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howellmsue almost forgot to say that I am open to putting a rug under the table too if needed.

decoenthusiaste What about pulling the blues from the rug and then paling them down a bit? Your kitchen seems to be going that direction. SW 6214 Underseas picks up on the kitchen shade but goes darker and greener which may be close to your rug's shades. Another pretty color that would look good as you move from kitchen to dining room is SW 6422 Shagreen.

judyg With khaki and dark brown my choice would be BM Palladium Blue.

howellmsue I like SW Underseas, but am trying to lighten things up a bit. :) The dining room is currently painted SW 6415 Hearts of Palm, so it is really close already to the Shagreen you suggested. The color actually comes off as very cool most of the time, it receives both light from the north and south and that makes it such a chameleon!

howellmsue judyg- I love BM Palladian Blue, but it would look really similar to my kitchen, I am looking for something a little different than my kitchen. Thanks for the comments though!
My kitchen is Carolina Club Inn Aqua (or some thing very close to that!) In person it is a softer color than you see in the picture, the flash on my camera makes everything seem so bright.

nomadkath how about 'copper kettle' 1218 its a warm reddish brown

anitajoyce I LOVE the color of the lampshade in your dining room. That color would look very nice on the upper part of the wall. You could change the chandelier to a more modern one also( if in the budget). I like the colors in your rug. You could place one with the same colors in your dining room also.( very vibrant). Please change the curtains to a solid color from your rug choice. Change the table runner to a darker color also and add a group of 2-3 candles and a small houseplant to the table. A bold piece of artwork on the wall in abstract art or a big flower picture will give you some wow in the space also. Does your other 2 chairs on the side fit under the table? if so, I would place them there with the others at the table. add a potted plant to the right of the side table to balance that side also. Another snake plant would be nice (only if the chairs can be moved to the table). Pick out your rug for the space then choose a color from it to re-upholster the chairs.

anitajoyce Could you place the china cabinet to the wall with the chairs? If so, that would be nice also.

mveasey This reminds me of a dining room done by Sarah Richardson. She used a beautiful wallpaper above the chairrail. This would make the view from the kitchen as if you are looking into a little jewel box. Do you use the room daily? How is the light?
Your chandelier is beautiful, so is your furniture.
I would maybe look to have a credenza style buffett unit for storage, instead of the tall glass unit, if that is of interest.
If going with paint, your wall on the right could use some large artwork.
If you do wallpaper, you could do a neutral sisal rug under the table, but if you have kids and pets, I would go without.
Maybe my wallpaper suggestions are totally off, but if that is of interest, there are a lots of floral options out there.
Hope that gets your creative juices flowing!

mveasey Here are some photos from Sarah Richardson

judyg Sorry about the palladium blue recommendation. I didn't even look at your other pix. Your family room rug is great, so why not bring in the red, over the white chair rail, and hang rich textured white fabric panels for the window treatment. Bring the red down onto the chair seats. A chunky, neutral rug under the table. When you do new window treatments don't hang them from the clips. Get new rings with the little o.
http://www.calypsostbarth.com/home/rugs/view-all/magia-rug-9x12

Design Mode I would go with a monochromatic red scheme - red stimulates appetite and conversation.
I like the rug you have shown. Find something similar to that for the floor, cosy underfoot and good for acoustics as people shout your praises for your great meals!
Take your wall colour from the rug - something that looks like delicious food. Creamy rice pudding, coffee, or cookies.
I found a few fabrics from Designer Fabrics Online that go with your curtains, for upholstery. I looked for patterns that were not perfect or too formal.
I would go Post-Modern Country-style for your artwork - something a little quirky, unexpected and beautiful too. Put up some large family photos, and large wooden antiques.

ckanters What a nice space. If this were my space, I would put your curtains on a longer rod.This way they could flank the windows and let in a little more light. I would make them look a little fuller by adding a soild colour to the inside edge. You could use this to recover the chairs.
I would also consider geting a longer buffet. I would leave the light, but I would find a picture that I could hang vertically that brought in some more of the colours you love. I would then put all of the chairs around the table and extend it if possible.
For the walls I would pull the brown colour that you have on your kitchen floors up onto the walls. (This looks a lot like the brown in your rug too.) You could lighten it to a half tint if you felt it was too dark. This will give you a nice neutral platte for your art.
I would also paint your ceiling a quart tint to whatever you put on the walls. Finally I love your crown moldings, but I would add a little more to them. I hope some of these ideas are helpful.

