SFGate

decoenthusiaste Seems like your dining table should be under that chandy. Why don't you have an electrician switch out the builder ceiling fixtures for LED cans and wire to install the large decorative fixture above the table between the cans. Pick up a Tuscan color palette at the paint store. Get more colorful draperies hung floor to ceiling and reupholster your dining chairs with something colorful and more Tuscan too.

Jayme Hobbs Different drapes...are u thinking of repainting at all? Are u in love with chest/sideboard piece? Maybe removing that and putting a ighter piece there...any thoughts of a large, light area rug?

dawnald28 @JaymeHobbs, no I just repainted not that long ago. The wall was a darker tan and I wanted to lighten it up a bit. The dining room connects with the kitchen which has green counter tops. Yes I have to keep the sideboard there or it just sits in the garage. I like the idea of an area rug, but my child is 16mths & loves to throw food at the dog. So the tile is the easiest to clean. What color curtains?

Jayme Hobbs I would go light for the drapes/like ivory. I understand the child thing totally, it's a lot harder to have area rugs with them...u can put a cheap plastic table cloth on the floor when they eat, over the rug, but it's a pain...or try to find an easily cleanable type/stain resistant. Overall, it's just alot of dark furniture in a smaller area....even an ivory table cloth would brighten it up a bit.

dawnald28 I know my whole house is that way and I am trying to change that. I do love the dark but think it's for homes with larger rooms & taller ceilings. Any suggestions for the attached kitchen?

Carolina Photo To Go LLC I would do a larger area rug and move it away from the sink. Does not nec have to be washable if you buy a Hoover Steam carpet cleaner which with a child and a pet you will find invaluable. You can clean carpet anytime the need arises. Some of their models clean tile or hardwoods too. Sucks the dirty water back up and you can flush away.

Jayme Hobbs And also some area rugs can get up to 5x8 (that I have bought) that r actually machine washable! Not as big and thick as some, but at least u can keep it clean...and yes, I have burned through 2 of those steam cleaners cleaning my area rugs and rugs! Also today is the day of the $99 area rug/so if it get trashed so be it!! I really like your house and think u have done a good job with it. Your things r nice and look quality made...it isn't soooo dark either, but we can get to feeling that way easily about our stuff....I love red with dark wood...have u ever thought of adding any pops other colors here and there ? .

Jayme Hobbs I don't know if u would like this idea...maybe use an ivory slip cover on your head of table chairs on each end? Or change them out for a lighter chair? Sorry about the living room pic, that was an error.

decoenthusiaste If you want a temp solution that is cleanable get an indoor/outdoor rug. homedecorators.com has a large selection reasonable - just take outside and hose off when it getstoo bad!

Jayme Hobbs Slip cover

dawnald28 @JaymeHobbs, I have thought about color. I used to have olive green and burgundy.....everywhere! Love the warmth those colors bring, but for some reason I can't get away from blues and greens. It is hard for me to decorate tuscan with blue. It just doesn't work for me. Tuscan screams RED to me. I tried something new and need to move the mirror in the entry, but tell me what you think.I will post a picture of my living room. I have to have to whole house the same, it has to flow. I am not a tuscan in one room, modern in the next. Just can't do it. I'm not sure of the beach picture, but love the colors.

Jayme Hobbs I think u could easily incorporate some beautiful blues in the dining room!! I love that look! Some diff. pics with blues

dawnald28 I have been eyeing a rug just like the 3rd pic at BBBeyond! Ok here's the living room. Please forgive the picture quality, and thomas the train! I can't decide on either the blue/red pillows. I also screwed up with the blue wall and will be repainting that tan like the rest of the room.

Jayme Hobbs I would say blue absolutely for the living room...

dawnald28 Thank you so much for all your suggestions so far! It's hard when the only other person to help favors red & paris themed stuff. While I love it my room is more traditional with glass lamps and silver. Wish I could do that here but feel the couches deserve warm colors. Keep the blue wall or paint it tan?

