SFGate

Design & Decor By Shelley Hello Olivera, Does this buffet/hutch separate your dining room from an adjoining room? In the photo it looks like it isn't up against a wall..
The first thing I would do is de-clutter the upper shelves..The glass doors allow you to see your display and this should be a bit more simple and elegant..Place most of these items away in the cabinets below..You should only have a few of the items ie..wine glasses, momentos, art work etc. where they can be displayed and viewed but not in excess..You have various bottles on the bottom shelf so you could be doubling this unit as a bar? Put all ot the bottles away, including the vases on the very top.
This dining suite looks to be very large..Do you have adequate space for it?
Can you attach another photo so we can see the whole room? We could perhaps help you further if we can see the whole space with these pieces..

tt67 Yikes. I see the problem. Painting can be a great option. They have a great French-like styling...sort of old world. You could do a paint w a glaze over it. I was looking for paint finishes for a grandfather clock last night. I googled images of painted grandfather clocks and saw some amazing finishes. I think some could work for you.

Barbara Griffith Designs Just a thought..are you really in love with it our would you really like something else? Because, while you paid $5000 in 1980, that is 32 years ago, which equates to $151 per year of ownership..maybe you should buy something new that you would like better, but would also fit your space. I think you already got your monies worth.

Olivera @ Barbara: I agree, but my mom is a bit attached to it. She laughed at your calculation though :)

Lydia Of course painting it would be the best option to update this set but short of that think of just painting the inside of the cabinet to lighten it up and changing the fabric on the chairs is an easy way to instantly update them. You could put different fabrics on the seat and back of the chair to make them more interesting.

SPACIALISTS Hi Olivera,
Painting is the way to go from here, Here are a few suggestions.

gmacrandall I would either paint it white or sell it. I had something similar and my house felt much more fresh once I got rid of it (sorry Mom!).

wyndyacre The inexpensive way to see if you could continue to live with it, would be, as mentioned, declutter the shelves, only keeping out your very favourite peices....remove the tablecloth and put a stunning area rug under the table set. If you still don't like the look, perhaps it is time for it to retire. :-)

Olivera @SPACIALISTS:Wow! Looks amazing! My mom says that is a very good idea! What type of paint?

Olivera @anyone: how much can she sell it for?

gmacrandall $300?

Barbara Griffith Designs Maybe you could find something new that she could pick out...OK maybe not. I do have a suggestion about this piece however. Many of these are, and this looks to be, in 2 pieces. If that is the case maybe you could just remove the top portion, paint the bottom, either a black or cream and hang a wonderful mirror over it. I actually have done this in similar situations. Change out the fabric on the chairs..maybe substitute 2 chairs for parson chairs. A great rug and wall art. Doing these things minimizes the effects of a dated piece.

anne dee I'm sorry, but there is no help for this furniture. Painting isn't going to change anything.
Love it or sell it.

Lydia And change the hardware!

wyndyacre That is a great idea, if it is two peices, Barbara Griffith Designs!

trebinje We recently liquidated my parents' estate, including a monstrous mid-century Italian Provincial china hutch similar to this one. We had hoped to sell it with the matching dining table, chairs and tea cart. We tried Classifieds, then Craigslist, then a Consignment Shop. We discovered that there really is no market for this type of furniture any longer. After the consignment shop had it for 90 days, they told us to come and pick it up. Not having the heart to take it to the dump, we finally found a Bed & Breakfast who agreed to take it for free, but only if we delivered it.

Our parent's furniture can be very sentimental to us. In this case, it's true value is in your heart.

cloudbusting Please do yourself a favor and really think if it's worth the expense and trouble to have it painted and change the hardware. While I think that's a great idea if you must keep it, I'd rather invest that money in something I love. Look for a used piece that you like better. I think you will feel rejuvenated and not boxed in by something you once loved that you have outgrown. Yes, it's hard to part with things. That's why I read Peter Walsh's books for motivation.

k2cochran You can also paint, then put a wax over it... it makes it look Old World.... I see a lot of antiques with this type of finish. I have a piece I am actually going to do soon.

hopesilver well this may sound shaky, but I have done it and it worked a miracle. First make sure that the set is all together in one room. (If you can't do that, you shouldn't have taken it, and put it in storage.) But if you can, paint the chairs,table, and the buffet , and the walls all the same color. It opens up a room, deflects unwanted details, unifies and feels like a cloud.

DIAspoton well you could paint all of the wood in white chalk paint. use a light stain to highlight the detail. or dry brush the detail with a soft gray, beige or any other lght color.
then you could replace the glass with diamond wire mesh.
then you could replace the hardware.
then you could reupholster in a light background contemporary damask.

so after a tremendous amount of work and some expense you'll have an updated set that you still don't really love.

bad idea.

shop resale and antique stores for just the right thing. i was in 2 resale stores sunday. one had a lovely table with 6 chairs in a cream with a light gray glaze. under $500 total.
the other had a cool rustic handmade natural wood on an iron base. she paired it with a parsons bench and 4 painted ladder back chairs.priced seperately and very reasonable.