howellmsue Wow- I love all of the ideas! I have thought about wallpaper! I love big bold patterns. Design Mode- my dining room was red for 8 years. :) I just painted it green.....I think my husband might kill me if he comes home one day and it is red again. lol. I love the paint ideas too and the furniture arrangements. Thanks for all of the feedback. I do have kids and pets, but think a rug might help with there not being much color/pattern in the room. I struggle with art to put on the wall, I am an artist and cannot find art that I like! I was thinking of an arrangement of large baskets.... I really like things that are grouped together....would that work?

ckanters I am not sure where you are from, but if you have a Homesense store there are some beautiful pieces of art work that are very reasonably priced. As well Costco.ca, or Costco.com if you are in the States, has lovely work that you can go online to look at. They will ship it to your house and you can return it if you do not like it for a full refund.
The other thing you may wish to consider is doing a family wall. Bed Bath and Beyond has a series of frames and words LOVE FAMILY that you can put family photos into.

howellmsue I am from the Midwest. :) United States.... I don't have a Homesense store, but there is a HomeGoods not too far away!

7768 What about a grouping of plates and platters on the wall instead of baskets? Or maybe even decorative shaped mirrors. I like your colors!

pcmom1 Danger: hopping in here without reading (for now) all the comments. Would the rug that is in your family room work under the dining table? Looks like it would go really well with your current drapes. Then you could do an arrangement with wonderful plates on the wall.

beverlynn The room is off to a great start! If you are on a limited budget, just add a few finishing touches to the room! Cover the seat cushions in red or if you can get fabric for new drapes, get enough for the seats; red being the dominant color. Also, add a runner and placemats (in the same fabric or different), a centerpiece, and a piece of art on the wall above the buffet. The room is great! It's like a nice black dress; all you need to do is accessorize!

dianebrubaker I love Sarah Richardson's designs. Her rooms are always so pretty. I like the earlier suggested idea of using wallpaper above the chair rail that coordinates with your beautiful blue kitchen color. Use a rug under the table to ground the space but if you choose a bold wallpaper make sure your rug is simple--try a sisal creamy,or light brown color. You already have good bones in this room just need some simple changes to freshen and lighten it up. Have fun!

rfan Suggestions: paint color...same as kitchen or another shade from paint strip;plain curtains that are close to paint color or matchstick or woven shades with stationary fabric side panels;muted area rug to absorb sound;chair cores in plain fabric(wipe off?); lampshades on chandelier

rfan Too leggy...need some of furniture to go to floor

rfan Larger pic frames, wider lampshade, possibly put plant on top of furniture piece

Pat Miller Baker this is an easy fix.I would paint walls bm natural cream oc-14.You need a few more substantial peices. bigger buffet, 2 big lamps on each side with a huge mirror. will b a great focal point and fill up that wall. A bigger 2 inch curtain pole with aqua/turqoise silk panels.blackout lining for weight. dressier chandelier w/ a few crystals, inexpensive sisal rug. done

sallyg I think the wallpaper idea is good but I would go with natural colored grasscloth instead of a patterned paper. That way you will get the cottage like feeling without being trapped into a color scheme. Definitely put a patterned rug under the table-make sure it is big enough!- and recover the chairs with the color that you would pull out of the rug. I think a turquoise shade (same family as your kitchen but brighter) would be nice for that room. Then if you get tired of that scheme you can easily and inexpensively change things up. Hang the drapery that you choose up higher to the ceiling with beefier hardware and change the chandelier to something with more character. Maybe a reclaimed piece from a flea market would be appropriate for your style. A large piece of art on the feature wall would jazz things up against the natural grasscloth walls or a large scale mirror would be nice and would also reflect light from the window and the chandelier into the room. Good luck-looks like a fun project! {:>)

sallyg Grasscloth example

Pat Miller Baker I love grasscloth. makes wonderful impact.this would b beautiful, just remember u can see the seams

Lenam Kvarnstrm If you don't like to paint the chair rail darker green or beige or gray as the rug, I suggest you hang white curtains and dark grey cover on the seats. After you have removed the terracotta you could have some accents in intense blue. the rug may be fine on the floor . The BM Palladium blue should fit better on the walls, I think.

dianepell collected "vintage" plates & platters from Goodwill & resale shops to make a grouping on one wall (none cost over $5)...looks great.

A New Look Interior Design A pair of lamps on the sideboard (home goods) would create a nice space to hang a dramatic mirror between them. You could then place a tray with a few decanters with wine or spirits and glasses for an inviting look. I would not hang family photos in your dr. I think the sw hearts of palm is very pretty perhaps with some bold patterned contains to brighten things up.

