel bigger. You need more drama, a big buffet, big art, (and I hear that you want or plan to replace the chandelier with something in a oil rubbed bronze). In the meantime ... what about purple drapes as a key accent color for this room? I think you said you love purple (and that would sure add some focus/drama).

When you have a disconnect (if you will) between styles, color can act as a unifying factor ... adding in what Marie said about the flowers, (accessories) makes it all come together. The chandelier is more modern, but with oil rubbed bronze metal.

Please don't do the purple curtains! Why not reupholster the dining chairs? I see nothing wrong with your dining set. It could be made to work with the botanical curtains and new seat covers.

Since your designing on a budget try going to a store like Marshalls or Homegoods and search for a table runner, place mats or even a table cloth that coordinate with the curtains followed by a center piece and maybe a Starburst mirror or some sort of art work to complement the Credenza and it will come together.

What color solid drapes? Half of the comments on Facebook say a pop of color. The other half say white or ivory.

BTW, I would go purple if I had the guts. But I know it is not popular in decorating.

I thought you said you liked purple! But another reason I suggested it for curtains is that someone mentioned (or I thought I saw that?) that there was a purple undertone that seemed complimentary to your wall color as well? In any case, Another solid color might work as well (and be less, err, controversial? However, Pantone does include two nice purplish shades in its forecast for 2014, violet tulip (more of a lavender) and radiant orchid (more of a magenta purple). An Apricot Gold, or a pale Celadon green would be nice too. Because the room is large, and your base tones are basically neutral, I think a more colorful curtain would help "define" the space. The botanical is lovely, but too neutral. I think I would like the gray better without the dark border, but again or either way, too neutral, too much in tone with the paint/woods. You have the space to carry a more "dramatic" drape, (of whatever color, but I'd stay with a solid - not beige, not gray, not white ) and with a few matching key accessories to carry that color throughout the room, you will not need larger or more furniture to "fill" the room. And relatively speaking, accessories are a easy and budget happy way to decorate.

Hi smugsy1122! I was looking your photos and i think that i got your issues. I think all room it is too monochrome.
First, i will try to put more color. Maybe a good antique furniture (very big, or colorfull, i put just one picture example).
I will use, some flowers to keep romantic. All together it's great combination. Because it's a dinner room, you can put some dishes on the wall, like an old style.
I hope to help you! (or maybe not at all!) Regards!

here is a link to a picture of some drapes @ JCP ( penney's) & they are on sale + an extra % off at their web site. http://www.jcpenney.com/for-the-home/view-all/window-treatments/serendipity-rod-pocketback-tab-curtain-panel/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002290448&catId=cat100260226&deptId=dept20022800026&Nao=72&pN=4&dimCombo=null&dimComboVal=null

Another inspiration pix. This one has a mix of styles (rustic beams, distressed table, ornate chairs with "country" upholstery ... [houzz=] but the blues pull it all together for me.