Jayme Hobbs I guess I would leave it for now and see how things look with some blue pillows and accessories...I hear u on the traditional look..it is a lot different than the other one u are talking about! This is softer and more neutral and natural, I think.

Jayme Hobbs And I think that mirror looks better than what was there! Good job!

dawnald28 Where do you suggest accessories at? How about the brown curtains? To heavy looking? I like the warmth they give but they feel heavy. How would you put the room together. This is something I have trying at for years! I can't move the furniture due to the tv.

jbjbjb7 You are trying to coordinate a lot of furniture in what appears to be a narrow space. How about removing the white shelving unit? It appears to be too light-weight for this room. Perhaps you could use it in another room.
Can you center the table between the curtained wall and the china cabinet?
I would add a PUNCH of color with the drapes. If you are bold, maybe plum, purple, olive, tans...or a mix of such colors? Better yet, color block with one of those colors that coordinates with the kitchen green and cream or lighter tan on top. Then I would go with a warmer tablecloth or placemats but only when you eat at the table; no table cloth when the meal is over. Let the warm wood shine!
Love the side table. But the beach print IS too light both in feel and color for Tuscan.
Be brave and have fun!

dawnald28 I like both of these styles & can't combine them

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors Your style really is not a true Tuscan so blue is perfect. Paint the wall with the china cab in Kelley moore Federalist and the adjacent walls in a warm mustard like star fire.

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors star fire

dawnald28 I like that blue!

dawnald28 Will it go with my green granite counter
tops?

dawnald28 Here's better pic's of the kitchen

jbjbjb7 Just a look ...Old World

dawnald28 jbjbjb7 is this your house?

jbjbjb7 Yes...

dawnald28 My sister has the same old world style and that's what she suggests to me also! RED! You need more red & olive green. I do love that look but was hoping to try something new. Your house is nice!

jbjbjb7 Thanks I have red and olive in the living room. There are so many possibilities! When you see the perfect touches, you will know it immediately! As I said, have FUN! Nothing needs to be permanent!

pauli12 When I get tired of brown I paint it white. It really opens things up.

Jayme Hobbs I am thinking the same as u are on those brown curtains. I think your dining room is already looking lighter.

dawnald28 I have painted so much so many times I am amazed I am still married!

dawnald28 @Jayme....where did you find those first dining room pictures you posted. I like that color scheme, gold,ivory....would like to see those pictures larger.

Jayme Hobbs I will look and see if I can retrace it...

Jayme Hobbs I do believe I just googled "traditional dining room", and they came up...scrolled through and picked colors I thought would be appropriate. Google that, scroll down and u will see a row of pics, click on and then when u see the pic or a similar one, click on it and it will give more info..i just tried it again.

Shina Wysocki You may try a pumpkin spice color. Maybe not as over used as red and still warm it up a bit. Try pulling the color out of your rocks and slate. That is a lot of fire places. : ) Also if possible get the bookshelf out of there. It is just a lot of tall things on the walls, but I know with little kids stuff it's hard to fit it all. I recover some chairs this year and it was much easy then I would have thought. It would make it look more custom. And for sure switching the light fixtures is a really good idea.

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors There is no right or wrong when you choose your colors for a Tuscan interior. This is a room I did with blue,golds and bronze...no reds or greens...and yes it is OK to go blue when you have dark green counters.

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors Here is another picture...the art piece over the sofa has a lot of dark green in it.

Jayme Hobbs Just because u were saying you wanted to lighten things..I would keep larger things, IE:large artwook, furniture, drapes, lighter..but it's up to you....the last two pics have nice, soft colors.

dawnald28 Thank you all for the wonderful & helpful comments. I am working on my rooms and will post an update when I am done!

blindsdirectcanada By adding a silhouette type blind set inside the frame it will brighten up the space alot .

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/blinds-toronto/hunter-douglas/silhouette-toronto.html