A New Look Interior Design Also maybe place a large rectangular basket on metal bar under sideboard to give it a heavier look. I would also paint the chandelier. You could paint it in an "oiled bronz" and perhaps add some shades (Ballard designs) . Try the bird houses in the center of your table in varying heights. I agree that your curtains should be double width and lined and interlined for more heft!! I think your table and chairs are very pretty,just recover seats with fab that compliments window fabric. How about a seagrass rug?

judygilpin I'd tone down the stark white of the wainscotting. Maybe do upper and lower wall the same color with chairrail and crown molding off white. Remove the side panels and install Plantation shutters in the same off white as the moldings. Also keep the chairs (they're lovly) but get a oval table.....much softer than the sharp edges of your current one. Replace the chadalier or add shades (maybe navy blue) ones to the current chandelier. Can't see what the wall opposite the buffet table is, but if room, I'd move the china cabinet to the wall now occupied by the buffet table and the buffet table to the opposite wall (if room). You need height on that bare wall. Oh, also, even though the chairs are keepers, you need to recover the seats in a creative fabric. Someone else suggested and submitted a photo of a wallpaper in a red/white Asian design. This pattern would be a wonderful fabric for your chair seats.
Artwork also is a MUST!!!

lrkg1234 You have nice things in your room and I don't think that you need to spend a lot of money to pull it all together. You have good taste. The biggest thing missing is a focal point. I like the casual cottage style.

The room needs something substantial to ground it. I would focus on getting a larger buffet or a rustic, informal, china cabinet type painted piece. (without legs). Maybe you could find a second hand piece and paint it yourself? If you are on a limited budget then I would focus on this first before putting money into accessories or anything else.

If you go with a buffet/server piece then you can hang a large mirror (thick frame) above it or a large piece of art. A set of buffet lamps would add balance. Not skinny think substantial.

Any simple natural fiber rug sisal would work. Homegoods and world market are a good bet. Add a little color with a table runner (maybe a red ticking stripe) and a large bowl of fruit. Lemons are cheap and there are some great fake ones available.

If you get around to the chair's seats, then I'd go with a geometric pattern, maybe a cheerful, small scale check. This way you don't have to worry much about other patterns, like the toile and can be creative with your table settings and othere accessories.

I think your wall color is fine. The room will already get a big boost by adding some color with fabric. If you feel the need for a change, I like mellow beige with a touch of yellow to it . Sort of Flax. It seems that the touch of yellow adds the feeling of sunlight to a space. The right yellow really can read as a neutral. Benjamin Moore has some great yellow tones in their historical colors collection. I think Pottery barn sells a few of the creamy, beige yellows too. Go for a yellow/beige that whispers and doesn't scream if that makes sense. Otherwise it will be too intense and you will get sick of it.

Good Luck. Please post pics when you are done.

jillian1996 I think a coastal look would flow well with your kitchen.I like many of dancer 57 suggestions- keep it light & airy. Use a light beige paint on walls & a sisal rug. Bring color in with curtain & chair fabric. If you don't have to keep the table/chairs, I would replace(craigs list or yard sales are a great way to find inexpensive items) with something not so leggy & more casual . Buffet is on the right wall but needs to be more substantial that allows for storage- 2 lamps on buffet & a mirror or large artwork over it for focal point (home goods)..all of this has been suggested & I think it is on the right track. Search houzz for "coastal casual dining room" for inspiration colors, fabric, etc. I am picturing colors used in this home: http://www.houzz.com/discussions/66224/wall-color-please-#comments and
. Take your time if budget is tight & go with what you love. If you have already had colors in the room that you are tired of-don't repeat.

blindsdirectcanada I would recommend going with 24'' Drapery panels on either sides of the window. For the heading of the drapery i would suggest going with soothing a little more formal like a Goblet pleat it would look absolutely amazing on you windows! .

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/drapery-toronto.html

https://www.google.ca/search?q=goblet+pleat+drapery&hl=en&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ug_rUMHZIMy50AGBiYH4Aw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1113&bih=951

Nancy Isenburg Good "bones" in your DR plus a redone kitchen ='s an excellent palette. Just adding to the other good advice: don't be afraid of darker color or pattern on upper walls. Pick the rug you love 1st, if possible. Lightweight fabric can give you an inexpensive change, should you need/want new curtains. Enjoy!

howellmsue I found a piece of art for my wall and bought a larger less "leggy" buffet. I am moving my china cabinet (can't see it in the picture, but it is on the other wall) out tomorrow. I am working on fabric for the chairs and windows.....but now I am wondering if a table cloth on the table would help to break up the sameness of the table and chairs and even help with the "lots of legs" issue. ? what do you think? I will try to post updated pictures tomorrow afternoon.

pcmom1 Why not a tablecloth? Not like it is a permanent feature! Just change out depending on mood and style: deeper and heavier for winter months, moving into lighter for spring. Perhaps just a runner for the summer. Textiles are infinite! Look up French tablecloths online, search antique stores, see what strikes your fancy.